Great Loop in 30 Days?

[ljk]

This guy is trying to do the Loop in 30 days. He’s got a newly repowered Glacier Bay and is about halfway through.

And he is on schedule!

https://youtu.be/scmbf5dOnjw

 

[psneeld]

Just another person making money on the net.

Can't say anything positive/negative about the guy till I had a 5 minute conversation with him.

But the concept of doing the loop in 30 days to me doesn't impress me on so many levels.

 

[Bacchus]

That is so sad to go through all the trouble to miss the whole point of cruising / looping

 

[HTurner]

That is so sad to go through all the trouble to miss the whole point of cruising / looping

Not sad at all... he just has a different motivation and goal. Bully for him if this is what gives him boating joy.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. HT. Indeed. Bully for him. Young guys. Capable boat. A month to have fun and enjoy cruising. THAT'S the whole point for these guys.

 

[BandB]

If you'll pay us enough, we'll do it in 20 days. However, would only be for money and to prove we could, but couldn't call it doing the Great Loop. To me, the loop isn't about proving you can complete a circle, but about enjoying so much of the country by water.

Still, if it pays for them, sounds like a fun endeavor. Hope they avoid any major engine issues on the way and can do it. Many such endeavors fail over mechanical problems.

 

[bowball]

Not sad at all... he just has a different motivation and goal. Bully for him if this is what gives him boating joy.

+1

 

[kthoennes]

What's the record fastest time anyway? Is there a record?

 

[Benthic2]

From Greatloop.org

The Great Loop has been done in as little as six weeks and in as much as 12 years.

 

[rslifkin]

What's the record fastest time anyway? Is there a record?

I know a guy did it in something like 60 days (not continuously though) by doing various segments on different pontoon boats. Pretty sure he finished up last year.

 

[backinblue]

Watched some of his videos. I don't get the impression he is doing this to make money. He has a goal and it's his idea of an adventure, doesn't mean it fits everyone's dream. Maybe between family and work obligations, 30 days is the most time away he can manage.

 

[mvweebles]

Some people are just wired differently. When I was young I rode my motorcycle all over the country. I did seven 1000-mile days not by direct intention, just didn't stop (my right shoulder trapazoid muscle still tinges when I think of this). A few months ago I drove from my home in St Pete to Houston non-stop not because I intended to do so, just turned out that way.

Also made me a very efficient delivery skipper - I'd just wouldn't stop. One of my best friends is wired the same. When we would 'day-sail' in SF Bay, we'd head due west 40-miles past the Farallon Islands (next stop: Japan) and come back.

I'm trying to re-wire myself and smell the roses a bit more. But I can see how doing the Loop at that pace would be attractive for a certain personality. But my guess is you won't see too many women in his videos, at least not while transiting.

Peter

 

[backinblue]

Some people are just wired differently. When I was young I rode my motorcycle all over the country. I did seven 1000-mile days not by direct intention, just didn't stop (my right shoulder trapazoid muscle still tinges when I think of this). A few months ago I drove from my home in St Pete to Houston non-stop not because I intended to do so, just turned out that way.

Also made me a very efficient delivery skipper - I'd just wouldn't stop. One of my best friends is wired the same. When we would 'day-sail' in SF Bay, we'd head due west 40-miles past the Farallon Islands (next stop: Japan) and come back.

I'm trying to re-wire myself and smell the roses a bit more. But I can see how doing the Loop at that pace would be attractive for a certain personality. But my guess is you won't see too many women in his videos, at least not while transiting.

Peter

I agree. I know some people who have no trouble driving almost nonstop for 1000 miles. In fact, some even enjoy it. Anything more than about 200 is a chore for me that I hate.

 

[mvweebles]

I don't know much about outboard motors. Guessing he'd put about 400 hours on those Suzuki's. How trouble free should they be over a long haul? What is the service interval for oil etc? Chances of a prop strike?

Just curious

Peter

 

[rslifkin]

Other than oil changes and maybe a set of spark plugs, I'd expect pretty much any modern engine to run 400 hours pretty trouble free, especially starting off from new.



As far as the pace, it's also somewhat human nature to do things like that just to see if it can be done.

 

[backinblue]

I don't know know too much about modern outboards but 300 hours over 30 days should not be an issue I'd think. Some regular maintenance, but like any modern engine, probably better to run them a lot than not much at all.

 

[HTurner]

If one watches their relatively short YouTube videos one will see the prep they did to their engines.

 

[hollywood8118]

Everyone is wired different, this guy seems to be doing it for himself. no way he can film,edit,post the thing for profit in 30 days. I regularly drive 0ver 1000 miles in a day on road trips to cali, did it last week. Is it normal or even smart.. probably not.

I watched a new movie called 14 Peaks a couple weeks about a guy that all 14 8k+ peaks in one year!. He also saved a couple climbers facing certain death who were not in his team along the way. Again, some are just wired different. Watch the movie, best documentary I have seen for some time.
HOLLYWOOD

 

[kthoennes]

This discussion reminds me of John Mirassou's Great Loop trip with two other buddies in an open, 17' Boston Whaler back in the 80's (87?), followed by his book "Only in America." We have a signed copy of that book on the coffee table on our boat now. One 90-horse Johnson.

