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It is! But any worthwhile adventure is going to involve some effort.

Wow, that’s so cool! What a fantastic adventure to get to read about from a FAMILY MEMBER! That’s so neat. ⛵️💙

Generally speaking, I think you'll have an easier time getting diesel since that's what it seems like a lot of boats use. But I don't think there was anywhere that we would have been absolutely out of luck for one or the other. We primarily used diesel (our sailboat runs on it), but we do have an outboard for the dinghy that requires gasoline. Keep in mind that there are some long stretches in the river system that you won't have any stops to get fuel, so you'll need some jerry cans with whatever fuel you require if you don't have tanks large enough for that range.

Thank you so much for the kind words! Let me know if you have any questions as you begin to dig into what America's Great Loop looks like as a personal adventure. It's a worthwhile trip!

You are very welcome!

Thanks for all the tips! This is great info!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching!

Thank you!

You’re welcome!

I hope you can turn your dream into a plan and go out and do it someday! Let me know if I can help or if you have any questions about making it happen.

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks for watching!

Your best option would be to join the public Great Loop Facebook groups and check around!

We know that tomorrow is never promised and that really drove us to go now and not wait!

Yes, we were running away from winter and needed to keep moving south! We didn’t have time to explore the Ohio River other than using it to get from the Mississippi to the Tenn-Tom.

Yes, it’s quite the adventure!

Thanks for that! You can tell I'm not local, and I appreciate learning the "right" way to say it. Glad to hear you'll be at the Rendezvous; I'll be there too! I'd love to meet you while we're there. :)

@@LoopLifeAcademy I'll look for you!

Ah, interesting distinction. I thought the signs I had read labeled them as hot springs, but I come from an area where we don't have any kind of warm springs, so I didn't realize the difference between hot springs and warm natural springs. I did know the part about the nuclear power plants warming up the sea water in the surrounding areas; I watched an interesting video about the issues that manatees face when facilities like this eventually shut down, but the manatees continue to migrate to places that will no longer provide them with the warmth they need. Thanks for the add insights!

Those burgees are from the AGLCA and you can find them in their shop! www.greatloop.org/shop.html

That sounds like an awesome adventure! My parents took a motorcycle trip along the historical Route 66 a couple of times. I consider the Great Loop to be kind of like Route 66, but for boats; we see so many small, historical little towns. The TransAmerican Trail sounds awesome!

Hello, fellow Michigander! Those are all great "coastal" towns in Lake Michigan that we love! Saugatuck was a nice day sail for us from our home port in Holland before we left on the Loop.

Have you cruised the Mississippi River up and back yet, or is that a future plan for you? The Loop could be a fantastic adventure to try if you were already planning on cruising the river. There are some folks who start the Loop and just keep going, year after year. There's one boat that I know of (I think it's named MV Manatee) that has been around the Loop over 30 times!

@LoopLifeAcademy just a pipe dream, my plan is a little different and no one has ever done it the way I'd like to.

Glad it was helpful!

Yes, I've read that before. But we are going with the Swedish meaning. For us, Fika is an intentional time to sit down with coffee, friends, and family and have a bit of quality time.

Thanks, glad you liked it! Many people wait until they retire so they do not have to worry about their work situation. For some folks, the financial burden is easier to swallow because of their situation or ability to work remotely. For others, bigger sacrifices need to be made if they want to jump into Looping earlier in life, and they may choose to make it happen on a strict budget (I've seen a few folks share their experience with this). Some creative solutions exist, depending on each person's situation. 📓 Our main course (www.looplifeacademy.com/great-loop-adventure-planning-for-working-families) does touch on practical considerations like budgeting and financial planning as part of the steps to help your family get out on the Loop. 📰 You can also sign up for our weekly newsletter (www.looplifeacademy.com/newsletter) if you'd like to receive updates and tips and be among the first to know about new courses and materials as they are released. ✅ Otherwise, keep watching this channel, and I hope you can continue to learn and dream until you find a plan that works for you! I'm happy to answer questions if I can. Some channels you might find some more info on: ➡ Check out www.youtube.com/@WaywardTravelers for a couple who Looped for "free." ➡ Also, check out Scho & Jo - they regularly shared their monthly budgets. www.youtube.com/@SchoandJo I hope you can make the dream a reality someday!

Not much, unfortunately, but we really liked the meaning behind the word. My husband has a tiny bit of Swede in him, but my heritage is all Dutch!

My pleasure! I'm glad it was helpful.

The Trent Severn Waterway is actually the more popular route. We ended up on the entire Erie Canal and didn't enter Canada because of various work commitments and obligations, but we hope to do the Trent Severn eventually! Most Loopers will divert halfway through the Erie Canal, up into the Oswego Canal, Kingston, Ontario, the Rideau Canal, and the Trent Severn. I'm unfamiliar with this route since we haven't taken it yet, but you can do it! Counterclockwise is the most common direction people travel, but it is not the only way. You can head south down the East Coast without worrying about "traffic directions." We've met plenty of other boaters heading south as we head north. Loopers aren't the only boaters out there, so you'll see people traveling in all directions as you move along. As long as you have enough power and gumption to go against the current heading up the river system from Mobile to Chicago and ensure your timing allows for facilities to be open so you can access fuel and pump-outs, you could do it the "wrong" way. I've seen a few Loopers mention they are going in the "wrong direction" online, so you could do a little searching and probably find some of these Loopers in the Facebook groups.

⁠Thanks so much for the reply! I’ll keep researching and follow your channel.

Thank you for watching! Reach out if you have more questions, I’m happy to help.

