Great loop - How long?

We started the loop in Satsuma, Fl up the St Johns river on 26th 0f March and docked for the Winter at Jackson County Marina, Scottsboro, Al. on 4 Nov. We traveled 3984 statute miles, 562 engine hours on our Monk36, we anchored 50% of the time. We had 52 days on the Erie canal, two weeks on the Trent-Severn canal, three week in Georgian Bay,and re-entered the USA on 19 August. Most loopers want to be heading south out of Canada before Labor Day because Lake Michigan starts kicking up weather wise and temperatures dropping up North. Lessons learned, order charts before starting trip, buy beer in USA and spare parts, never accept dockage between two finger piers when it's already occupied on one pier by a houseboat, trawlers and houseboats hulls are a miss-match. Wear a long sleeve shirt when picking wild blueberry's in Canada. Don't try to pick up a mooring ball off NY city when the tides running, we docked at Tarrytown up the Hudson river and took the train into NYC. We bravely anchored off West Point and toured the campus. We also had time to visit 65 towns/cities along the way for the day or a week as the need arose.
We later did the section from the Tennessee river to Ft Myers and hope to do another loop soon.
Bill

WOW! The entire loop in one paragraph. Nice! thanks.

Why do trawler and houseboat hulls not get along?

The only reason to rush through a trip like this would be the bragging rights of being able to say you did it.

Considering the cost, it makes sense to take your time and see the sights and visit the towns and cities along the way. It's been mentioned but there are a few options that add miles and days to the trip, but that's the whole point, at least for me.

I'm not planning on this trip, too much time away from home and too difficult to deal with. I'm planning a two month cruise and that's about all I can deal with considering making sure bills are paid, the house and yard are maintained, etc. For some folks it's easier to leave home for an extended time. And of course, for some folks, they take their homes with them.

Our plans are to start our first loop in 2016. We'd take different approaches depending on our situation.

Are you only going to have one chance? How much time do you reasonably have? What about inland rivers, will you have another chance?

Here is our plan. Quickly up the East Coast as we travel the East Coast regularly and can always go up and down it. We also intend separately sometime to go up and around to Montreal, but not on the 2016 trip. Want to time things to hit NY just as things are opening up in the spring, early May.

We want to enjoy the canals between NY and the Great Lakes as we might not go that route again. Now, our next point of schedule is to leave Chicago late September to Early October. So, as much time as we have we will spend on the Great Lakes. But then we also intend to get back to them some time. Still we see people just skirting them as if they're something to try to get through without getting bitten. They're incredible bodies of water with many variations of towns and areas.

Leaving Chicago to avoid the cold, then quickly down the Illinois and Mississippi to Kentucky Lake. I say quickly, not because of being in a hurry, but just the least to enjoy on that stretch.

Now we intend to then keep the boat a while at Aqua Yacht Harbor or somewhere else on Pickwick and use that as a jumping off point. Come home and go back maybe more than once. But we want to explore all the Tennessee River, an incredible area. Then the Cumberland River. And the Ohio River. All great inland waterways.

Only after that would we come on down the TN Tom. The trip from Mobile back to Fort Lauderdale we'd probably do more quickly as we also cover that area regularly.

In the future we might loop another time or two or we might just do partial loops. For instance, go as far as the Great Lakes, spend the summer on them, then back out the Welland and the St. Lawrence and back down the East Coast before freezing. Another year perhaps up the TN Tom, back to Pickwick and Kentucky Lake, back on the inland river systems.

If we only had one trip in us and didn't cover the coastal areas as much as we do, that trip would be more like this.

March to May 1 up the East Coast. May 1 to September 30, Canals and Great Lakes. Early October to Pickwick. October - November Color Cruise on the Tennessee. December to Mobile. January-February the Gulf Coast. March back home.

