Hello from land locked Nebraska

[RockyTrails]

Rookie here with a whopping 5-6 hours of boat driving under my belt. Recently learned about the Great Loop and being a big road tripper and traveler already it looks right up my alley if I actually like boating. I've been lurking here, youtube, yachtworld, and soaking up all the info I can. Since I began learning my dreams have grown and now I'm learning more about solar, electric motors, and passsage making. No real time table for things right now especially with that witch corona out there messing things up. Thanks to all the experienced boaters who make this an educational place! Cheers,

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard.

 

[Sealife]

I spent several of my "developing years" in South Dakota. There's always hope! Welcome, and nobody does it until they do.

 

[Ken E.]

I have always liked your Corn Huskers football team. Welcome.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Welcome Aboard.. Tell us a little more about yourself, age, spouse, kids, present occupation?

At one point EVERY one of us had 5 - 6 hours of boating experience under our belts, think about that..

pete

 

[BandB]

Rookie here with a whopping 5-6 hours of boat driving under my belt. Recently learned about the Great Loop and being a big road tripper and traveler already it looks right up my alley if I actually like boating. I've been lurking here, youtube, yachtworld, and soaking up all the info I can. Since I began learning my dreams have grown and now I'm learning more about solar, electric motors, and passsage making. No real time table for things right now especially with that witch corona out there messing things up. Thanks to all the experienced boaters who make this an educational place! Cheers,

Wifey B: Learn and dream. I think Nebraska is one of those places you have to be from, to love it.

We received enticement over the years from this older man we adore who lives in Omaha in a house he bought in 1953 and would never ever consider living anywhere else. He couldn't understand we preferred living on a lake in NC at the time. Well, he could, he just didn't like understanding it.

So, let's hear about your 5 or 6 hours. Where? What?

How far do you live from navigable waters where you could dip your toe? Do you have thoughts someday of living elsewhere? Where?

You Tube shows you boating, but it doesn't let you feel the experience. Read. Go to Amazon and buy the kindle versions of every great loop book you can. Not those about the loop but those written by loopers as they did it. We did so and it induced us deeper and deeper into the dream and we read more and more and we just had to do it. Share the trip with those who have written. Some incredible loopers have shared.

 

[kthoennes]

South Dakota here. If you're anywhere near Omaha I'd encourage you to check out Lewis and Clark marina in Yankton on the Missouri River just above Gavins Point Dam on the NE/SD border. 400 slips and the closest thing to a "real" marina and big water you'll find in this general area (I know, everything is relative). The impoundment above the dam is navigable for just 26 miles, but we love it. Lots of slip holders from NE and Omaha at the marina. Of course it's all buttoned up for the winter and the boats are on jackstands, but we'll be happy to tour you around and take you out next May. Lots of big(ger) boats, power and sail, 40 ft+, not just weekender trailer boats.

For now, while we live and work in SD and get the kids through school, Lewis and Clark is a good place to keep our boat Loop ready, until we ship it to Duluth someday and sail away to the world.

 

[HalcyonDays]

Welcome, I also live in Nebraska. Great place to live. check out you tube What Yacht to do (loopers).

 

[Tator]

Welcome fellow Midwesterner! I'm a Jayhawker myself. Born and lived in Kansas until I was 45. 25 years in Lawrence. Discovered Alaska, the PNW and trawlers when I was 40. Bought our first boat at 41 and kept her in Washington. Had a quintuple bypass at 41 and said "screw it" Finally moved to the PNW at age 44. Enjoy life!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Tator

 

[OldDan1943]

Rookie here with a whopping 5-6 hours of boat driving under my belt. Recently learned about the Great Loop and being a big road tripper and traveler already it looks right up my alley if I actually like boating. I've been lurking here, youtube, yachtworld, and soaking up all the info I can. Since I began learning my dreams have grown and now I'm learning more about solar, electric motors, and passsage making. No real time table for things right now especially with that witch corona out there messing things up. Thanks to all the experienced boaters who make this an educational place! Cheers,

Welcome to the funny farm. Winter is approaching there so bring in some more firewood. You have all winter to sit by the fire, reading up on boats etc.
All those computer sites are EVIL and they will eventually motivate you to sell the farm and buy a boat!!
I recommend you spend your money on more meaningful things such as wild women and good booze.

 

[rgano]

Welcome. Are you thinking you want to do the loop in an electric powered boat? There has been lots of learned and some not so learned discussion on this topic here. There are a few youtude channel discussions too. I'm sticking with diesel.

 

[RockyTrails]

A little more about me

Welcome Aboard.. Tell us a little more about yourself, age, spouse, kids, present occupation?

At one point EVERY one of us had 5 - 6 hours of boating experience under our belts, think about that..

pete

My wife and I are 39, no kids and a couple cats. She went on Seamester during college and toured a good portion of the Caribbean and east coast on the Harvey Gamage tall ship. I have ridden and driven a few ski boats and pontoons. One pontoon was the most fun and silliest thing I've done on a boat. It was a rental on Flathead Lake, picked it up from the dock and headed south to pick up family at another dock. By the time I got to the family the lake was so rough I didn't dare dock, turned around and learned very quickly some lessons in surfing as I returned to the rental dock. Luckily the rental dock was protected and that was my most exciting hour and a half boating. We also got to tour southeast Alaska on a smallish cruise ship (about 160') we got in to some places the big ships don't and exploring all those little bays on our own started to seem enticing

 

[RockyTrails]

Welcome. Are you thinking you want to do the loop in an electric powered boat? There has been lots of learned and some not so learned discussion on this topic here. There are a few youtude channel discussions too. I'm sticking with diesel.

