I feel like I should blog more. It’s kind of a cookie trail for my life. It helps collect my thoughts, put things in perspective. It’s a way to help others if the content is good. I like it.
We finished America’s Great Loop back the end of September. It’s great to be home. November now, I think back on the things we did and it’s hard to believe we did all that. A few things to know about the loop:
It’s not always easy. It’s like going on a looooooong vacation, but there are so many uncertainties. It gets very boring out there. It is frightening out there. Your patience is tested. Your perseverance is tested. Your relationships are tested. Things will happen and you have to deal with it. Here are some things to think about when dreaming of attempting the Great Loop.
OVERWINTERING:
If you leave Tennessee in October you need an overwintering plan. A boat that averages 8mph will easily get ahead of whatever weather is coming, particularly the cold. In the late summer and fall it’s hurricane season. Slow down! We zoomed along down the Tennessee River, down the Tombigbee to Mobile AL and learned a lot about our boat. And we learned lessons on patience. Or boat was slow – 8.3mph is our cruise speed, minus lock delays, stopping for repairs (this segment a hose needed replacement, engine batteries, and my house battery plan wasn’t really working out). So frustrating to go slow, at first.
I also learned I have a little anxiety that works for me managing projects, not so much when I’m supposed to be relaxing. I lost my appetite and lost a lot of weight!
Anyhow, our overwintering plan was to head to Marathon and get a cheap mooring ball for a few months until the weather warmed up and we could head north. Nope! We got to Marathon after Thanksgiving and the ball waiting list was 40 days. If you don’t arrive before Thanksgiving, just forget about it. If you arrive before Thanksgiving you just skipped places on the west coast, like Crystal River, Tarpon Springs, Pelican Bay and the Everglades! We found 15th Street Marina in Marathon, luckily, and we were the first transient boat! It’s a crappy marina, but as you’d expect it was great. People were amazing, it was a great spot close to bars, restaurants and West Marine. Ronnie the marina manager is a retired lobsterman and crabber, and he always had very interesting stories to share.
The other ways to overwinter: Find a spot around Fort Myers or Manatee Pocket or somewhere with something that interests you. You can move every day, but short distances, and stop everywhere, staying longer at cheap or free spots. If we looped again we’d probably do that.
EAST COAST TIDES SUCK!
After leaving Marathon in mid February, south Florida was interesting. Much of the west and south of Florida the tides are almost negligible. I’m not sure why. We anchored a night at Lorelei’s based on a Jo and Scho recommendation. It was ok – we had seen so many tiki bars and margaritas, maybe the float planes made it a little more interesting. The night after we left a storm hit and washed a bunch of boats aground. The bottom in the keys is made of hard coral “gravel”. Little pieces of broken gravel from hundreds or thousands of years pack into a hard mat. I digress….. We hit Boca Chita where we took Teresa’s picture on a beach made of beautiful round shells. We hit John Pennekamp for a mooring ball for a few days. We anchored in NoName Harbor, Maule Lake, slipped in Ft Lauderdale Cooleys Marina on the New River to watch super yachts go back and forth all day. Delray was an excellent stop with lots of entertainment and beaches in easy walking distance both ways.
When we entered the West Palm area things started getting more tidal. We visited Peanut Island and stayed on a mooring ball near our friends from the Chattanooga area on Coddiwomple, with tides always a concern. Currents in St Augustine mooring field turned us back and forth with each 6 hour tide change. By the time we hit the Carolinas we had 7 foot tides where you had to anticipate shallow water at low tide. Some narrow passages needed to be traversed while the tide was slack or moving in the right direction. Remember we’re slow!
In Georgia and Carolinas, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) we followed Bobtracks. Bobtracks gives you a GPS track to follow that should keep you out of shallow water. The website will provide alerts to shoaling from storms. Just remember the currents are so strong going out of hundreds of small inlets that the sand moves around a lot. Note that all the small inlets makes the tide flow will be in different directions based on whether it’s incoming or outgoing, but more important whether you’re on the north or south side of the inlet, and whether one direction heads you towards a bay or swamp that will allow the current to flow with less resistance. Only the locals know how to predict which way it will flor, but each expert will only within their fishing distance range. That means you just have to grind out your distance, plan alternative stops in case you can’t make it, and mentally deal with the slower speed for up to 6 hours per day until the tide turns around.