If you can't give it that much time, then we'd recommend breaking it into segments and going home in between. The only crucial time frame you face is to cover the cold weather section from May to September. Get into the canals and off the Great Lakes during that time. While 5 months won't allow you to cover the Great Lakes thoroughly, it will allow you to see more than many do.

Outside of the cold area you can always leave the boat and go home a while. That's what we intend to do on the Tennessee River.

Great Loop

Your plan is do-able, but definitely not practical. You would be on the wet highway almost every single day for 10 months. The trip would be miserable.

In my estimation, a more practical approach would be to travel about 50 miles/day for 130 days given a 6500 mile trip. That would mean travelling an average of 6.5 hours/day and traveling every other day on the average for 260 days. Obviously, you will anchor over night and move out the next day in many instances and stay longer in others. This is just the average.
The other 40 days will get eaten up somehow whether its stopping for fuel and supplies, boat maintenance, minor sickness, weather and just for the heck of it.
Even this could be a very rigorous routine for 10 months, but very do-able.
As someone stated earlier, you will be missing a lot, however, you will have the feeling of pride and achievement which can not be replaced. I will say that moving every other day can get old very fast.

One last kicker is that a lot depends on where your starting point is. Would be great if you start late winter/early spring from Florida and head north. If you start from the North or mid-west, you will be in hurricane territory during hurricane season.

Google up Peterborough Ontario Marina, click on amenities, the floating docks have no finger piers separating the boats. Even though we had a great approach to our side of the dock our fenders touched the houseboats side wall causing much consternation from the owner. The Monk 36 rub strake is much higher and proud than the houseboats flat sidewall and very low lying pontoons.
My log for the loop is on four full size sheets of 11x8 paper so wanted to be brief and emphasis a few points, like leave early if starting from Florida because 1st of September is when you want to be leaving Canadian waters. We moved North with the temperatures and never rushed the trip.
We encountered two SeaRay's that where doing the loop in three months, ugh !!, and a trawler that was five years into the loop and only half way through the trip, they where seeing every nook and cranny and staying till they were bored with the each area. Don't try to over plan and remember the weather some times sets the schedule.
Bill

HiDHo said:

Google up Peterborough Ontario Marina, click on amenities, the floating docks have no finger piers separating the boats. Even though we had a great approach to our side of the dock our fenders touched the houseboats side wall causing much consternation from the owner. The Monk 36 rub strake is much higher and proud than the houseboats flat sidewall and very low lying pontoons. My log for the loop is on four full size sheets of 11x8 paper so wanted to be brief and emphasis a few points, like leave early if starting from Florida because 1st of September is when you want to be leaving Canadian waters. We moved North with the temperatures and never rushed the trip.
Bill

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Well it seems the problem is not that you were docked next to a housebout, the problem was that the slip was not wide enough for your boat and the houseboat. Another marina might have wider slips and a houseboat wouldn't have been a problem. Could you have asked for a different slip?

From what I have read, quite a few loopers do it in 10 months yet others haul out for the winter season and return home to where ever that may be, for the winter and go back and continue the trip in the spring. This is usually done from 2 to 4 years. I have been thinking along the lines of the taking several years thing.

I think the most common time is 1 year, give or take, partly because that's how long it takes, but more to align you position with the seasons. North in the summer, south in the winter. If you want to take more than a year, it probably becomes two years because of the seasonality. You can more easily stretch your time in the southern sections than stretch your time in the northern sections, not just because it's uncomfortable, but because things start to close down.

I have not yet calculated the mileage yet from NYC to the Ms. River. I used to live in NY State and I promise you that I would want to spend as much time up there as possible. Possibly haul out again in the fall and come south for the winter - by air.
That would then take 3 years total. One year to get to the Hudson Valley in NY and haul out. The second year to traverse the state and haul-out again before the Great Lakes and the third year to spend mostly on the Great Lakes and then back home in the south in the fall and early winter.
An old Jewish expression comes to mind: "I should live so long".

