Chapter 2: It’s Launch Day!

At last, we are ready and have just enough confidence to start the 6,000-mile Great American Loop. We left Port Clinton, Ohio at noon on June 27–our 39th wedding anniversary. Eyes flooded. Minds determined. Our first stop was Toledo Beach Marina where cousin Matthew Beatie hopped aboard for a visit. So happy!

We are both certified in boat safety (passed with 100%). We have Coast Guard-approved life jackets, beacons, horns, and all the right gear. We are safe. We are stocked with warm and cool clothes, boat shoes, charting maps, weather apps, and all the helpful “stuff.” We are prepared. Our boat is our new best friend and she is comfortable, operating masterfully, and capable. We are ready.Read more