Some sections have to be timed. We misjudged the Cape Fear River. Our destination was Carolina Beach mooring field but we had to travel up the river and through a tidal canal to finish the day. That outbound current slowed us to about 1mph and a following swell from the Atlantic caused us to rise up and down the whole time. Ships and ferries were everywhere. Remember my anxiety? I think I lost some tooth enamel grinding my teeth. We made it safely and we really really enjoyed Carolina Beach. Carolina Beach hasn’t been corrupted by corporate hospitality and entertainment quite yet. Locally owned shopping and restaurants prevail.
As we exited the Carolinas we arrived at the Chesapeake with different tidal concerns. (Without distracting from the tides discussion, we voted Chesapeake as most disappointing – it’s mostly all the same for the cruiser, really great for the fisherman.) This time the size of the Chesapeake, hundreds of miles long, made it like a mini ocean with plenty of distance for fetching waves, usually up or down the bay. The tide of course flowing up or down the bay. If tide was coming in and the waves were going out, you were in for a bad bad day so we’d wait many times. We waited for weather a lot, even though we did get caught in nasty waves at the intersection of the Chesapeake and the Potomac that killed one of our engines (ask me to tell you that story some time). When we had Rambler, an Albin 25, I used to dream about exploring the Chesapeake. I’m glad we didn’t because it is treacherous water. NOTE: The CB is big enough it generates its own weather. Your typical weather apps will be unreliable. Google for the Chesapeake Bay Operational Forecast system (CBOFS) for wind versus tide forecasts.
We hit the C&D Canal, about as far up the Chesapeake as you can go, with surprisingly strong current in our favor. We were whisked along at least 4mph above our normal speed, passing Chesapeake City, to Delaware City (a great stop). Delaware Bay to Cape May – more current and waves to consider, but our timing and conditions were perfect for our crossing. NOTE: Delaware Bay makes its own weather too. Google for DBOFS for weather forecasts specific to that water. Cape May has a narrow canal from the bay into the harbor which challenges the cruiser with strong current, ferries, a narrow dilapidated railroad bridge, and dead horseshoe crab shells floating along that looked like coconuts. The vibe was unnerving. Outside in the Atlantic our next stop was Atlantic City where we arrived at low tide. We bumped bottom reaching our anchorage, on the way out it was so flooded at high tide we couldn’t see the channel.
A long day in the Atlantic and calm seas brought us to Sandy Hook where we were finally accustomed to and expecting tides and currents. It was very calm and we didn’t have any more wind opposed current thank goodness.
We crossed Hudson Bay in the fog (the old story of “we thought it had lifted and it hadn’t”). Up the Hudson, past the Statue of Liberty, New York City and West Point it was tidal currents for another few hundred miles. High tide at the Verrazano Bridge was a few hours earlier than the current further up the river. Try to leave in slack and the incoming tide will give you a push against outgoing river current. After your first Hudson lock near Troy and your tides are finished! I still feel the relief as I type this.
CANADA IS THE BEST PART:
We had been told to go north through Champlain/Chambly for the northern loop through Canada versus the US side through the Erie Canal. It was such good advice. So many loopers skip Canada altogether because they can’t take their guns. This is a TERRIBLE reason to skip Canada and I think it’s utterly ridiculous. Find the courage people, leave your fears and enjoy your life. The only reason you should skip the route we took if you can’t get under the 16′ bridge on the Chambly. Seriously, pick your loop boat so you can clear this obstacle.
We meandered northbound to Lake Champlain, explored Burlington Vermont, we went under the 16’ bridges after we crossed into Canada into the Chambly Canal. These locks were made of wood, very small and human operated. Heading up the Chambly and the Richelieu made us feel that tingly feeling of a real adventure. We were getting really far from home, in a different country. Help from our regular network of people that would hop in the car and bring us something important or just come get us was no longer practical. It was pretty scary and we were feeling pretty homesick. Our buddy boat Unity, Keith and Brandy, became like family as we moved together into the unknown. To our surprise, Canada offered so many resources from boat repair, medical care if needed, transportation, and people that would really help you out if you needed it. Yes, people speak French in Quebec, and they don’t like to speak English. That said, people couldn’t have been nicer and helpful, from that first night in Canada until months later when we returned to the USA.
