Bob and I started the Great Circle Loop 4 years ago on a warp-speed boat delivery trip of 1500 miles in 3 weeks from the upper Chesapeake to Lake Superior with only 2 handheld GPS units, paper charts, and a lot of enthusiasm and naiveté. We’ve updated our Grand Banks 32’ trawler, Baby Grand, considerably since then and slowed down the pace since we departed Lake Superior on 9/5/08. Today (6/27/09 at 12 noon) we are crossing our wake at the Bohemia River and rejoice and hug each other.
What has the trip been like? It’s the little things you remember like seagulls perched on a break wall as the sun rises through the fog in the Great Lakes; the last rays of the sun glinting on a lighthouse in the Chesapeake; the quietness of a secluded anchorage after riding the sea all day long in the Gulf--there are so many little moments like these everyday.
What has the trip been like? It’s the little things you remember like seagulls perched on a break wall as the sun rises through the fog in the Great Lakes; the last rays of the sun glinting on a lighthouse in the Chesapeake; the quietness of a secluded anchorage after riding the sea all day long in the Gulf--there are so many little moments like these everyday.
Every day is different. We might have a planned destination, but the weather and sea conditions change often so flexibility is paramount. We like the challenge of that-most of the time. The electronic Chartplotter and the paper charts show us the sea, land masses and navigational markers, but it is up to us to make sense of these so that we can find a safe harbor for the night.
There is the rhythm of the sea, the hypnotic rise and fall of the waves and how your body echoes these movements back and forth. There is a rhythm that we have as a couple on our boat as we are more interdependent and literally can not leave the dock unless we are working as a team. It brings out the best in each of us.
There is the rhythm of the sea, the hypnotic rise and fall of the waves and how your body echoes these movements back and forth. There is a rhythm that we have as a couple on our boat as we are more interdependent and literally can not leave the dock unless we are working as a team. It brings out the best in each of us.
Through this trip, we are more open to new possibilities and have found that the chance encounter and taking the less traveled route makes life more interesting and adds spice. We have learned that our large country is really a collective of small, medium and big towns connected through beautiful waterways and good people.
Doing the Great Circle Loop means gliding over the wakes left by Loopers before us, to be followed by the next Loopers -- maybe you. The Great Circle Loop is a collective experience that we share together and it all starts with the white AGLCA burgee. You know that you have a friend and a like-minded adventurer who also wonders some days if they are up to the often-daunting task. Planning and dreaming about the Loop usually has blue skies and calm seas but the reality sometimes can be stormy. As Loopers, we help each other out, share the load, laugh at ourselves and always pass the food and wine at 5pm Captains Meeting.
We want to thank you for your help and support. We will pay it forward so look for us as gold Loopers next year in our permanent cruising ground in the North Channel/ Georgian Bay area. Right now we will continue slow-poking up the east coast and look forward to jumping into the fresh, clear, cool water of Lake Champlain.
Doing the Great Circle Loop means gliding over the wakes left by Loopers before us, to be followed by the next Loopers -- maybe you. The Great Circle Loop is a collective experience that we share together and it all starts with the white AGLCA burgee. You know that you have a friend and a like-minded adventurer who also wonders some days if they are up to the often-daunting task. Planning and dreaming about the Loop usually has blue skies and calm seas but the reality sometimes can be stormy. As Loopers, we help each other out, share the load, laugh at ourselves and always pass the food and wine at 5pm Captains Meeting.
We want to thank you for your help and support. We will pay it forward so look for us as gold Loopers next year in our permanent cruising ground in the North Channel/ Georgian Bay area. Right now we will continue slow-poking up the east coast and look forward to jumping into the fresh, clear, cool water of Lake Champlain.