 

[hollywood8118]

This discussion reminds me of John Mirassou's Great Loop trip with two other buddies in an open, 17' Boston Whaler back in the 80's (87?), followed by his book "Only in America." We have a signed copy of that book on the coffee table on our boat now. One 90-horse Johnson.

You can really go places with a " Big Johnson"




HOLLYWOOD

 

[backinblue]

Everyone is wired different, this guy seems to be doing it for himself. no way he can film,edit,post the thing for profit in 30 days. I regularly drive 0ver 1000 miles in a day on road trips to cali, did it last week. Is it normal or even smart.. probably not.

I watched a new movie called 14 Peaks a couple weeks about a guy that all 14 8k+ peaks in one year!. He also saved a couple climbers facing certain death who were not in his team along the way. Again, some are just wired different. Watch the movie, best documentary I have seen for some time.
HOLLYWOOD

Thanks for the movie tip. Might also want to check out "Chasing Niagra" if you haven't already. Also "The River Runner"

 

[ljk]

30 day looper

Just another person making money on the net.

Can't say anything positive/negative about the guy till I had a 5 minute conversation with him.

But the concept of doing the loop in 30 days to me doesn't impress me on so many levels.

Well, the "guy" isn't retired, he has a full time first responders job, and 30 days was all his boss would let him take off!

 

[Rufus]

...guaranteed they will be ripping through No Wake zones to meet their objective.

 

[rslifkin]

...guaranteed they will be ripping through No Wake zones to meet their objective.

What makes you say that? Only a relatively small portion of the loop is actually no wake zones.

 

[psneeld]

Well, the "guy" isn't retired, he has a full time first responders job, and 30 days was all his boss would let him take off!

Thats why I said I needed 5 minutes with the guy.

 

[BandB]

What makes you say that? Only a relatively small portion of the loop is actually no wake zones.

Erie Canal is only major area of limitation with some in the TN Tom. He'll likely try to run outside on the east coast as much as possible.

 

[rslifkin]

Erie Canal is only major area of limitation with some in the TN Tom. He'll likely try to run outside on the east coast as much as possible.

Exactly. And even on the Erie Canal, quite a bit isn't no wake. Some you can run on plane, some is 10 mph (with the few short 5 mph stretches), but all is no wake when passing docks and such, so it's a repetitive cycle of speeding up for 2 minutes, then slowing down again if you're trying to get anywhere quickly.

 

[BandB]

Exactly. And even on the Erie Canal, quite a bit isn't no wake. Some you can run on plane, some is 10 mph (with the few short 5 mph stretches), but all is no wake when passing docks and such, so it's a repetitive cycle of speeding up for 2 minutes, then slowing down again if you're trying to get anywhere quickly.

Biggest problem on Erie is staying below 5 mph and very few do so and they understand and don't enforce it. How do you run at 4.3 knots and less? You'd have to kick in and out of gear to do so. We go by FL law which would say "Any vessel operating in a speed zone posted as "Idle Speed - No Wake" must operate at the minimum speed that allows the vessel to maintain headway and steerageway." We went through those areas at our slowest idle speed.

 

[rslifkin]

Biggest problem on Erie is staying below 5 mph and very few do so and they understand and don't enforce it. How do you run at 4.3 knots and less? You'd have to kick in and out of gear to do so. We go by FL law which would say "Any vessel operating in a speed zone posted as "Idle Speed - No Wake" must operate at the minimum speed that allows the vessel to maintain headway and steerageway." We went through those areas at our slowest idle speed.

4.3 kts is dead idle for me. I generally do closer to 5 Kts in those spots to get the engines a little off idle and have better steering. If I had to go that slow for a long stretch I'd probably shut an engine down to get more load on the other one. But fortunately, most of the 5mph stretches are pretty short, then it's back to 10 (where I usually do about 6.5 kts).

 

[BandB]

4.3 kts is dead idle for me. I generally do closer to 5 Kts in those spots to get the engines a little off idle and have better steering. If I had to go that slow for a long stretch I'd probably shut an engine down to get more load on the other one. But fortunately, most of the 5mph stretches are pretty short, then it's back to 10 (where I usually do about 6.5 kts).

Hull speed of our loop boat was around 7.7 knots with a waterline length of about 60'. At 900 RPM we did 10 knots. At 750 RPM we did 8 knots. We were able to reduce our idle to around 600 RPM which gave 6 knots but barely kept the engines running and was not great at maintaining control.

Tows and barges can't maintain 4.3 knots either. Any boat with a waterline length over 30' will struggle with it and I can't imagine any over 40-45' LWL staying under 4.3 knots. Most boats can maintain at something like 1 knot under hull speed. For 40' LWL that's going to be around 5.3 knots. That's likely what you'll get for a 45-50' LOA boat.

I'd imagine your LWL is about 30' giving you 5.5 knots hull speed so your idle of 4.3 makes sense. However, idle will increase proportionately with hull speed and will do so without increasing wake.