We went up river to Montreal, fought strong current flowing from the Ottawa River, where we enjoyed the amazing restaurants with buddy boats, explored fresh food markets, bakeries, churches and architecture, fun shopping at the underground malls! We also went with a buddy boat to a burlesque show. That was entertainingly weird.
We followed the Ottawa River through the commercial locks. These locks scare people but they’re really no big deal by the time you get this far. We spent a few nights going up river to Ottawa, where we spent multiple days celebrating the July 1 Canada Day in their Capitol! More open markets, gourmet food, friendly people, museums and architecture. We left upriver into the Flight of 8 locks to the Rideau Canal, which interestingly built to defend Canada against the United States!
We followed the Rideau through about 45 locks, celebrated July 4 on a lock wall by grilling hot dogs with our buddy boat. The views in these interconnected lakes were stunning. The ever changing narrow passages felt things interesting and challenging. Water was clean as a whistle.
Arriving in Kingston was a welcome place to recharge. After so many Rideau locks you need a break. We are more food. I had a seagull steal the last bite of my delicious cinnamon roll out of my hand. We toured an old fort there, again, to defend against Americans. We were really never taught in school how hostile we really are. Sometimes I wonder if America is really as great as we have been taught. We have a lot of improving to do.
On to the Trent Sever, we made another 45 locks to reach the Midland area and the Georgian Bay. Again, people couldn’t be nicer, towns couldn’t be more charming. We had imagined Georgian Bay to be remote and we’d have lonely peaceful anchorages. We got some of that, but it was busy on weekends and holidays. The place is jammed with isolated island cottages. We ate fish and chips at Henry’s, and had lunch at the Waubic, both only accessible by boat!
We visited Killarney, Little Current, Baie Fine and the Pool (best anchorage), Bad River for FUN dinghy riding! We hit the Benjamin Islands and toured beautiful rock formations. We detoured through Collins Inlet. We couldn’t find the hieroglyphs but the scenery was spectacular.
LAKE MICHIGAN IS ROUGH
Contrary to my expectations, US customs was a low drama event, just a phone call to get back into the USA. Someone in our buddy boat group played the national anthem over the VHF. We arrived in DeTour MI and waited on a weather window to Mackinaw Island and the Mackinaw Straits and under the Mackinaw Bridge. We were heading into Lake Michigan.
Lake Michigan is enormous. The wind can blow almost any direction with enough fetch to produce serious seas. The water is very very cold. Don’t plan on sinking in this lake. No, have a plan if you have an unfortunate disaster like sinking, that could cause you to be in the water involuntarily. Our plan was always to use our AB dinghy as our lifeboat. Our two VHF stations are DSC emergency equipped. Of course iPhone 14’s both have satellite SOS, but I’m not sure how well they would actually work.
Navigating the lake requires careful planning if you want to avoid rough seas. If you have checked the NOAA “Near Shore Forecast”, Windy and PredictWind, the Great Lakes Operational Forecast, and you’re sure the wind will blow offshore, the water is deep enough that you can hug very close to shore with little chance of hitting something underwater. If the wind shifts, you’d better know what direction and how strong it will blow.
Fortunately the east Michigan side of the lake has many many safe harbors, all within a half day run at trawler speed. If you leave early enough, you can make the next one before prevailing afternoon winds pick up. The west Wisconsin side, according to many, has better weather days because of prevailing west winds. But, the harbors are farther apart. We fully enjoyed the Michigan side. If we went around again, which we aren’t, we’d go west side.
THE ILLINOIS, MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO ARE A BUMMER
After our weeks long run down Lake Michigan, and a fun time in Chicago, we headed through downtown on the Sanitary Canal to the Desplaines River. We passed under something like 85 bridges? to get to the Illinois River. I’ve heard the human brain remembers smells better than any other sense. That river smelled like a cross between chlorine and a boat holding tank. For dozens and dozens of miles south there’s nowhere to stop, no safe retreat. The only redeeming quality was we were the only boat.
