Mini-Loop listings

Craig, your wish is our command. This thread is to list all the "mini-loop" tours that are known by TF members. I will start it off.

The Florida Keys/Okeechobee Waterway Mini-ioop

This is starting from the west, but can be reversed.

Fort Meyers
Naples
Marco Island
Goodland
Key West
Up through the Keys to
Biscayne Bay
Miami
Ft Lauderdale
Palm Beach
Jupiter
Stuart
Clewiston
and back to Ft. Myers

There are a multitude of places to stop along the way. Great cruising.

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The Rideau/Ottawa/St Lawrence loop

From Kingston, ON, take the Rideau up to Ottawa
Ottawa River to Montreal, St Lawrence back to Kingston.

Start and end anywhere along the loop, adn go in either direction with associated help/hinder from current.

Downeast Loop:

NYC, up the Hudson to Troy
Troy west on the Erie to three rivers.
Oswego North to Oswego, NY
Lk Ontareo out the St Lawrence
Around the Gaspe Peninsula to Prince Edward Island
Through the Canso Straight to Nova Scotia
Down the Nova Scotia coast to Maine.
Down the New England coast back to NYC.

Alternate via Lake Champlain:

At Troy NY, continue north through the Champlain Canal to Lake Champlain, then north through the Richlieau to Sorell on the St Lawrence.

Alternate via Rideau/Ottawa:

Once in Ontario, rather then going straight out the St Lawrence, go up the Rideau to Ottawa, then take the Ottawa river back down to rejoin the St Lawrence in Montreal.

NY State loop:

From Troy NY, take the Erie west to Three Rivers
Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario.
St Lawrence out past Montreal to Sorell
Then south down the Richlieau, Lake Champlain and the Champlain Canal back to Troy

twistedtree said:

The Rideau/Ottawa/St Lawrence loop

From Kingston, ON, take the Rideau up to Ottawa
Ottawa River to Montreal, St Lawrence back to Kingston.

Start and end anywhere along the loop, adn go in either direction with associated help/hinder from current.

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Commonly referred to around here as "The Golden Triangle".

We've done it once. Almost exactly 660 kms, 355 NM or 410 miles. Two weeks is a nice leisurely go around the Golden Triangle.

Round DELMARVA peninsula.

Cape May up the Delaware River (better tidal current ride up rather than down), C&D Canal, any and all places on the Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, if brave enough inlets south of Chincoteague, Chincoteague, Ocean City, Md, Indian River, De, Lewes, De back to Cape May.

As Scott mentioned on the little loop thread, a great circular cruise is to circle around the eastern and western shores of the Chesapeake. That could stretch into almost a lifetime of cruising. So many villages and anchorages.

Moonstruck said:

As Scott mentioned on the little loop thread, a great circular cruise is to circle around the eastern and western shores of the Chesapeake. That could stretch into almost a lifetime of cruising. So many villages and anchorages.

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Instead of a loop...how about something approximating a "figure 8"????

If you could start in Norfolk....the trip up the bay on the west side, then down the bay on the east side then up the coast to NJ, then the Delaware to the C&D back to the upper Chesapeake is somewhere's near 500 miles itself. Back to Norfolk hitting different towns add another 150+ miles.

Add in Washington up the Potomac is another 150+ roundtrip and go crazy and add Philadelphia or Trenton, NJ for another 100+ mile side trip.

All in all...if you barely tried...the whole trip with those mentioned side trips would be nearly 1000 miles I roughly calculate....and never be more than a little over 200 miles from point of origin.

They used to have a small cruise ship that did the Chesapeake that had different "theme" cruises...one was just military battlefield and I can't remember if it was just Civil War or if it included Revolutionary War sites also. If that's your bag...this loop could be tailored nicely with so many other tips up other rivers, etc.

I think one could spend almost a lifetime doing all the rivers, tributaries and creeks off of the Chesapeake.
Bill

One could circumnavigate Long Island, NY. Down thru Garder's Bay, Peconic Bay, out thru Shinnecock, pop out one of the inlets, thru NYC, and into Long Island Sound.
Many places to stop along that route.

Thanks, Jay. Long Island Sound is great cruising. For a different kind of loop you can take the Hudson River, East River, and Harlem River loop all around Manhatten Island.

Moonstruck said:

Thanks, Jay. Long Island Sound is great cruising. For a different kind of loop you can take the Hudson River, East River, and Harlem River loop all around Manhatten Island.

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Or just buy a ticket on the "Circle Line"

Great thread Don

Wife and I have been Googling these locations and are making notes. It looks like between west and east coasts we will have a ton of options for trailering the boat. Enough for a couple of lifetimes. Now if I can only find a way to speed up the retirement process

CPseudonym said:

Great thread Don

Wife and I have been Googling these locations and are making notes. It looks like between west and east coasts we will have a ton of options for trailering the boat. Enough for a couple of lifetimes. Now if I can only find a way to speed up the retirement process

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I'm with you on this one CP . This work thang is in the way .We just did total 84 miles on the Tn.River round trip and ready for more . Two weeks off a year doesn't go far. But we did get to meet HiDiHo from TF .

It is easy to spend a week or even two circling Biscayne Bay. Just some suggestions here. Timjet is probably on his way home on the loop around south Florida.

