What's Next?

 . . . DOING AMERICA'S GREAT LOOP

Friends at home asked us where we're going next. In early March, we decided to keep on cruising by doing America's Great Loop. The route is a way to travel around the eastern United States on connecting lakes, rivers and waterways. The Loop and its optional courses are shown in the map, with colors indicating seasons. 

At any given time, about 100 or more boaters are doing the Great Loop, most doing it in trawlers -- big, comfortable, diesel-guzzling power boats. The rest of us hardy folks -- about seven percent of all "Loopers" -- are traveling in sailboats.

Our Route

In one sense, every Looper's journey is the same because we all follow the basic Great Loop route on the map. 

On the other hand, it's a unique experience for everyone. It's unique because there is no set starting place -- boaters may begin at any point on the route. There are optional variations in the basic Loop to take, usually based on the size of the boat, such as crossing the Gulf (larger boats) or curving inland close to the west Florida coast (smaller boats). And many boaters take side trips to see the sights they personally want to see along the way. 

Loopers recognize each other by flying the white burgee (flag) for the American Great

 Loop Cruising Association. When a Great Loop is completed, the boater gets a gold 

burgee. Those of us doing the Loop for the first time have a lot of respect for those 

that fly the gold flag, knowing what it represents. 

Carina draws just 4'6" so we are not limited to where we can go by depth. We are limited by height. As a sailboat, we'll lower our mast and store it on a frame on deck in order to get under the low bridges between Troy, N.Y. and Georgian Bay. Because there are many exciting things to see and experience there, we'll take the far northern route, spending about a month in Canada. Carina's mast will be raised when we reach the Great Lakes and lowered again at Chicago until we get home.

Crossing Our Wake

What matters ultimately is "crossing our wake" (ending where we started) on the official Loop route. Carina will cross her wake, and we will finish our Loop on the Tennessee River at the point we turned south on the Tenn-Tom Waterway.  Although it looks like a lot of area to cover, we should be through with our Loop in mid-fall. 

Doing the Loop wasn't a long-time retirement dream of ours. We were influenced by good friends Stan and Annie who have done it twice and have encouraged us and other friends to go. When we left Chattanooga, we had our concerns over such a long trip. But by the time we sailed to the Keys, we were ready for the excitement and adventure of long-term cruising to continue.