The circumnavigation of Eastern North America by water is known as The
Great Loop. Also improperly referred to as the Great Circle Route (see
definition of a great circle), the trip varies from 5,000 miles
to 7,500 miles depending on the options used. The boats used range from personal
watercraft (jet-skis) to 60-foot yachts. Both sailboats and powerboats are used
but the most common boats are 34–45 ft recreational trawlers. The main factors that
govern the size of the boat are the limited draft (5 feet) in some locations on
the loop and the height of one bridge (19 feet) in Chicago. People traveling The Great Loop are
known as "loopers." The number of people attempting this voyage is growing with
the baby boomers reaching retirement age. In 2007, more than 150 boat
owners notified America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association that they were
planning to attempt the loop in the coming season.
Routes
Most Great Loop cruisers travel the Loop counterclockwise, taking advantage
of the downstream currents on the Illinois River, Mississippi River, Tombigbee River and Black Warrior River to
Mobile, Alabama. To avoid summer hurricanes and winter ice, most Loopers head north in the spring,
spend the summer in the Great Lakes region, and head south on the rivers in the
fall, arriving in Florida after the beginning of November.
Starting on the east coast of Florida at Stuart the route heads north on the
Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) along the coasts of
Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Chesapeake Bay offers many
different locations to visit and some loopers go 95 miles up the Potomac to
Washington. At the north end of Chesapeake Bay the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal connects to
Delaware Bay. The Intracoastal Waterway resumes at Cape May and ends at Manasquan,
New Jersey.
There is a 30-mile stretch of open Atlantic Ocean to New York harbor. From
this point a few loopers continue up the coast, around the Gaspé Peninsula and
up the St Lawrence River to Lake Ontario. This adds about 1,500 miles to the
loop. Most loopers go up the Hudson River to Waterford and then take the Erie Canal to Lake Ontario or Lake Erie or the Champlain Canal to the St. Lawrence. Canada's Rideau Canal, built in 1832 from Ottawa to
Kingston, is frequently chosen. Most loopers will take the Trent Canal from Trenton, Ontario to Port Severn
on Georgian Bay. The North Channel is one of the highlights of the
loop. This is the most northerly point on the loop and has the shortest season,
just 8 weeks of good warm weather from July 1 to Aug 30th.
Lake Michigan is next with most loopers taking the east side of the lake to
Chicago. From here it is down the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, up the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, then down the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway to Mobile. The route
then joins the Intracoastal Waterway going east to Carrabelle, Florida. The ICW now extends to Fort Myers where loopers can cruise the Okeechobee Waterway to Stuart on the east coast
of Florida or turn south to the Keys rounding the southern tip of Florida,
returning north to Stuart.
Looper culture
Many loopers retire, sell everything, and live on their boats. Some complete
the loop every year with the record being nine complete Great Loops. Many
spend the winters in the Bahamas on their boats.Other
loopers complete the loop in stages, storing the boat at various locations while
they return to work. A few
take their children and home-school them on the route. Loopers
who are members of the America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association (AGLCA) meet two times a year in different
locations along the Great Loop. The first reunion is near Charleston,
South Carolina in the spring, the second reunion is traditionally
in October at Joe Wheeler State Park in Alabama. This is a very popular one. The reunions
and rendezvous are organized by AGLCA. The reunions are designed to allow mixing
and mingling with old friends and new members, sharing stories and tips, also
include general lessons on safety, vessel safety checks and other valuable
cruising information. One highlight of the events is the Looper Crawl.
The America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association assists Great Loop cruisers
with various needs such as safety, sharing navigational and cruising
information, and networking among loopers. The networking through the daily
e-mail blast provides updates and local advice. The boaters can broadcast
information requests for anything such as docking, anchoring, water depth,
hazards, repairs, fuel prices or dinner reservations.
With over 3.4 million visitors annually, captainjohn.org offers a 'How to
cruise America's Great Loop' on an advertising free website. With over a hundred
pictures, route options, and an interactive planning map, five time Looper Capt
John, gives you boat restrictions, fuel requirements and frugal options for
cruising America's Great Loop.
