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xgrunt

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Retired a few years ago and need a new adventure. The Great Loop sure looks like a possibility with a lot of good times and memories thrown in. As I research the skills, knowledge, and boat requirements, I hope to purchase a loop boat by the end of the year and have enough confidence in my ability to begin the loop in November of 25 from Pickwick Lake.

Look forward to soaking up what I can from this site.

Regards
 
Welcome. If I was single, it is definitely something that I would consider. Sounds like a great experience.
 
Did the Loop solo in 2017.

Think of the Loop as a series of day trips. Get up each morning with a plan for what you will do today. Check the weather and decide whether you will go or stay. It's like eating an elephant, one bite at a time.

The other advice is to stop and get off the boat. Don't be afraid to leave the beaten path. The trip is an adventure where the boat is merely transportation and accommodations.

Ted
 
We did the Southern Half of the Loop in 2002-03 on our Grand Banks 42 Classic after being river rats on the Tennessee River for many years. We started by reading a lot of books and every Passage maker magazine printed as well as going to a dozen Trawlerfests. After volunteering to crew on a boat from NYC to Miami, we felt ready.
There is a lot of wisdom here and even more opinions. I think Ted's advice to get off the regular route and take side trips is a great one. You will be starting not too far from where we ended, at Lake Guntersville. Just remember to go counter clockwise, they do it that way for a lot of reasons. Some folks make it a two year endeavor so they can more fully take in the stops and the side trips. Good luck and Welcome to Trawler Forum.

One tip: Buy a boat from a Looper, not only are you getting a tried and true vessel, with many kinks worked out, but often you will get lots of cruise, anchorage and guide books that alone would cost big $$$, plus you get some first hand advice from someone that has just recently been there, done that, on that boat.= Priceless.
 
Good advice. I am looking at two boats on the Loop now. Hope to be posting as a green owner by December.
 
We bought our loop boat last spring for an April departure. Good advise here from those with far more knowledge than me.

In hindsight, the advise from Captain DJ above is probably solid. I'm finding that I'm spending time and money doing upgrades for comfort and convenience that many loop ready boats have already done. We are taking a nice boat and getting it "cruise" ready.
 
No need to buy a specific boat for looping...buy one you like (not all loopers made a great choice up front and are looking to dump their boat).

But I do agree with buying a boat in decent shape that has lots of cruising miles under the keel over the years...like a snowbirder boat...just as qualified in my view.

One of my favorite looper stories was about a retired US Army helo pilot that had to switch out of aviation and wound up becoming an Unlimited Licensed Tug captain in the Army. Pretty sure the story goes, he built his own trawler and started the loop. Having just travelled a fraction of it, the Great Loop Association invited him to come to a rendezvous to lecture on selecting the "right" loop boat. We drank beers together that winter at happy hour and he would laugh how he got picked never having done the loop once as opposed to others who had done it multiple times an even those that did it multiple times in multiple different boats.

He was a great guy and very knowledgeable about nautical things in general.

Doing a loop in a boat you don't like, just because it had done a loop may not be the right path for you. If you absolutely know what kind of boat you want and have enough experience to know what works for you, that's one thing. If you are lucky enough to find a looped boat, in good condition that punches all your desires...and is in your budget (don't forget operational costs)....you may have found a good thing.
 
Good condition is the operative word. What would you consider as good condition in an 83 with Twin Perkins and a 2004 with single Yanmar.
 
xgrunt said:
Good condition is the operative word. What would you consider as good condition in an 83 with Twin Perkins and a 2004 with single Yanmar.
Click to expand...

Lots of zen involved. "Condition" applies to the whole boat: hull, individual systems, etc. And there can be cases where an '83 boat might have had various systems already replaced/updated, whereas a 2004 boat might be on the verge of everything crapping out. Or there can also be cases where you'd prefer to replace crapped-out systems yourself...

Ideally, engines/gears/generators survey well (ideally done by a specialist in that brand), service is up to date per the maker's manual, oil and coolant analysis results are good, hoses are in good condition, bolt-ons (fuel coolers, gear oil coolers, heat exchangers, alternators, etc.) ditto...