We are sailors and have really enjoyed having a sailboat on the Loop. Yes, there are times where we do a lot of motoring on rivers, but having the sails has been great for those perfect sailing days, or for when the water is a little rough and opening up some sails makes the ride more comfortable, not to mention the areas that have been fantastic to sail in. We stepped the mast twice in our Loop. The first time was in Catskill, NY before we entered the Erie Canal. For this portion, we kept our mast on deck. It was a bit cumbersome and in the way, but overall no issues. One of the neat parts of our journey was having the mast taken down in Catskill by a crane that was rumored to have been an original crane used in the construction of the Erie Canal. We stepped the mast back up in Buffalo and were grateful for our sails again in the Great Lakes. The second time we had to step the mast was in Chicago. This time we loaded our mast and boom onto a trailer that would be shipped down to Mobile, AL. It was much nicer traveling down the river system without the mast on deck. There were only one or two spots that we could have enjoyed some sailing in that portion, but overall, motoring was the way to go. We were very excited to put our mast back up in Mobile and get out sailing again. Overall, for our preferences and enjoyment, we have found it worth the little bit of extra effort (and cost) to deal with the mast on this journey. We love to sail, and having that option in the Great Lakes, in the Keys and to the Dry Tortugas, in the Bahamas, and now along the East Coast, has made it all worth it. There are sailors out there, but there are plenty of people who motor and love that option too. I think the two boat types tend to look for different weather windows (we like a bit of wind, trawlers want glassy waters), but everyone has a great time with what they have. Think about your own preferences and enjoyment as you weigh the options.

We met an expedition canoer in Lockport who was roughly following the Loop route as part of his larger goals. He canoes and camps everywhere he goes, and I believe he set up a teepee in northern Michigan to wait out the winter this past season before he continues south through Lake Michigan. A decent number of solo cruisers are doing the Loop, so it is definitely an option. There was a recent podcast on the AGLCA channel that you might want to check out: www.greatloop.org/resource/great-loop-radio-looping-solo-1.html.

Fantastic! We've now sailed in two countries (US and Bahamas) and have sailed in the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and 3 of the 5 Great Lakes. We ended up in a 2005 Beneteau 423 with a three-cabin layout. It's not a huge living space for 4 people, but we are enjoying the adventure!

@@LoopLifeAcademy Very nice. Thought that was a benni

Thank you!

It is a really neat way to explore a lot of areas and gain a different perspective than you would by car. We've found that by boat, we find these small towns and interesting areas that you might never come across by car unless you were intentionally going there. It's been a great adventure and learning experience!

That's how I stumbled across the Great Loop a few years ago! I had watched some videos of a couple transiting canals in France and I fell in love with watching videos about narrowboats in Europe. I wondered about what was available in North America and first found the canals in Canada, and then somehow that led me to finding out about America's Great Loop! A few years later, I had my family convinced, and we moved onboard our boat, SV Fika, and started our own Great Loop Adventure.

There are lots of people living on and cruising the waterways of the US and Canada. My wife and i have been doing it for 22 years. We're currently on the Tenn-Tom Waterway in Alabama. You don't see many traditional "narrow-boaters" like in Europe because the waterways of North America are newer and are designed to support maritime commerce.

@@sweisbrod6109, that makes a lot of sense! The only place we saw traditional narrow boats was the Erie Canal. If someone wants a sample of cruising (or narrowboating), they could rent one of these vessels and cruise for a week along the Erie Canal. It looked like a fun way to explore if you don't have a boat yourself!

The primary advantage for anti-clockwise is that you are then flowing down river when you go through the river system. Otherwise you’d need to work against the current from Mobile, AL to Chicago, IL.

That’s awesome! Thailand sounds like a really neat place to sail.

It's definitely possible to do the Great Loop without relying solely on marinas. We often anchor out to enjoy the freedom and beauty of secluded spots and because the price is right (free!). However, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. Finding suitable anchorages can be challenging in some areas, but with proper planning, it's manageable. For example, there aren't many places to anchor along the Erie Canal, but many towns offer free walls where you can tie up your boat. When planning your route, consult your charts to identify anchorages along the way. Look for areas with free or low-cost mooring options and plan your passages accordingly. Keep an eye on weather conditions to ensure you can find sheltered anchorages during adverse weather.

We did it in 1991. No marinas. At Little Current (North Channel) we tied up but they refused our payment.

Thanks! We've been having a lot of fun and faced challenges together, and recommend it as an adventure for a lot of people, including families!

I am glad you are enjoying it! We welcome you into the Official Landlubber Great Looper Club! There are many of us in the club, from dreamers, to planners, to researchers, and cruisers. It's a welcoming community. And if boating isn't your thing, I've seen a few people look at camping the loop, or join a captained boat to do small sections for just a little bit of experience on it. Regardless, I'm happy to be able to provide a virtual tour of the Great Loop as I produce these videos. You may also want to check out www.youtube.com/@SchoandJo for a great vlog series along America's Great Loop to get even more immersion in it.

That's a pretty impolite comment from an assessment you made from a 60-second video. I can assure you that it was heavily seasoned and everyone here enjoyed it just fine. Thanks for watching!

There are a decent number of solo sailors out there doing the Loop, so it might be more attainable than you think. There was a recent podcast on the AGLCA channel that you might want to check out: www.greatloop.org/resource/great-loop-radio-looping-solo-1.html

Thank you! More to come!

Thank you!

Thank you! Cheers!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It was fully cooked, guess the lighting didn't show it well.

Thanks!