The anchorage behind Miami Beach
Boca Chita Key
Elliott Key
The anchorages and harbors of Key Biscayne
Miami Marina
Coconut Grove

All great stops. Others can add to this.

edit: That one is such a good idea, I'm thinking I may do it again soon.

What is sometimes called the Carolina loop, even though part of it is in Virginia.

Norfolk
Coinjock
Elizabeth City
Dismal Swamp
Norfolk

Only about 120 nm but can be expanded and one can take days doing it.

Alaska...take inside passage up and outside back south.

Everywhere there is ICW go one way inside and the other outside or alternate parts and turn it into a real figure 8+, just weaving in and out but taking different sections on the return trip vs. leaving.

From Florida there are so many ways to loop the Bahamas.

If your boat is of relatively shallow draft of 4' or less a good little loop is to circle Pine Island.

You could start at Punta Gorda
Go behind Pine Island through the Matlachia Pass
It will take you out near Sanibel
Good marinas and anchorages there
Then turn north into Pine Island Sound
Captive Island with Tween Waters and South Seas Resorts
Cabbage Key for a great lunch or overnight
Cayo Costa for a great beach and anchorage
Boca Grande for a great village experience, but limited anchorages rent a golf cart at Boca Grande Marina or bike/walk
Then back to Punta Gorda 3 Yacht clubs and Fishermans Wharf along with a good anchorage. They are cruiser friendly

There is a mini loop in Maine. I have lost the article. does any one have the article it was in a now defunct magazine some 7 or 8 years ago.

A few more.

NYC, out NY Bay, up the coast. Long Island Sound. East River.

Carolina Loop. Norfolk. Coinjock. Elizabeth City. Dismal Swamp. Norfolk.

Then there are the hundreds in which you can go one way outside and return inside. Make the trip as long as you want. Nowhere on the East Coast you can't do this.

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

Here is a mni/micro loop in north eastern NC:


Oriental to Pungo River anchorage (also take a side trip to Bath and Washington and stay at their free docks)
Pungo to Edenton and stay at free town dock
Edenton to Manteo and stay at free town dock
Manteo to Ocracoke and stay at NPS dock or anchor in Silver Lake
Ocracoke to Oriental


It can all be done at free docks to go ashore except for Ocracoke, but with a Golden Age Passport the NPS dock is about $20. It is one of the cheapest week long loops you will find.


David

Moonstruck said:

As Scott mentioned on the little loop thread, a great circular cruise is to circle around the eastern and western shores of the Chesapeake. That could stretch into almost a lifetime of cruising. So many villages and anchorages.

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We did that a couple years ago and plan to do it again this year. We'll hit the spots we liked again and try to find some new ones.

Great ideas - thank to all for sharing!

John

As long as we are dreaming about summer circle loops, I want to put a plug in for the New England waters.

Take your pick of ports or hit them all, you can't go wrong with starting in Newport and visiting New Bedford, Onset, Plymouth, Boston, Provincetown, Nantucket, Edgartown, Cuttyhunk, Block Island and back to Newport.

It may only be about 350 miles, but you will be challenged and delighted all along the way.

chelonia said:

There is a mini loop in Maine. I have lost the article. does any one have the article it was in a now defunct magazine some 7 or 8 years ago.

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Maybe your thinking of the "inside passage" in Maine?

MidCoast Maine Inside Passage: Tips? - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

roguewave said:

Maybe your thinking of the "inside passage" in Maine?

MidCoast Maine Inside Passage: Tips? - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

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That reminds me of the various rivers to go up as well, many of which we just cruise right past. These aren't loops but can have much of the same enjoyment. I talk to people who cruise the East Coast all the time and most have never taken the Delaware all the way to Philadelphia, much less to Trenton, NJ or so. People cruise then NC coast and don't go up the Cape Fear or the Neuse. I know many who don't go beyond the mouth of the Savannah river. We go to the city and then take the RIB and go explore much further. How many go back and forth up the ICW and never explore the St. Johns River, or if they do, don't go beyond Jacksonville. West Coast is the same with people going up or down the coast but not exploring the Columbia River.

And if you want a real loop although not altogether fun recreationally, from Mobile, Take the TN Tom to the TN to the Ohio to the MS and down the MS from there. Which reminds of all the loopers who don't go beyond Pickwick on the TN River and miss all it has to offer, don't go up the Ohio, or the Cumberland, or the Missouri or the Arkansas.

The St. Johns River is certainly worth cruising. We've done it as far as Sanford twice and will likely do it again. And we go to Savannah once a year but we skipped it this year to go to Wilmington, NC on the Cape Fear River.

Cuttyhunk47 said:

As long as we are dreaming about summer circle loops, I want to put a plug in for the New England waters.

Take your pick of ports or hit them all, you can't go wrong with starting in Newport and visiting New Bedford, Onset, Plymouth, Boston, Provincetown, Nantucket, Edgartown, Cuttyhunk, Block Island and back to Newport.

It may only be about 350 miles, but you will be challenged and delighted all along the way.

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I have been to most of those towns listed with the exception of Plymouth, and New Bedford. I have been to Plymouth by car and checked it out on the charts and it is easy enough but Active Captain reports no anchoring is available.

Also how is New Bedford- sights to see or places go to, anchoring, moorings, marinas?

David