South of Chicago to rural Illinois River greeted us with some flat scrubby forest and one barge dock after another. This section cannot be more industrial, but yes it can! Most towboats were very courteous. Some towboats act like they don’t see you, or at a minimum, don’t want pleasure boaters making their day more complicated, or they resent us because we’re having a good time. I’m not sure.
We continued down to Joliet for an uneventful free night with free power at Joliet, stopped in Heritage Harbor which was GREAT, stayed a couple days in Peoria and visited the Caterpillar Museum, a few nights in Grafton on the way to the Mississippi. The closer we got to Grafton, the Illinois was really pretty and had a few really peaceful anchorages.
Turning downstream onto the Mississippi, we spent the night on the Kaskaskia Lock Wall which was “novel”. We headed to Hoppies Marina which is really some floating barges on the side of the river where they sell fuel. People are really nice. The flood water in the spring can put this whole place, buildings on shore and all, completely under water. The Mississippi offers about a 4mph push in places, to improve your speed. That strong current causes eddies, whirlpools, boils, all so strong in places that the auto pilot can’t compensate. We zoomed past St Louis as there’s nowhere for pleasure craft to stop. We zoomed past Cape Girardeau for the same reason. Hundreds of giant tows cruise up and down the Mississippi past banks lined with rock wing dams to protect the channel depth from silt and erosion. It’s not really the river portrayed by Tom Sawyer.
Pleasure craft marinas take a tremendous amount of engineering for them to survive spring flood waters. If you look at Grafton, you can’t see over the rock jetties built to divert flood waters from the floating docks of the marina. Marinas on these western rivers also have a terrible problem with silting. Most have to be dredged regularly. Many marinas only support small fishing and ski boats anymore because of the silt and depth. Some have silted in so bad that no boats can use them, they closed up and they’re full of marsh grass.
From Hoppies, we made a 117 mile day to an anchorage near the mouth of the Ohio, not regrettably, completing our time on the Mississippi River. We were buddy boating with Etcetera, an Albin 34, the captain was British and traveled all over the world. Ian and his wife are super people. We turned up the Ohio early that morning and were met by towboats departing the port of Cairo. I think someone said it’s the busiest inland port in North America? There were dozens of fully loaded tows waiting that morning, so many that they let the down river rigs out first, then the up river. Etcetera announced to the tows that he planned to stay on the right descending bank as he passed through. The response on the commercial VHF channel was some dip making fun of his accent. I announced that it was uncalled for, as we were only announcing our intentions to make our passage safer, and all around easier for them. They really didn’t care what we did, and we just had to stay out of the way. Etcetera later had a balancer on their single engine Lehman come apart and had to be towed TWO DAYS to Green Turtle Bay. Ian did the repairs himself. He’s a remarkable guy and I have much respect for people that work on their old boats themselves.
The Ohio River when we were there in September, never stopped smelling like dead fish, really bad. Always make the best of it. It gets better.
OUR HOME WATERS ARE AS GOOD AS ANYWHERE!
When other loopers find out where your home waters are, the next question will be something about whether they should visit, what can they see, grocery and restaurant options, scenery, dangers, etc. Early on we touted the Tennessee River, its gentle currents, deep water, outstanding anchorages, and in Alabama the start of the surrounding mountains. Later in the trip, these are cruisers that have been up the Hudson, through Canada and the majestic Georgian Bay/North Channel. It’s hard to impress. However, most cruisers after experiencing the Tennessee River agree with us.
After clearing the Cumberland River to Green Turtle Bay, some cruisers take the Cumberland side trip to Nashville. Others take a side trip to Chattanooga or beyond. If you are under schedule pressure and can do one or the other, I’d drive a rental car to Nashville. It’s cheaper than the fuel you’ll burn. Chattanooga is my recommendation.
As you enter Kentucky Lake, Land Between the Lakes will be to your east off your port. This is BLM land and there’s NOTHING built out there except a few campgrounds. That means it is dark and very quiet, and feels remote but it’s not as remote as it seems. The anchorages on that side are easy to get into and very protected. On a clear night the stars will definitely impress. Use your binoculars for an even more impressive view.
