East coast to Ak?

[mvweebles]

Then head north with a group you will no doubt meet (Bremerton YC has a group that goes up nearly every year) because this is definitely a trip you don’t want to do solo.

Follow-on to Slowgoesit, but a more basic question - how come this is a trip not to be done solo?

There are a lot of ways to go with a group, some are very loosely organized (Panama Posse), others are pretty tightly organized (SDYC's CUBAR that requires boats pass their safety inspection and be capable of sustained 8.5 kts). Reason's for participating are anywhere from 'safety in numbers' to just wanting discounts and some sense of community with other cruisers. More info on CUBAR HERE.

There's an old African proverb that says "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go in a group." For cruising, I'll paraphrase to say that going with a group can be pretty dang slow as you're at the mercy of the lowest denominator be it waiting for parts, weather, or a table at a restaurant.

We joined the Baja Ha Ha for one primary reason: it set in stone our departure date of Oct 30th 2023. We received discounted PredictWind subscrption, and a ton of decent information and gossip via a morning VHF net. Honestly, we would not have departed had we not committed - there's always a reason not to go. The first 10-feet of any cruise is, by far, the most difficult. We've met a lot of our fellow Ha Ha boats since then in La Paz and now Mazatlan. Its a good ice breaker even though we're a powerboat in a sailboat fleet (we've only detected snobbery once ---- from a Canadian no less!!!). More info on Baja Ha Ha HERE.

For our trip further south, we've joined the Panama Posse which is 250 boats. There's no set start, no set finish. More or less people who are transiting the coasts along Central America at roughly the same time. For $300, we believe it's worth the cost even though marina discounts are nominal, but the overall email group has a wealth of knowledge about where to anchor, where slips may be available, etc. And I'm sure we'll meet a few of the participants along the way. Info on Panama Posse HERE.

Peter

 

[Pcpete]

Buddy boating

Okay, I’m risk averse. I like the comfort of knowing someone is nearby in case things go badly. My opinion is centered around if something major happens, help can be a long way off, and that water is cold.
Can it be done solo? Sure. Do your research. Never ever cut a marker. Always stay On Watch. Keep your charts up to date - rocks and islands may not move but markers can. GPS and autopilot are supplementary a convenience, not set it and forget it.
Last, read “the Curve of Time” to enchant you with a bit of history of the waters between Vancouver Island and the mainland.

 

[Captain DJ]

Having owned a GB 42 Classic and traveled from Moorehead City, NC to Key West and then up into the Tennessee River system I did about 35% - 40% of the Great Loop in a clockwise direction and learned why most do it counter clockwise. My GB 42 was built for Robert & Mildred Newton, the founders of American Marine Ltd. (aka Grand Banks) and had 800 gallons of diesel where most have 600 gallons or less. Plus I added a 40 inch tall, 40 gallon day tank with pre-filter/water separators and sight gauge and transfer pump switch accessible from the aft/master stateroom. It was upgraded with thicker/tempered glass and clam shell widow systems and had DD 4-53's that actually used 1.35 gal/hr per engine over 6800 nautical miles in 12 years. It was a woodie that was fiber glassed on all vertical surfaces of doghouse, just as all floor surfaces had been fiber glassed over plywood at the factory when new.
I mention this in case you are the current owner of "Whittler's Dream" or GB-42-125. I would be very interested to hear more. I did cruise to Isla Mujeres, Cuba and Cozumel and Belize and Rio Dulce areas. Now I am in a boat (June to end of October) in PNW that is perfect for trips to Alaska. I might be a candidate for boat swapping after we do Alaska in 2024. If you want to discuss this, it might be a better option to allow us to finish the Great Loop clockwise while you take in the wonders of Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and Inside Passage. Not many people would consider a temporary boat swap, but I am willing to at least entertain the concept. It's a thought, an out-of-the-box solution to get you to those glaciers.

DJ

 

[AlaskaProf]

We speak Spanish. We have ridden our motorcycles 16,000 miles in MX and love the country and people

Good start.

 

[AlaskaProf]

Then head north with a group you will no doubt meet (Bremerton YC has a group that goes up nearly every year) because this is definitely a trip you don’t want to do solo.

A strange observation. I've done the round-trip solo twice, and most of the people I met or passed along the way seemed to be traveling unaccompanied.

 

[slowgoesit]

I might be a candidate for boat swapping after we do Alaska in 2024. If you want to discuss this, it might be a better option to allow us to finish the Great Loop clockwise while you take in the wonders of Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and Inside Passage. Not many people would consider a temporary boat swap, but I am willing to at least entertain the concept. It's a thought, an out-of-the-box solution to get you to those glaciers. DJ

Wow Darrin! That's an awesome offer. Your boat is perfect for Alaska trip. Laura and I really like the layout and interior space.

 

[Dreamer2031]

We're still 7-10 yrs away from retirement, but I enjoy reading all of the questions and answers here to help us with planning. I'm not as experienced as most of you here with the biggest boat i've been in control of for any period of time is a 29 foot striper walk around. Our long term plans are to start with the loop, and then spend 2-3 years exploring Alaska and Baja and then shipping the boat to Europe and spend several years exploring and eventually make out way to the Med. Top of the list boast for us are the Besteaver 53 and Linssen 45. I am sure there are a lot of other capable boats out there, those are just two we are partial to. We plan on renting a boat to cruise the canals of France for two weeks, and just get as much experience at the helm between now and when we retire.

Just wanted say hello and thank you to all of you for all of the questions and answers. Please keep sharing for dreamers like us.

 

[trihartsfield]

Another option not discussed here often is to get as big of a trailerable boat as you can. Start a cross country trip and visit inland lakes and rivers on the way. Use the boat as a RV when you are dirt traveling and not on the water. There are an abundant number of cruising inland lakes that could be explored.

Now it is going to require some trade offs like interior space as well as having to have a decent size truck to pull the boat.

I think this would be a great way to see the interior of this great country in two different ways, on land and water. If you scheduled it in advance you could temporarily store the boat in certain areas while you explore that area on land.

If you get tired of traveling before you get to the west coast you could always find a good location to store your boat and your truck for a period of time and go back home.

Chris