Tony B said:

I have not yet calculated the mileage yet from NYC to the Ms. River. I used to live in NY State and I promise you that I would want to spend as much time up there as possible. Possibly haul out again in the fall and come south for the winter - by air.
That would then take 3 years total. One year to get to the Hudson Valley in NY and haul out. The second year to traverse the state and haul-out again before the Great Lakes and the third year to spend mostly on the Great Lakes and then back home in the south in the fall and early winter.
An old Jewish expression comes to mind: "I should live so long".

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The problem with that plan is, you're out of a boat except for the time you spend on the loop. We use our boat as a second home if we're not cruising.

I went back to Capt. John's site that was linked on page 1 of this thread. I'd been there before, but sort of forgot about it.

Good stuff, but he does have some strong opinions. Here's one I can't agree with:

"5. ) The semi-displacement trawler, along with cabin cruisers were designed for higher cruising speeds in the 17-24 knot sustained cruising range, and have a very poor (make that terrible) fuel economy."

I'll grant you that for motoring frugality, you can't beat a 100% full-displacement boat. Better yet, a sailboat with the mast removed.

My last boat was a go-fast, and yet it could be very economical if I kept it below hull speed. The boat I have now, although beamy, heavy and slow, is technically a semi-displacement hull. I don't see that as a significant drawback. In fact, it brings my draft down (up?) to just over 3', even with a keel. That's a big advantage on some stretches of the loop.

Then there's this gem:

"That's right! Don't let any boat salesperson try to convince you that two engines won't burn twice the fuel as one. It simply is not true - they will!"

Without re-litigating this one, let's just say that not everyone agrees with Capt. John on this.

I'm still determined to do the Down East Loop first, but maybe after that I'll try the Great Loop.

rwidman said:

The problem with that plan is, you're out of a boat except for the time you spend on the loop.........

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Not quite. I haven't sold my 39' sailboat in Kemah, Tx. yet. That might become my winter home. If I do sell my sailboat, we were thinking of getting an RV for winter and I know lots of sailboat people on the 3rd coast.
At this point in time, we don't see ourselves becoming dirt dwellers anytime soon.

Yes, don't agree with all of Capt John's thoughts but still a great site. I recommend reading the stories of many loopers to see what they enjoyed most and also to see what you might enjoy but the parts you might not as much as they did. And they'll all have their own prejudices. I recall one we read that believes the right boat to do it is a shallow draft power catamaran. Time after time they talk about how their shallow draft benefited them. Now others might point out all the places they couldn't get a slip. Some tell you nothing over 40' and yet I know those who have had a great trip in a 72' Hatteras. Now, I'm not encouraging 72'. Actually our research shows 60' to be the limit for docking in many areas. And fuel economy plays a different role for different people. John tells you motor in a sailboat for the best and he's right. Well, except a kayak would top that. Yes, a single engine 325 hp will use less than two 1500 hp engines even when they're run at idle. But then the twins won't drink nearly what some believe when run slowly. We have a boat we won't use for the loop but with a top speed of 40 knots and twin 1360 hp but at hull speed of 9 knots it still gets 1 nmpg. We just don't often run it that speed.

As to being without the boat, that's why we'd get it down the Mississippi before winter.

Also, there are ways to explore and cover the ground without actually doing a loop in one continuous cruise. You can do the New York canals and return. Explore Canada. Even make a trip through to the Great Lakes and back out. You can come up the Tenn Tom and explore the TN River and Cumberland and Ohio. Now the actual loop is a nice goal but not the end all. If my time was limited I'd choose something less rather than rush through the loop like it's a race.

There are other great trips to make. One we intend to do but in parts is the Great U. From Alaska around and up the east coast and through to Maine or Halifax or Montreal.

I see people do the loop and miss the wonderful rivers. Also, if you don't get south often then it really seems a shame to do the loop and not make it to the Bahamas while the boat is close. And if you don't get to the Gulf much then why not a side trip to New Orleans and to Texas. People just skirt the edge of the Great Lakes but never actually explore the incredible beauty each of the lakes has on all sides.

