Any great loopers?

[Fermion]

We are thinking of getting a small cheap sailboat to run the great loop in 2019 if we winter in the U.P. in 2018. Something bigger than our 17 footer but smaller than what we eventually plan to do major ocean crossing and world cruising.

We have been reading about it and it looks like an interesting route. Has anyone on here cruised or sailed it (and yes I know you have to unstep/step your mast for part of it).

 

[FIREmenow]

We are thinking of getting a small cheap sailboat to run the great loop in 2019 if we winter in the U.P. in 2018. Something bigger than our 17 footer but smaller than what we eventually plan to do major ocean crossing and world cruising.

We have been reading about it and it looks like an interesting route. Has anyone on here cruised or sailed it (and yes I know you have to unstep/step your mast for part of it).

Will be doing it starting spring of 2019. Retiring and moving aboard full time this fall.

Assume you are already on AGLCA and seen John Wright's stuff.....

A sailboat has pluses and minuses on the loop (vs. trawler/power), and should be largely dependent on what you want to do with it afterwards. Plenty of opinions out there on that.....

 

[Fermion]

Will be doing it starting spring of 2019. Retiring and moving aboard full time this fall.

Assume you are already on AGLCA and seen John Wright's stuff.....

A sailboat has pluses and minuses on the loop (vs. trawler/power), and should be largely dependent on what you want to do with it afterwards. Plenty of opinions out there on that.....

Very nice! I think we would be about 5 months behind you as we would go counter clockwise from the Great Lakes down the Mississippi, diverting off to come out in Mobile bay. I figure if we bought a boat that didn't need a lot of hull/rigging/engine work in spring of 2019 in the Michigan area, we could fit it up during the summer and set out down the river in fall 2019 which would put us mostly in the gulf waters during winter.

I don't know if I could work this out with the whole staying in the Florida Keys idea that year.

We were thinking of something around a 32 foot with less than a 5 foot draft (full keel, no fin keel) with a small inboard diesel.

Something like this maybe:

Used 1980 Bristol 32'sloop, Onekama, Mi - 49660 - BoatTrader.com

 

[FIREmenow]

Very nice! I think we would be about 5 months behind you as we would go counter clockwise from the Great Lakes down the Mississippi, diverting off to come out in Mobile bay. I figure if we bought a boat that didn't need a lot of hull/rigging/engine work in spring of 2019 in the Michigan area, we could fit it up during the summer and set out down the river in fall 2019 which would put us mostly in the gulf waters during winter.

I don't know if I could work this out with the whole staying in the Florida Keys idea that year.

We were thinking of something around a 32 foot with less than a 5 foot draft (full keel, no fin keel) with a small inboard diesel.

Something like this maybe:

Used 1980 Bristol 32'sloop, Onekama, Mi - 49660 - BoatTrader.com

Do a lot of reading. Personal preferences are all over the map and there is no one answer - anchoring vs. marinas, sail vs. power, tools and spares, living space, refrigeration, diesel fuel, water, eat out vs. cook aboard, and on and on.

The more you read (lots of blogs too, linked off of AGLCA) you'll find that one or two peoples' opinion resonates with your style - "yeah, that's me" and that will be your version of that topic.

Then on to the next one.....

Home - America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association
Cruising America's Great Loop

Tons of blogs linked off of AGLCA site....
http://gilwellbear.wordpress.com
https://daydreamsloop.blogspot.com/

Plenty to keep you busy!

 

[Bamaman]

We live on the Tennessee River and quite often see Great Loopers coming by our house. They have a big yearly meeting in the Spring at Joe Wneeler State Park (AL) before starting down the Tennessee/Tombigbee Waterway eventually getting to Mobile. I will often stop and talk to long distance cruisers anchored close to us.

There is no way I would attempt a 5000 mile odyssey in a small, inexpensive sailboat. Most voyagers do best in a 36-42 foot trawler with a single diesel engine. There are some bridges south of Chicago that are pretty low, so there are height limitations. Antennas often have to be dropped too.

FYI: The fastest anyone did the Loop was a gentleman with a tritoon boat that stopped very little.

Anyway it goes, completing the Loop would be a very exciting thing. I would love to do it, but family responsibilities keep me stationery.

 

[Fermion]

The full displacement sailboat with a small diesel is usually more fuel efficient than a huge trawler which might consume $20,000 worth of fuel on the loop vs about $5,000 in the sailboat.

As far as safety, for a large portion of the loop you are like 1/2 mile to shore or closer. Far different from a 5000 mile Pacific crossing. Probably you are never even out of cell tower range lol.

The downside to a sailboat are the bridges around Chicago but people seem to have their mast removed by a yard and they carry it with them through this part then have it stepped.

We have quite a bit of experience sailing, both our little 17 foot Montgomery and some weeks of classes of blue water sailing on a 42 foot (Beneteau iirc). We also used to rent a 25 foot Catalina before we got our 17 foot trailerable boat from a club in the Sound. 32 sounds about right for the shallow rivers and such. A 42 foot sailboat would make me a tad uncomfortable right now.

 

[pb4uski]

.... 32 sounds about right for the shallow rivers and such. A 42 foot sailboat would make me a tad uncomfortable right now.

I'm guessing that you would find full-timing in a 32 footer pretty uncomfortable.... I'm pretty sure that I would.