I am trying to determine the reality of a hybrid setup of an electric propeller motor, solar panels, and a diesel generator. I've started a dream spreadsheet and it does seem like it could work in certain coastal or shorter type displacement speed cruising scenarios. I'm currently digging in to sub systems like steering, winches, and thrusters to see what would be compatible with electric vs sometimes hydraulic versions.

 

[RockyTrails]

Wifey B: Learn and dream. I think Nebraska is one of those places you have to be from, to love it.

We received enticement over the years from this older man we adore who lives in Omaha in a house he bought in 1953 and would never ever consider living anywhere else. He couldn't understand we preferred living on a lake in NC at the time. Well, he could, he just didn't like understanding it.

So, let's hear about your 5 or 6 hours. Where? What?

How far do you live from navigable waters where you could dip your toe? Do you have thoughts someday of living elsewhere? Where?

You Tube shows you boating, but it doesn't let you feel the experience. Read. Go to Amazon and buy the kindle versions of every great loop book you can. Not those about the loop but those written by loopers as they did it. We did so and it induced us deeper and deeper into the dream and we read more and more and we just had to do it. Share the trip with those who have written. Some incredible loopers have shared.

The Missouri River isn't far, several small manmade lakes in the area, and the Ozarks, and some larger lakes in Iowa and on the South Dakota Boarder are less than 6 hours away. I do have to blame allot of the youtubers for my growing interest, SeaVenture, Technomadia, Adventures of an Old Sea Dog, Dangar Marine, Aquaholic, SettleBoatGuy, ETolly, and many more show the fun and some of the not so fun. In the dream setup we would live aboard for a few years to do the loop and maybe expand our cruising range after that.

 

[RockyTrails]

South Dakota here. If you're anywhere near Omaha I'd encourage you to check out Lewis and Clark marina in Yankton on the Missouri River just above Gavins Point Dam on the NE/SD border. 400 slips and the closest thing to a "real" marina and big water you'll find in this general area (I know, everything is relative). The impoundment above the dam is navigable for just 26 miles, but we love it. Lots of slip holders from NE and Omaha at the marina. Of course it's all buttoned up for the winter and the boats are on jackstands, but we'll be happy to tour you around and take you out next May. Lots of big(ger) boats, power and sail, 40 ft+, not just weekender trailer boats.

For now, while we live and work in SD and get the kids through school, Lewis and Clark is a good place to keep our boat Loop ready, until we ship it to Duluth someday and sail away to the world.

Thanks, I didn't realize the marina was so large up there I'll have to visit. I have found myself looking for places I could bring a boat of any size so I could work on it. St Louis seems about the most populated with marinas and yards but is too far. Then I realized the trip it would take to get a boat to St Louis from the Great Lakes and figured out I'd be better off moving to the boat if that were an option.

 

[rgano]

Welcome Aboard.. Tell us a little more about yourself, age, spouse, kids, present occupation?

At one point EVERY one of us had 5 - 6 hours of boating experience under our belts, think about that..

pete

C'mon, Pete, you KNOW that isn't so....

How long have we been running boats?

All me bloomin' life, sir!
Me mother was a mermaid, me father was King Neptune.
I was born on the crest of a wave and rocked in the cradle of the deep.
Seaweed and barnacles are me clothes.
Every tooth in me head s a marlinspike; the hair on me head is hemp.
Every bone in me body is a spar, and when I spits, I spits tar!
I'se hard, I is, I am, I are!

 

[kthoennes]

Yes, Lewis and Clark is bigger than most people think. Big travel lift, the whole thing. Rough guess but I'd guess the slip holders are maybe one third Sioux Falls area, one third Yankton area and one third Omaha/Sioux City area. There's also Okiboji, the Spirit Lake area in Iowa a couple hours to the east of Sioux Falls, but that would be very far for you. It's very popular, crowded in the summer - we make jokes about being able to walk across the lake stepping from one boat to the next - but it's very shallow, very expensive, and mostly small trailer boats. And then there's Cedar Shore in Chamberlain, SD on the Missouri. They have a beautiful marina and lodge there, fuel, water, a great bargain and they let slip holders go in a month earlier and stay in until November, they give you winter storage for free. The impoundment is navigable for over 100 miles. They don't have a service department though, no travel lift, the big boaters pool themselves together and hire an 18-wheeler with a submersible boat trailer to pull the big boats and they do their own winterization and blocking. We've thought about switching but it's a little over two hours from Sioux Falls so just a little too far for us.

(There's also a marina in Sioux City but it's relatively small and the Missouri River is channelized there and rips by at 7+ knots. I don't know how any boaters handle it. And Sioux City - well, you can form your own opinion.)

Lots more water in this area of the country than people think.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Welcome to TF.

You could start at Astoria OR in a canoe and up and over back into the Missouri Follow Lewis and Clark. PNW is also great....