The beauty about the loop is it's given a structure to encourage cruisers and it circles so doesn't retrace steps. But many of those areas are worthy of being retraced. I might suggest outlining where you want to go and what you most want to see and then see how that fits.

We have what I would call for lack of better a Boating Master Plan. It includes all the parts of this country and the world we want to cruise and see at some point. It includes the Loop, probably more than once. But it also includes the areas off from the loop that often get overlooked. We've cruised the East Coast, the Gulf and the Bahamas several times and yet only touched the surface. I don't think we'll ever run out of islands and they're all just a little different. One of the highlights of our last trip was a small town, Apalachicola. We normally have just gone past, crossing the gulf and not taking the ICW. But this trip we went to Carabelle and then Apalachicola. We will definitely return. The artistry there was incredible, before even considering the rest of the area. Many loopers never get to Boston or Nantucket. Some never get time on the Chesapeake and some see Annapolis but never Baltimore.

The loop can be done in 6 months but I would personally not attempt in less than 12. Still there are many ways of splitting that. Get through Chicago and get your boat down to the TN river and then you can continue there then or later to complete it. There are some nice boating days from there forward in the fall and then you head down the TN Tom and you have great winter boating from that point forward.

Reading and exploring all the areas of the loop can be fun, get you excited, and help you figure out what you want to see and do. One person will like the Erie canal better and someone else the Great Lakes. One person will love the Chesapeake and another will love the Keys. Some miss the keys even taking the Okeechobee across. On the other hand we've been to the keys many times but made our first trip to the Okeechobee this February.

Suggest you reconsider. We did a 6,000 mile trip in 14 months and always thought that we were rushed, missed many things and now regret that we didn't take longer.

Bay Pelican said:

Suggest you reconsider. We did a 6,000 mile trip in 14 months and always thought that we were rushed, missed many things and now regret that we didn't take longer.

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We took a one month cruise from Charleston, SC to Sanford, FL on the St. Johns River and felt the same when we got back. Missed a few towns and anchorages.

I think if you're going to do it, you should take your time and do it right. For most of us, we only get one chance.

Due to somewhat limited vacation schedules we would look to cover ground early then slow down, some of our most memorable stories are stopping in downs and meeting people, amazing what stories you hear from the local gin mill sometimes. The canal systems of NYS and fantastic, well run and enjoyable, not so much in the commercial zone of the St Lawrence Seaway where we spend a night waiting our turn. The Rideau is also fantastic, feels like you have gone back in time, great scenery. All this examples above was over the course of many trips just broken up, like many have said it's really the journey and not the destination that makes it.

One additional comment. You need to know what kind of endurance you have, meaning how long in a continuous cruise without a break to go home for a bit. I know many do the loop in a continuous cruise, but that's not for us, personally. We find two months at a time to be about our maximum preference and then a brief trip home. It might be longer for you. But this is a pleasure trip and should not be governed by racing through it or pushing oneself to the point the enjoyment is lessened. Our present cruising pace is about 8 months a year so for us it would likely be a two year endeavor.

We don't want to ever become tired of cruising or tired while cruising. We want to look forward to exploring the town where we're headed next. How did we arrive at two months? Well, we've found when we're out nearly two months and headed toward home, we tend to cut stays shorter, skip towns, and hurry home. We refresh and then ready to go again.

Many loopers find they do want to spend the holidays at home. Others are fine being away. For us, we have things we do and love to do during the holidays, people we see, so we do not cruise during that two week period. We have to (as in want to very much, not forced to) go to NC to be at the orphanage with the kids we adore there for Christmas day, that night always to family in Myrtle Beach, and then of course with family and friends home in Florida. We love cruising but not ready to sacrifice holidays as we know them.

Of course there's usually two side to a coin....

