Preparations for the Great Loop

Makin Memories is scheduled for haul-out today; weather permitting. It is exciting for both Jean and I as we anticipate the final touches in preparation for departure in January. The boat is not the only item that needs attention in preparing for a journey of a year's duration. The house, the cars, banking, to name a few need attention too. This weekend we spent time reviewing household operations with the couple that will be moving into our house while we are away, as well as packing and storing. With two months left before we depart, it is incredible how much there is still to do!

Your 41' President is a great boat to do the loop on. My previous owners did the loop twice and I did the upper quadrant on my delivery home. Muskegan Michigan to Long Island sound. Take your time, take lots of pictures, enjoy the 8 kt cruise on the canals. There are so many quaint little towns to stop in. Don't be so rigid with an itinerary. If you think you want to stop and go ashore - just do it.

Just finishing up my Loop trip. Should be passing through Tarpon Springs in a couple of weeks. Enjoy your trip; it will be a great adventure.

Ted

Congratulations and enjoy the trip.

To do the little loop we started planning in December to leave on July 1st. It was one big long check off list. We actually did leave on July 5th (to my surprise).

Just keep working down your list and leave when it is done. There is no penalty for leaving last or prize for finishing first. There is a prize for having the best time.

alormaria said:

To do the little loop we started planning in December to leave on July 1st. It was one big long check off list. We actually did leave on July 5th (to my surprise).

Just keep working down your list and leave when it is done. There is no penalty for leaving last or prize for finishing first. There is a prize for having the best time.

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On the loop, there actually is a penalty for leaving last. Sometimes you must, but on the northern portion of the loop, you want to leave Chicago no later than October 15 and most try to in September. So, you have a fixed amount of time. If you find you're not going to be able to make it to NYC sometime in May or, at worse, early June, then probably wise to cruise the coast and wait a year for the loop.

You have from approximately May 15-October 15, depending on when they open the Erie Canal, to go from NYC to Chicago and be on the way down from there. We ran into highs in the 40's on our way south.

Or take your time going up and leave the boat in NY, or somewhere up north, for the winter, and pick up the following spring/summer when it gets warm enough. Take two yrs for the loop, as many are doing now. Allows time for many side trips, or so I've been told.

FoxtrotCharlie said:

Or take your time going up and leave the boat in NY, or somewhere up north, for the winter, and pick up the following spring/summer when it gets warm enough. Take two yrs for the loop, as many are doing now. Allows time for many side trips, or so I've been told.

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That's if you don't mind being without your boat for six to eight months.

We also love our President 41. We brought her home last year from Virginia to Michigan so we have done 1400 miles of the loop so far. Have a great time.

Were you the folks docked next to us at Turtle Cove Marina in TS? This is Darrell from Why Knot.

That was (is) us! Hope all is well with you. We are just finishing up on the dinghy and swim platform and getting ready to re-do our batteries (house and starters), adding an inverter, and a few other components for the trip beginning in January.

Excellent! Starting the Loop is exciting. You're a good crew and ought to do just fine with it. Are on FB? How are you going to let the world know of your progress and adventures?

Hey, fyi, our boat is currently in Jacksonville and we'll be returning to it in April. We'll head up the coast ourselves then. Our destination is Winter Harbor marina on Lake Oneida in NY around labor day. Maybe we can buddy boat. We've been up and down the east coast several times and know the way.

What's your cruise plan?

Hi Skipperdarrell. We hope to be near there ourselves, dependent on wx and mechanicals. Love to talk about buddy boating then...
We have made a blog as a repository for pictures, stories, etc. If you want to follow us our blog is http://makinmemories.blog (take a look, and we are open to suggestions, recommendations, criticisms, etc.)