Jumping ahead to the intersection of the Tenn Tom, pass it up and head east up the Tennessee River. The shores will be rocky, many cliffs, even an anchorage with a waterfall. If you’re a late looper, you may get a treat with the fall leaf colors blanketing the steep hills! They keep getting bigger and steeper.
Our current home marina where we’re leaving the boat for a few months is Goose Pond. We have home based in Hales Bar Marina in Nickajack Lake. I’d anchor at Shell Mound and save the let down. If you really want to stay at HB, you HAVE to get a pizza from the Lookout Winery, though the wine is not that great. The pizza is GREAT.
The real show on the Tennessee river begins in Nickajack. You’ll be surrounded by big mountains and cliffs on both sides of the river. Around every turn is a new awe inspiring view. It’s something like 35 or 40 miles past Raccoon Mountain, finishing below Lookout Mountain in downtown Chattanooga. It’s really spectacular. There is one anchorage in an oxbow that you can try, but have a backup plan. It’s like 30′ deep and we couldn’t get our anchor to stick there. It’s very protected and the current is pretty gentle. Give it a try because it has great views. I’m not going to say much about Chattanooga, but I love visiting by car or boat, and I could easily live there if my personal conditions warranted it.
FINISHING IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL LET-DOWN
It’s been about two months since we completed our loop. I’m finally starting to beat the unexpected depression of returning home. (I had a little challenge from the change from working full time, to walking away from my 27 year career at 53 years old and moving immediately onto our boat. I’d recommend leaving your job and don’t leave for a month or so.), Don’t get me wrong. It’s great catching up with friends and family! We’ve visited family, including my mom whose breast cancer has come back basically all over her 81 year old body. The let-down I’m talking about is like this:
You’re traveling almost every day and you stop cold turkey. At first it’s a relief, but that itch you’ve been scratching for a year comes back and itches like crazy. It’s wanderlust. It’s that craving for adventure. You’re suddenly in the same place all the time, when you’ve been under that pressure to move.
It has been great being back in our house with my dog and cats. I’ve missed them most on our journey! Why wouldn’t we take them with? Even if Shaggy wasn’t a fraidy cat 110 pounds that barks at everything in public, pets make it exponentially more difficult. Is the boat getting hot? Where can I take him ashore to do his thing, night and morning? Does the restaurant or museum we really want to visit allow dogs? Probably not.
Our house was being watched by my stepson Aaron. He did a good job, but there were plenty of low urgency maintenance items that needed to be done. Weeds were knee high in my gardens. We leaned into some projects that we wanted to do. It kept us busy, and it distracted me from that itch a little with hard work.
I look out at our beautiful backyard and see the same old dirt. Every night we watched the sun set over the water. Every morning we were greeted sometimes swarms of bugs and cool misty air, and colorful sunrises. At the end of each travel day we’d be somewhere new. We’d have exploring to do. We’d have to find our way around the new place on foot or bicycle.
The other loopers and cruisers, the people you’re surrounded with daily, are having a good time. They’re awake and bright, they all greet you at least with a hello. Most will stop and meet you, learn about you, you share info, everyone is trying to make each other’s day better. Normal people, your friends and those in public, are in their routine. People in their home routine are dimmer than those on the move. I’m not saying they’re dumb or anything. Our routines and being in the same old place numb us to the delight of living life! I’m not saying everyone should travel like we did or like we’re going to do. I’m saying do what delights you. That may be staying home and going on a vacation twice a year. I definitely don’t want to insult anyone. This is for the loopers out there. IYKYK.
Looking back on the adventure, “I won’t be surprised if it’s a dream…”. Get out there and do it. Have a plan for what you might occupy yourself with, and roll with it! Catch up with your old looper buddies and reminisce through your photo albums! It was a good time. More to come.
While I was writing this, I got a call from a recruiter with an offer on a job I applied for. It’s a great job and I’d like to do it. The pay is fair. The time off is our hang-up. How can someone get a decent adventure in with two weeks a year away from work? I need to save some money for a handful of years before we do something big again. I knew it would be a problem. Working on options. <sad face>