Failures in some of that don't necessarily mean strike it off the list. Could become negotiating points for purchase price... and there's something to be said for getting the boat at a fair price and then bringing the engine(s) up to speed on your own dime.

You might like to have a go at this:

Serendipitous moment morphs into a dream

I think I'll be on this forum a lot in the next few years, so I decided to post early rather than lurk long. I was sitting at a picnic table near the lift bridge in Stillwater, MN two years ago when a trawler passed me on the St. Croix River. It piqued my interest for some reason (probably...
www.trawlerforum.com www.trawlerforum.com

And see post 15 in in that thread, links to additional discussions focused on costs, boat shopping, etc.

-Chris
 
Good condition to me means able to do a sea trial and have nothing wrong enough that you couldn't continue for a 1000 miles or so. Some people reject boats over little things that many others would just say, I'll get to that soon but it wouldn't stop my upcoming cruise.

Bottom line...there is no right answer to that because even seasoned cruisers will vary widely on what is considered safe or not.

YOU are the only person that can determine that. Things like engines...no one can say they are good because you never no. I delivered boats fresh from the factory that had engine failures before the new buyer showed up to buy them. Many engines people would say are bad for various reasons...but my philosophy is don't buy a boat at a price that wouldn't allow enough off the price to replace an engine. Some may scoff at that, so what, lie I said good condition is a personal choice that runs from price to looks and everything in between.
 
Well said. I’ve had a lot of adventures in my life and at 78 this could be one of my last and most expensive ones. I plan to find the boat and spend the time until a November 25 cast off acquiring skills, confidence, and fine tuning the boat.
 
xgrunt said:
Retired a few years ago and need a new adventure. The Great Loop sure looks like a possibility with a lot of good times and memories thrown in. As I research the skills, knowledge, and boat requirements, I hope to purchase a loop boat by the end of the year and have enough confidence in my ability to begin the loop in November of 25 from Pickwick Lake.

Look forward to soaking up what I can from this site.

Regards
Click to expand...
There are many loopers at Aqua a yacht.. walk the docks and introduce yourself.
xgrunt said:
Retired a few years ago and need a new adventure. The Great Loop sure looks like a possibility with a lot of good times and memories thrown in. As I research the skills, knowledge, and boat requirements, I hope to purchase a loop boat by the end of the year and have enough confidence in my ability to begin the loop in November of 25 from Pickwick Lake.

Look forward to soaking up what I can from this site.

Regards
Click to expand...
There are many loopers at Aqua Yacht marina as well as Grand Harbor. Walk the docks and introduce yourself. They can answer any question you may have.
Charlie McVey
662-295-1828
 
Here is an odd question... For those that are familiar with doing the Loop, besides the cost of purchasing and prepping a boat, what is a range of total cost in actually doing it?
 
dhays said:
Here is an odd question... For those that are familiar with doing the Loop, besides the cost of purchasing and prepping a boat, what is a range of total cost in actually doing it?
Click to expand...
200 dollars a day maybe.
 
dhays said:
Here is an odd question... For those that are familiar with doing the Loop, besides the cost of purchasing and prepping a boat, what is a range of total cost in actually doing it?
Click to expand...
Depends on what you include in that cost. Do you include things you are going to need anyway, like food, medical transportation etc. If it's just the boat
$2 per foot per day of docking, none for anchor
$5,000 to $25,000 for fuel
$6,000 to $30,000, for maintenance and replacement
$1,000 to $7,000 for insurance

I figure our costs will be $40,000 to $80,000

Now for the kicker people have spent $500 to $250,000 Kayak vs 80 footer up on plane.
 
dhays said:
Here is an odd question... For those that are familiar with doing the Loop, besides the cost of purchasing and prepping a boat, what is a range of total cost in actually doing it?
Click to expand...
Someone who has access to the Great Loop Association may have better numbers... but it's a HUGE span. People have done it on Jet Skis at extremely high speeds but have motel room/food costs, some in small outboards almost as fast but anchoring out at times, others have spent around a year doing it and some multiple years.

