. . . On America’s Great Loop
“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the
things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.
Discover.” Mark Twain
It may be hard to understand what the gold Great Loop burgee
means to us. The simple answer is it symbolizes an accomplishment -- completing the Loop. We flew a white Looper
flag for a year until we crossed the spot where our Loop began. The gold flag means we graduated.
We’ve learned to dock in all kinds of conditions, lock through in all types of locks,
and sail in all weather. Just as we got really
good (we like to think), the trip ended.
The more complex answer about what the gold flag means is it
represents people who have “sailed away from the safe harbor,” as Mark Twain
said. The flag represents the adventure of our lifetimes . . . so far.
It’s a life-changing
experience
We’ve learned how to live with someone in a tiny space and
still stay married. Some days were better than others, on both sides. We pitched
in to help other cruisers without consciously thinking about it, as they did
for us. We became part of a cruising community helping each other. We learned
how to live day to day with Mother Nature calling the shots. We learned to live
with little – a plastic box of clothes, a tiny refrigerator, limited food
storage, limited water, a small bathroom. It opened our eyes to how much excess
we have at home.
We were graced to see what a glorious world God created,
even if we saw just a piece of it. We didn’t love everywhere we went. As Eddy
on Spiritus said, “The Great Loop is
like a Whitman’s Sampler. You get the whole box of chocolates. Then you decide
what you like best and want more of.” We’d go back to everywhere on the
Gulf Coast of Alabama and
Florida, the Everglades, the Chesapeake, Lake Champlain, Georgian Bay and Lake
Michigan. Those “chocolates” should keep us busy for a while.
The People Make the Trip Special
The rest of this post is dedicated to the people who helped us get started and the people we've met along the way. As we head
toward what Loopers call our “dirt home,” we want to thank each person in these photos and those we only have memories of for
being part of our incredible journey. We’ve learned so much on the Loop, we’ve
seen so much, and we’ve met such amazing, wonderful people! We’ll always
remember this experience.
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Trish and Bob, Pogopelli, at Jones Creek anchorage, Tennessee River. |
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Stan and Annie, Cay Cat, with Kent (c.),
at Green Cove Springs. |
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John and Anita, Outrageous, Kent and Jane, Carina, at Boca Grande |
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Paul, Hooligan, at Big Lagoon |
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Ned and Brigetta, at their home
in Shalimar |
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Chris, diver, at Bay Point Marina, Panama City |
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Larry and Linda, Island Attitude,
at White City Docks. |
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"The gang," at C-Quarters Marina, Carrabelle |
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David and Pat, Sanctuary, and Kent (r.), in Tarpon Springs |
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Juan, diver, at Turtle Cove Marina, Tarpon Springs |
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Christelle and Gary, Time & Tide, at Tarpon Springs |
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Christmas parade, Outward Bound Everglades City Base Camp instructors |
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Jeff, facilities manager, Outward Bound Everglades City Base Camp |
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Bernie and Maeve, Outward Bound Everglades City Base Camp |
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Anne, nutritionist and base camp cook, Outward Bound |
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Trish and Kelly, Outward Bound Everglades City Base Camp |
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Boot Key Harbor Christmas Pot Luck, Tiki Hut |
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Alan, mooring ball neighbor, at Boot Key Harbor |
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David, SALT, installing solar panels, at Marathon Marina and Boatyard |
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Steve, mooring ball neighbor, lead guitar with Eric Stone, at Salty's, Marathon |
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Roy and Yasmine, Yasmine Anne, at Salty's Restaurant and Bar, Marathon |
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Ron and Judy, Pioneer, at Boot Key Harbor |
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Jane and Kent, Carina, Bonnie and Sid, Fiu, Bucket Night at the Sunset Grille, Marathon
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Marathon friends, Mardi Gras, Boot Key Harbor |
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Walt and Pat, Waves of Grace, at Marathon |
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Mary, Judy, Jane and Carol, Saturday at the Tiki Hut, Boot Key Harbor |
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Joey and Jim, My Pleasure, Saturday night at the Tiki Hut, Boot Key Harbor |
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Gary (person) and Alex (dog), Toto, Too, at Eau Gallie anchorage |
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Denise and Hamp, Gracie, at Darien, Georgia |
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Kent and Squirt (l.), Janey and Chuck, at Charleston |
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Chris and Dorcas, Dorcas Ann, at Ingram Bay Marina, Virginia |
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Allen and friends, at Pungo Creek Marina, N.C. |
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Captain Billy of Ingram Bay Marina, and Jane |
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Captain Tim, at Delaware City Marina, conducts daily cruisers meeting. |
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Kent (l.) and John, Harbor Host, Staten Island, at Great Kills Yacht Club |
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Fred,Tug44, at Fort Edwards, N.Y., free dock |
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Mike and Cindy, Aurora, at Chambly, Quebec, on the Richelieu Canal, Canada |
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Robert who locked us through three times and Laurie-Anne, Parks Canada, at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue |
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Carol and Henri, Idylle, Rideau Canal stairstepped locks at Ottawa |
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Looper Docktails at Killarney, Canada |
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Mike (c.), Irish Attitude, shared Lake Michigan knowledge with Steve and Meredith, Free At Last, (our towing heroes
later on the Ohio River) and Kent (r.) |
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Brad, Kent's second cousin, and Kent, at Crowley's Boat Yard, Chicago |
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Mike and Cindy (front left), Aurora, and Larry and Cindy, Bucket List, celebrated crossing their wakes at Grafton, Illinois |
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Eddy and Linda, Spiritus, sing a specially written "wake crossing song" to Mike and Cindy, Aurora, at Alton. |
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Kent's Cousin David (l.) visiting us at Alton Marina |
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Grace and Jeff, Sea Glide, at Hoppie's Marina, on the Mississippi River
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At Hoppie's Marina looper meeting, Fern makes a point with Kent (r.) while Vivian, Aye Candy, takes it all in. |
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Dan and Peggy, Lake Effect, at Green Turtle Bay |
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Looper docktails at Clifton Marina, Tennessee River. |
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Dottie, Down Time, and Al, Always 5 O'Clock, greet us at Grand Harbor. |
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Jane (l.) and Kent (r.) celebrate their gold Great Loop burgee with Linda and Eddy (c.), Spiritus, who earned theirs at the same spot two days before we did. |
When all is said and done, the Great Loop is all about the people. It's the people we'll remember best.