Great Loop. Also improperly referred to as the Great Circle Route (see
definition of a great circle), the trip varies from 5,000 miles
to 7,500 miles depending on the options used. The boats used range from personal
watercraft (jet-skis) to 60-foot yachts. Both sailboats and powerboats are used
but the most common boats are 34–45 ft recreational trawlers. The main factors that
govern the size of the boat are the limited draft (5 feet) in some locations on
the loop and the height of one bridge (19 feet) in Chicago. People traveling The Great Loop are
known as "loopers." The number of people attempting this voyage is growing with
the baby boomers reaching retirement age. In 2007, more than 150 boat
owners notified America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association that they were
planning to attempt the loop in the coming season.
Routes
Most Great Loop cruisers travel the Loop counterclockwise, taking advantage
of the downstream currents on the Illinois River, Mississippi River, Tombigbee River and Black Warrior River to
Mobile, Alabama. To avoid summer hurricanes and winter ice, most Loopers head north in the spring,
spend the summer in the Great Lakes region, and head south on the rivers in the
fall, arriving in Florida after the beginning of November.
Starting on the east coast of Florida at Stuart the route heads north on the
Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) along the coasts of
Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Chesapeake Bay offers many
different locations to visit and some loopers go 95 miles up the Potomac to
Washington. At the north end of Chesapeake Bay the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal connects to
Delaware Bay. The Intracoastal Waterway resumes at Cape May and ends at Manasquan,
New Jersey.
There is a 30-mile stretch of open Atlantic Ocean to New York harbor. From
this point a few loopers continue up the coast, around the Gaspé Peninsula and
up the St Lawrence River to Lake Ontario. This adds about 1,500 miles to the
loop. Most loopers go up the Hudson River to Waterford and then take the Erie Canal to Lake Ontario or Lake Erie or the Champlain Canal to the St. Lawrence. Canada's Rideau Canal, built in 1832 from Ottawa to
Kingston, is frequently chosen. Most loopers will take the Trent Canal from Trenton, Ontario to Port Severn
on Georgian Bay. The North Channel is one of the highlights of the
loop. This is the most northerly point on the loop and has the shortest season,
just 8 weeks of good warm weather from July 1 to Aug 30th.
Lake Michigan is next with most loopers taking the east side of the lake to
Chicago. From here it is down the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, up the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, then down the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway to Mobile. The route
then joins the Intracoastal Waterway going east to Carrabelle, Florida. The ICW now extends to Fort Myers where loopers can cruise the Okeechobee Waterway to Stuart on the east coast
of Florida or turn south to the Keys rounding the southern tip of Florida,
returning north to Stuart.
Looper culture
Many loopers retire, sell everything, and live on their boats. Some complete
the loop every year with the record being nine complete Great Loops. Many
spend the winters in the Bahamas on their boats.Other
loopers complete the loop in stages, storing the boat at various locations while
they return to work. A few
take their children and home-school them on the route. Loopers
who are members of the America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association (AGLCA) meet two times a year in different
locations along the Great Loop. The first reunion is near Charleston,
South Carolina in the spring, the second reunion is traditionally
in October at Joe Wheeler State Park in Alabama. This is a very popular one. The reunions
and rendezvous are organized by AGLCA. The reunions are designed to allow mixing
and mingling with old friends and new members, sharing stories and tips, also
include general lessons on safety, vessel safety checks and other valuable
cruising information. One highlight of the events is the Looper Crawl.
The America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association assists Great Loop cruisers
with various needs such as safety, sharing navigational and cruising
information, and networking among loopers. The networking through the daily
e-mail blast provides updates and local advice. The boaters can broadcast
information requests for anything such as docking, anchoring, water depth,
hazards, repairs, fuel prices or dinner reservations.
With over 3.4 million visitors annually, captainjohn.org offers a 'How to
cruise America's Great Loop' on an advertising free website. With over a hundred
pictures, route options, and an interactive planning map, five time Looper Capt
John, gives you boat restrictions, fuel requirements and frugal options for
cruising America's Great Loop.