As someone said...you may only get to do it once so if it's too elongated....one of many reasons could cause a cruiser to miss the majority of the loop.

Many who do the loop that really enjoy cruising ....plan on returning to those stretches they really enjoyed...if not the whole loop.

Those that live aboard and don't want o winter over have to do the loop at least "seasonably" fast...and return to those stretches or do the loop again to offset and see the places missed the first run.

Life's a gamble in many ways....study alternatives well before the final call...

A friend and his wife started on the loop last sept. spent the winter in Florida, they were back here last week and I asked him how far he thought he would get this year and his plan is to make it to Chesapeake bay spend some time there and then back to Florida and Bahamas for the winter. His original plan was for 2 years, I'am betting it's going to be longer. The MS 430 he bought for the loop was going to be sold when they were finished, I'ld now bet he'll keep it in Florida for use in winter and have his 52' Pluckebaum houseboat to use here on the upper Mis. the rest of the year. I doubt he's told his wife of this possibility yet. If you see a MS 430 named SaSea Sally home port Louisiana, Mo. Say hello to Clay and Sally, they're good people.

We started the Great Loop in Sept. 2012 could have made the circle without rushing if we weren't delayed in late July, 2013, by 3 weeks of flooding in the Erie Canal. Due to commitments at home, we reluctantly put our boat up in heated storage in Brewerton, NY, and came back this June, 2014, to resume the trip.

We are now on Day 270 and have cruised 5,800 miles. Here is a summary of our route to date.

Grand Haven, MI
Chicago, Ill
Cairo, Ill
Chattanooga, TN (side trip)
Mobile, AL
Tarpon Springs, FL
The Keys, FL
Chesapeake Bay
New York, NY
Hudson River
Lake Champlain
Montreal, QC
Ottawa, ON
Kingston, ON
Brewerton, NY
Thousand Islands, St. Lawrence River
Kingston, ON

From here we will do the following:

Trent-Severn Canal
Georgian Bay
North Channel
Mackinac Island
Grand Haven, MI

The total trip will take approximately 300 days and 6,800 miles. It is an incredible adventure which I highly recommend!

You can learn much more about the specifics in our daily blog below.

That sounds fantastic "Great Laker", wish you continued success in your adventure!!

I envy you, Laker. We had a plan to begin the loop in Spring 2014, but flopped badly from lack of real intention and commitment (ya gotta be really planning for it well in advance). Now we're scheduled for Spring 2015. I better get my arse in gear on unfinished projects, and get serious about the planning. Can't help but get excited reading your itinerary. How is the 34' doing as your loop platform? Would you change anything?

Our plan right now is Spring 2016.

I also am shooting for spring 2016. I hope the Asian carp issue is a non-factor in 2 years.

Rafe

Cat Daddy said:

I also am shooting for spring 2016. I hope the Asian carp issue is a non-factor in 2 years.

Rafe

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That latest Asian or Silver Carp news is very puzzling. They've had a tremendous amount of them being found dead just below Kentucky Dam and Barkley Dam. The report was over half a million below Barkley Dam. And it's the only fish found dying. Now some thought was bow hunters and snaggers on the ones below Kentucky Dam but that would seem hard to explain Barkley.

There have also been commercial fishermen trying to catch them and in 2013 even a tournament where over 80,000 pounds were caught. There is actually one processor taking them and then sending them to China. They are eaten in other countries. They're distributed some to Chinese communities in the US, also used for pet food and fertilizer. The problem is that while other fish bring $0.60 per pound, Asian Carp bring only $0.10. Both current processors are in Illinois. Work also continues on trying to develop a means to poison them without hurting anything else.

The attention has gone to keep them from moving North into the Great Lakes but they are a big problem on the Ohio River as well and worrisome to Kentucky and Tennessee.

I don't think they'll be a non issue in two years but doubt the ability to make the loop will be stopped.

healhustler said:

How is the 34' doing as your loop platform? Would you change anything?