Call it 6000 miles and rough it out for your boat based on your days travel/speed/fuel burn with anchoring 50 out say 1/3 the time. The other 2/3 the costs are free to maybe $80 a night for a marina.

A lot of typical trawler guys I hear spend from $20000-$50000 (probably need to increase that by 15% now.) But I never got serious about doing it even though I joined the Loop Association for a couple years (mostly got membership free from my insurance broker). So There may be a nice average number compiled but like so many topics here, the best answer is often your best guess.
 
dhays said:
Here is an odd question... For those that are familiar with doing the Loop, besides the cost of purchasing and prepping a boat, what is a range of total cost in actually doing it?
Click to expand...
I've kept track of approximate costs over 3+ loops.

boatingadventures.ca

Mazurka – Total Cost of Ownership

I think I mentioned earlier that I had completed a five year plan with Mazurka. I want to lay out the context in which I bought the boat, and the basic costs, planned and actual. It&#82…
boatingadventures.ca boatingadventures.ca

boatingadventures.ca

Loop Two – Costs

I mentioned earlier that I had crossed my wake in Wiarton. That was technically true, in that I could lay claim to a platinum burgee. But really the trip that just ended started here in late …
boatingadventures.ca boatingadventures.ca

boatingadventures.ca

Great Loop #3 – Notes and Costs

I’ve completed another Loop, and have been compiling some stats and approximate costs. This covers about 13 months, from leaving Toronto in early May last year until arriving back in Lake Ont…
boatingadventures.ca boatingadventures.ca

Dockage and fuel are typically the big costs. My MO, being a cheap sailor, is to live at anchor the majority of the time, and I've chosen boats and operated them with an eye towards fuel economy.

YMMV, obviously.
 
Last edited:
dhays said:
Here is an odd question... For those that are familiar with doing the Loop, besides the cost of purchasing and prepping a boat, what is a range of total cost in actually doing it?
Click to expand...
I actually saved money while cruising. Found I bought a lot less stuff because I had no place to put it. Also spent less time looking at stuff to buy on the internet.

Truthfully, if you factor in your costs to go boating, it's really not much more than your general life. So, if you take a slip every night, add that. Figure the cost of cruising (fuel) 50 miles every 3 days, add that. There are going to be some tradeoffs. You might have to repair the boat, but your not driving your car. If you eat out every night at home, you'll probably do that on the boat, a wash.

Not counting buying the boat, annual maintenance, and insurance, doing the Loop cost maybe $20K more than my normal life. But then I tend to anchor out or take free docks, had a very fuel efficient boat, and probably eat 80% of the time on my boat.

Ted
 
The wife and I are planning to sell our boat next year, rent out our primary house and start shopping for a boat on the East Coast to do the loop. I've put together a monthly budget that we need to stay inside. Sadly, the highest cost per month is health insurance since we are both 61, but it is what it is. I hope this is the maximum and that we can come in less than this. The TLDR version is $15,285 per month.
 

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dhays said:
Here is an odd question... For those that are familiar with doing the Loop, besides the cost of purchasing and prepping a boat, what is a range of total cost in actually doing it?
Click to expand...
I actually saved money while cruising. Found I bought a lot less stuff because I had no place to put it. Also spent less time looking at stuff to buy on the internet.

Truthfully, if you factor in your costs to go boating, it's really not much more than your general life. So, if you take a slip every night, add that. Figure the cost of cruising (fuel) 50 miles every 3 days, add that. There are going to be some tradeoffs. You might have to repair the boat, but your not driving your car. If you eat out every night at home, you'll probably do that on the boat, a wash.

Not counting buying the boat, annual maintenance, and insurance, doing the Loop cost maybe $20K more than my normal life. But then I tend to anchor out or take free docks, had a very fuel efficient boat, and probably eat 80% of the time on my boat.

Ted
 
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