Information On Cruising The Great Loop

For newer boaters, obtaining insurance coverage for a Great Loop boat has been a challenge for the past few years. Jon Horton of Jack Martin & Associates joins us this week to share what he expects from the marine insurance marketplace in 2023.

The past few years have presented challenges to new Loopers looking to buy their perfect Great Loop boat. Will those challenges continue in 2023? Join us on this week's podcast as Curtis Stokes of Curtis Stokes & Associates shares his insight on what to expect in 2023.

Captain Alyse Caldwell of Ask Captain Chris joins us this week to share details on celebrating the holidays aboard your boat. We'll discuss how to adapt your holiday traditions from your "dirt life" to life aboard, decorating tips, ideas for gift giving, and how to spearhead a group gathering to celebrate with other boaters.  

Thinking about purchasing a dinghy for your Great Loop?  Dustin Kidd of Bourbon City Yacht Tenders, who also happens to be a Gold Looper, is our guest this week to talk about things you should consider when purchasing a new tender.

Jake Krancic did the Loop aboard a 32' sailboat. When his wife wasn't interested in joining him, he took on crew and did some of the Loop solo.  What it's like to Loop aboard a sailboat with a small diesel engine at an average speed of less than 5 mph? Listen to find out!

For some couples, one's desire to do the Great Loop and the other's reluctance can lead to an impasse. Hube & Chris came up with a solution. Chris did the parts she wanted and Hube took aboard crew for the other legs. They'll share the details and logistics of finding 11 different crew members and getting them to and from the boat so Hube could fulfill his goal of completing America's Great Loop.

What's new with AGLCA? Listen to learn about our new website platform and some of its new features. We'll also share details about the upcoming Looper-palooza event in Fort Myers happening January 23-25, 2023.

What's it like for a family of four with two teenagers to cruise for a year? The Wright Family shares the story of their Great Loop adventure aboard their 42' Nordic Tug.    

Practice makes perfect! Before starting the Great Loop, learn how to effectively communicate with other recreational boats, commercial vessels, bridge tenders, lock masters, and marinas via your VHF radio.  Dave & Nan Ellen Fuller show us how.

AGLCA could not continue without support from our sponsors and assistance from our volunteers. This episode starts with an interview with Tim Konkus from the 2022 Sponsor of the Year, Delaware City Marina. You'll learn about the special services this marina provides that make it a "must stop" on the Great Loop. Then, we'll feature Dave & Claudia Fuller, winners of the 2022 Ron & Eva Stob Volunteers of the Year Award. Hear about the many things Dave & Claudia have done to support AGLCA and their fellow Loopers that earned this this award.

After 10 years of boating, Ron & Jan upgraded to a Nordic Tug 34 and completed the Great Loop over the course of 3 years, storing the boat for the winter between cruising seasons. On this episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast, they share the story of their adventure.

Considering winter storage for your Great Loop boat? Tom Pirro and John Lombardi from Winter Harbor Marina talk about winter storage.  They share how boats are prepared for heated storage and relaunched in spring. They also share tips on winterizing boats that will be cold stored.

Karen and Lee completed the Great Loop aboard their 38' Chung Hwa Trawler.  Starting from the Houston area of Texas, they had a journey just to join the Great Loop route. Hear their story, along with the challenges they faced as they took on this epic adventure.

Here is the link to the video of this podcast so that you may review the slides: https://youtu.be/p-1IL4p2oAU The railroad bridge at Mile 300.5 on the Illinois Waterway is the lowest fixed bridge on the Great Loop for which there is no alternate route. Currently charted at 19.7', you must pass under this bridge if you plan to do the entire Great Loop route. Have you ever wondered why the bridge is so low? Or why it no longer opens to allow taller traffic to pass? Patrick Hynes has, and he's our guest on this week's podcast. He'll share the results of his research on the history of this bridge and what its future may be.

Curtis Stokes of Curtis Stokes & Associates joins us to talk about how different conditions and different hull designs can affect how your Great Loop boat acts at anchor. After a comment from a Gold Looper on a Story of Our Loop episode of this podcast regarding their boat being especially "active" at anchor, we received a lot of questions. This episode provides more information on which boats are more likely to roll or swing at anchor.

Hurricane Michael devastated the Florida Panhandle in 2018, leaving homes and businesses destroyed and a shortage of dockage for Loopers transiting the area.  After some delays due to Covid, marinas are completing the rebuilding process and are open for business for Loopers this season. Get the details from our guest, Justin Bannerman from Point South Marina-Bay Point.

Deb & Fred completed America's Great Loop in May of this year aboard a Navigator 4400. They share the story of their Great Loop including their cruising preferences (anchorages vs. marinas, average miles per day, etc), what inspired them to do the Great Loop, and what they gained from the experience.

As Loopers spend time in late summer and early fall on Lake Michigan, is there any truth to the idea that you should be off the Lake by Labor Day?  Gold Looper and former Harbor Host of the Year, Foster Schucker, shares his data on the weather on Lake Michigan in the fall and gives details on how to determine the weather for yourself before heading on to the Lake. *During the discussion we mention the Illinois Waterway Lock closures. The date when work is scheduled to be complete and the lock is operational 24/7 is September 8, 2022. The 2023 Closures are scheduled for June 1 - September 30. Here are the links to the weather resources Foster mentions during our discussion: His favorite is the Lake Michigan and Huron Operational Forecast System.  https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/ofs/lmhofs/lmhofs.html Passage Weather: https://www.passageweather.com/ Windy: https://windy.app/forecast2/spot/538070/Bay+of+Green+Bay    

Registration is open for both "Great Loop Cruising: A Guide to the Looper Lifestyle" seminar in Chicago, and the Fall Rendezvous is Tennessee. Which is right for for? We'll help you decide by discussing the agenda details, who each is aimed toward, and costs for each event. Listen for all the details!  

Greg & Cait did the Great Loop aboard their 37' Jeanneau sailboat. The couple, in their 30s, left Chicago aboard Firefly in late 2020, returning 8 months later after more than 6,000 miles underway. Their sailing included passages to the Bahamas, the Dry Tortugas, and more. Hear the stories of their Great Loop adventure including tips on anchoring, what they learned from running aground, and what's next for these Gold Loopers.