 

[Fermion]

I'm guessing that you would find full-timing in a 32 footer pretty uncomfortable.... I'm pretty sure that I would.

Remember we spent over a year traveling around the country in our homebuilt truck camper, which has about 120 square feet of living space (not counting the garage pod). We did design our RV with 8 feet of headroom though and obviously this is not going to happen in pretty much any size boat up to 60 feet or so.

A 32 footer would have 8x the volume of our 17 foot. We have spent a week in our 17 sailing the San Juan islands and it is cramped.

I figure though if we can't make a 32 work when we can moor and go ashore for a hotel/shower, then we might have problems with a major ocean crossing even in a 42.

 

[FIREmenow]

The full displacement sailboat with a small diesel is usually more fuel efficient than a huge trawler which might consume $20,000 worth of fuel on the loop vs about $5,000 in the sailboat.

As far as safety, for a large portion of the loop you are like 1/2 mile to shore or closer. Far different from a 5000 mile Pacific crossing. Probably you are never even out of cell tower range lol.

The downside to a sailboat are the bridges around Chicago but people seem to have their mast removed by a yard and they carry it with them through this part then have it stepped.

We have quite a bit of experience sailing, both our little 17 foot Montgomery and some weeks of classes of blue water sailing on a 42 foot (Beneteau iirc). We also used to rent a 25 foot Catalina before we got our 17 foot trailerable boat from a club in the Sound. 32 sounds about right for the shallow rivers and such. A 42 foot sailboat would make me a tad uncomfortable right now.

You have the right background hanging out on small boats to do this trip very economically. I would not, however, base your vessel decision on fuel costs as the primary factor. Please do some reading around for opinions for this.

A quick back of the napkin delta shows that the loop is, generally, about 6000mi. 6000mi at 6knots = 1000 hours running time.

For a 32-ish foot sailboat burning 1/2gal/hr, 1000hrs = 500gal. At $4/gal, this is $2000 in fuel.

For the same trip in a VERY roomy and comfy (by comparison) 32-35ft, heavy trawler burning very realistically 1.5gal/hr, 1000hrs = 1500gal. At $4/gal, this is $6000 in fuel. Some can be better still than this.

If your entire year is costing $30-50K for fuel plus all other living expenses (dockage, eating out, activities, maintenance), this difference is small for the upgrade in comfort during a year long, once-in-lifetime trip, IMHO.

The right condition vessel, maintenance costs, comfort, safety, and air/water draft matters more so than fuel. Now, if you actually want to SAIL when you get down south to the keys/Bahamas, that's another thing. Your aren't going to do much sailing on the loop, tho. Again, MHO.

Read around the interwebs, though, and form your own opinions.

 

[Fermion]

Yes, we want to sail when we get to the gulf. Pretty much rules out a power boat.

Hey, we even sailed down a very narrow channel between two lakes, into the wind, with stumps and such in the way. Dedicated!

 

[FIREmenow]

Yes, we want to sail when we get to the gulf. Pretty much rules out a power boat.

Hey, we even sailed down a very narrow channel between two lakes, into the wind, with stumps and such in the way. Dedicated!

Nice!! Good luck in your boat search and keep us up to date!! Hope to see you out there next year!!

 

[splitwdw]

Fermion, I'm a landlubber but do enjoy sailing with friends occasionally. I think Firemenow posted a link or mentioned the Great Loop and I went searching for info. Was just curious. It was a real eye opener. I've been reading blogs about loopers and about people that take the ICW. On both waterways, the sail boats do more motoring than sailing, think they called it motorsailing. Cell reception isn't the greatest in some areas and forget wifi connections. It also sounds like these sailors carry lots of spare parts and consumables (oil filters, oil, gaskets, propane) cause in some areas there nothing around. Had to laugh the one guy has lost his eye glasses 5 or 6 times on one loop. Been reading about the anchorage wars going on in Florida on one blog, LiveBloggin' the ICW. He has a 34 ft. sail boat and think he's out of Canada. One of the looper blogs I like was, Voyages of the Hydrophilic. If you or Firemenow do the loop and either of you keep a blog let me know. Just enjoyed reading about a different type of living.

 

[Bamaman]

The Loopers have a bunch of blogs online, and many are quite entertaining.

I respect those that have the courage to go on such a long voyage. Many have sold their main homes and moved into condos--back home. It is such a change in lifestyle. It is best of the husbands are handy with their hands and have plenty of ingenuity. Chances are they will be tested in many ways.

 

[FIREmenow]

Chances are they will be tested in many ways.

This is EXACTLY why I love boating.

 

[CaptTom]

I think you've answered all your own questions. Go for it!

I haven't done the Great Loop, but did the Down East Loop, a shorter but more challenging adventure. I only mention this because you'd be able to do a lot more sailing on this loop.

You want to sail, so no amount of differing opinions on that (and mine do differ!) is going to change your mind. I think the difference in fuel burn is much less than estimates above, but that's not the point.

Personal preferences are all over the place for living space. Some folks couldn't live aboard anything less than 45 feet. Others are fine with a cuddy cabin. Most fall somewhere in between. Since you already know your limits, don't take advice from anyone on that point.

It's not uncommon for folks to buy a boat specifically to do the Loop, then sell it at the end. It actually makes economic sense to do that.