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I consider this the ideal boat for a looping couple.

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Not too long (increases most costs), not too high (at 12' it gets under almost all bridges without opening), not too wide (at 13' 3" it fits into virtually all marina slips).

The hull/engine is suited to offshore crossings (Lake Mi, The Gulf, Atlantic off New Jersey, Lake Ontario), is efficient at low speeds (2.3 gph at 9 mph) yet will go 18 mph when needed, and has a range of 1400 mi with a 150 mi reserve. The fittings, construction and equipment quality is up to commercial standards.

The forward cabin has an impressive walkaround queen, ensuite head with enclosed shower, lots of storage, and 6' 8" headroom throughout.

The pilothouse provides great visibility, immediate access to decks port/starboard, the comfort of wind/sun protection, and heat/cooling when needed.

The galley is gourmet with large windows all around, 10' of counter space, dual sinks, stove/oven, microwave and large storage.

The settee provides a dining, relaxation and entertainment space.

Between the cockpit (with sun shade), upper roof deck (with bimini) and bow deck, there is plenty of space to be outside.

And the engine room under the pilot house has hatches on port and starboard providing great working access to both side of the engine, generator, hot water heater, etc. All tanks, batteries and electrical systems are in a separate room under the saloon.

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I can't tell you how many times we traveled with larger boats that could not get into desirable anchorages due to depth, or get slips in older marinas due to length or beam, or get under fixed bridges due to height. For example, you can not go up the Champlain if over 17' and that was a major issue for those many boats trapped at Waterford due to flooding in the Erie Canal last year.

Great Loop How Long

Hi there.
We started our Loop in early January of 2012 and crossed our wake in April of 2013, 10 months of that underway. We had some fixed shore leaves we had to take. 5551 miles. A great experience all the way around.

To the skipper that posted saying that writing a blog would be a long-winded blog...yep. It is. It is a long experience.
There are three reasons to write a blog about doing the loop. First, it is your record of the experience for your benefit. It is about what you did and what the impact was on you. Second, it is a way to share your experiences with others. The third is that it is a supplement to you ship's log. On my Excel ship logs I place links to specific blog entries that supplement what my log is showing.

Our blog Why Knot On The Great Loop

I did publish a book about our experience which I am now revising. The sections that I have revised and republished are at Smashwords – Book Search: "darrell grob"

It was a wonderful experience. My wife and I are now coastal cruisers on the East Coast. (Currently sitting in Hampton awaiting our new canvas to be installed.)

In my book, "Our On Board Life", I say that the reason that we finally got out and did the Loop is that we finally ran out of excuses. My suggestion is to figure out what your excuses are (or will be), deal with them in a reasonable manner, and get out there. It will change your life.

We did the Trent-Severn portion and back to Ct summer of 2012, then we did the Lake Champlain, ST Lawrence R , Rideau canal and back last summer. Each of those years we spent a lot of time in those systems and really enjoyed them. And I enjoyed being back home for the winter.

This summer I am working a contract job thru mid July so we are staying local. We may or may not contiue next summer, if we do we can run thru what we already saw and spend time in the more western areas.

I don't really have that burning desire to complete the loop just so I can say I did it, I'd rather cruise where I feel like at the time.

jleonard said:

I don't really have that burning desire to complete the loop just so I can say I did it, I'd rather cruise where I feel like at the time.

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Well, we do want to ultimately do all the loop. Now certain portions we see as only means to get to the next. For instance from Chicago to Cairo, not a lot of excitement on that stretch.

However, for those who don't have time to do the loop I recommend partial loops. Then if the time comes you're doing the rest you can go through the areas you've done quickly. When we loop we'll spend very little time on the coast. We travel it all the time. But we want to enjoy the various rivers and the Great Lakes. As to the boat completing the loop that could take two or three years as we intend to spend time on the TN river and the Ohio and the Cumberland.