One of the
great opportunities of sailing the Loop is to have friends and
family join in along the way for a part of the Loop. However, there are a few things you should
consider before making the decision to join me on the trip.
1. Come with a
sense of adventure. We will explore ports
(mostly on foot) and find new experiences.
2. Consider
which part of the trip may suite you best.
Part of the trip will be on rivers and canals with locks to go
through. Other parts will be coastal
cruising. Some places I will plan to
spend a week to explore the area and do some day sailing. See the schedule below or
3. Safety and
comfort are the paramount for my Great Loop travel. I (we) will stay in port on stormy days or a forecast for storms, so be flexible in travel plans. We will normally plan to travel about 40-50
miles on a travel day and we will rarely plan to sail after dark.
4. Schedules
must be flexible. Keeping number 3 in
mind, we may have a plan to meet up a certain port, but a few stormy days could
through that schedule off. Since I will
be stopping to return to Kentucky every 2 to 3 weeks. The best time to schedule is when I am
returning from KY. You will be able to
keep up with progress on my blog or My Loop Calendar.
5. Living on a boat
is like living in a very small efficiency apartment. If you need a lot of “your own” space, then
living on a boat for more than a night or two may not be for you.
6. You will be
expected to pitch in with daily duties (cooking, cleaning, sailing, etc.). If you are looking for an all-inclusive, this
is not it.
7. If you think
this is an adventure you are interested in, check My Loop Calendar and email me or message me on Facebook and I will send you more details.
An Approximate Schedule
Month-Approxiamte Date
|
Event/Port/Area
|
Jan
|
Second Full week in Jan, Race Week Key West
|
Feb
|
Florida Keys and FL East Cost
|
March
|
Spring Training in Florida
|
March
|
Leave Florida in March or April.
|
April
|
Lowcountry Cajun Festival, Charleston, SC
|
April
|
Race Week, Charelston SC
|
April
|
Softshell Crab Fest, Port Royal SC
|
May
|
Be in the BAY IN MAY (that’s the Chesapeake Bay).
|
June
|
New York. All the Erie
Canal locks open June 1.
|
July
|
Detroit/Lake St. Clair
|
August
|
Mackinac, MI
|
September
|
Be in Chicago by early September (so you can avoid the cold lake
winds and waves brought on by Fall weather).
|
September
|
Last weekend in Sept, BBQ on the River, Paducah KY
|
October
|
Second Saturday in Oct, Hunters Moon Festival, Grand Rivers KY
|
November
|
Mobile AL
|
November
|
The only planned overnight sail from Carrabelle FL to Steinhatchee FL
|
December
|
Arrive in South FL by mid-December
|
December
|
Depart for KY for Christmas
|
