Ready!

I attended the Great Loop Cruisers Association seminar in Chicago recently to learn more about the loop from some of the people who have completed the loop.  There were a variety of speakers and thankfully one person who did the loop in a sailboat (Jessie Zevalkink).  Jessie was certainly the youngest of the loopers, but there people of varying age groups and backgrounds.  It was great to spend the day with other people who are preparing to live out their dream.  I came away from the seminar with renewed excitement about the trip.  The speakers who have completed the list spoke about the friends they made along the way and how the local folks you meet along the waterways are so friendly to the boaters and seem to be willing to help.

I have also been helping plan a partial reverse loop with a friend from our local sailing club.  He bought a boat in Ft. Lauderdale and is moving it to KY Lake.  I have been printing and studying charts, tides, river levels/currents and lock procedures.  All of this work is really getting me pumped of for the trip.  While I cannot help on the start of the trip, I plan to join him at Mobile to go up the rivers.  It will be a taste of the river portion of the loop.  I will let you know how it goes.

I can’t wait!