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2026-2027 Great American Loop
  • Bridgett Hanna
  • Bambi Doe
  • Trails of WOTUS
  • Bridgett Hanna
  • Bambi Doe
  • Trails of WOTUS

2026-2027 Great American Loop

Bill and Bridgett Hanna’s wild adventure along a 6,000-mile, boat route around the eastern United States. We are traveling counter-clockwise from Port Clinton, Ohio aboard our 42-foot Meridian boat listed as “2explore,” but we call her Maggie. Read more
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  • Trip start
    June 27, 2026
    2026-2027 Great American Loop

    Chapter 1: The Start of Our Journey

    June 20 in the United States ☀️ 26 °C

    Our Great American Loop adventure actually began when we decided back in 2023 we wanted to do it. Yes, everyone–absolutely everyone– thought we were crazy. No doubt, we encountered many challenges. Managing the ebb and flow of life was not easy. Still, the universe was telling us to go. So we did.

    2024 to mid 2026 milestones:
    July 2024 - Bill had quintuple heart bypass surgery
    Dec 2024-Feb 2025 - Bill found our boat, we flew to Ohio to see it, bought it, and dry docked it at Port Clinton marina
    March 2025 - Bill retired from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma
    May 2025 - Bridgett’s mom had a stroke in Boise, ID
    Aug 2025 - Kelsey broke her ankle, we put our Park City house on the market, and moved to McCall, ID with mom and Keaton
    Feb 1, 2026 - Kelsey delivered our third sweet grandbaby Mason, who spent many weeks in NICU
    March 2026 - Bridgett left Intermountain Health and a wonderful team
    April 2026 - Secured great renters and caregivers for our dog Lani in McCall
    May 1-5 - Attended amazing AGLCA loopers’ conference in Norfolk, VA
    May 2026 - Said farewell to our beloved family and friends
    May 20-23 - Drove across 7 states to Port Clinton marina
    May 29 - Flew to Phoenix for Keaton‘s graduation from Luthier School
    May-June - Boating practice and preparations, secured third storage unit for Ford Bronco (parked it inside the unit and rode scooters five miles back to the boat!)    Read more

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    Chapter 2: It’s Launch Day!

    June 27 in the United States ☀️ 24 °C

    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

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    Chapter 3: Happy 250th Birthday America!

    July 4 in the United States ☁️ 20 °C

    A successful week thanks to great friends Denny and Julie Kookoothe. From Toledo Beach Marina in La Salle, MI, B n B cruised to St. Claire Shores through the Detroit River bordering US and Canada then past the big city of Detroit. At the marina, Bridgett left Detroit for Charlotte, NC to cheer on granddaughter Olivia in the National Taekwondo Tournament. Tough competition, but Olivia rose to the occasion and competed with amazing courage. Meanwhile back at the boat, Denny took the role of First Mate and supported Bill through three bridges and two marinas. Julie picked up Bridgett who returned to the Detroit airport and the four of us reunited at Port Sanilac, or “Santa’s sack” as Denny would say. An eclectic joint called “Alli Bar” is our favorite so far (check out the mermaid legs table!). It was a fabulous Fourth of July celebration on Lake Huron and such a display of patriotism!Read more

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    Chapter 4: Learning and Gaining Experience

    July 6 in the United States ☀️ 19 °C

    Picture this: we are cruising at a slow 8.7 knots, crossing mega 26-mile-wide Saginaw Bay averaging depths of 90 feet and the water is calm laid down by a gentle breeze. We are listening to jazz talking about how incredibly fortunate and blessed we are. Heavenly! Today, we left one of our favorite marinas at the top of the Michigan “mitten” thumb. Port Austin—small quaint town, incredible sunset, tiny marina and a beach! We played a paddle game on the sand like summertime kids.
    Not all sunshine and lily pads, however. Getting out of Port Sanilac a few days ago we encountered a starboard engine that would not start. A call to our home base marina mechanic solved the problem of a shift control out of gear. Phew! Then a wind gust forced Captain Bill to react quickly to avoid hitting a sailboat. He said he experienced the “pucker factor!” We are getting better and better at dock departure and arrival. Within about 10 minutes we can be safely underway or tied to our marina slip. Bridgett handles the lines and fenders while Bill keeps the boat steady, slow like a pro!    Read more

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    Chapter 5: Cruising to Bee Gees

    July 10 in the United States ☀️ 22 °C

    As of July 13, we traveled 400 nautical miles and stayed at 9 marinas. It poured cats and dogs in East Tawas. Last few marinas were relatively small and one had no grocery store. Another (Harrisville) was a sweet size with 437 residents and a little salon where Bridgett got a pedicure. We kept moving quickly to get closer to a scheduled stay at Mackinaw City to watch Bill’s brother Bob swim under the Mackinac Bridge on 7/18. Now we are only 23 nautical miles away!
    What do we do while we are underway cruising the great lakes? Captain Bill is mostly at the helm watching wave height and lake depth, electronic charts and our route. Bridgett watches when he takes a break, goofs off, and brings breakfast or lunch to the fly bridge whenever we get hungry.
    Lake Huron is deep and wide! We hug the shoreline for scenery and comfort. We read or do puzzles and games, while keeping a watchful eye. Yes, we listen to Yacht Rock radio…ALOT! Who knew Bill loves the Bee Gees?    Read more

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    Chapter 6: The Swells of Emotion

    July 20 in the United States ☀️ 19 °C

    It is July 16. Dense smoke from wildfires in Canada reduced visibility to about two miles and the lake swells are 2-3 feet. We are boating slowly to Mackinaw City. We see no other boats. Eerie on the far west end of Lake Huron.
    July 17. Still smokey and we cannot see the big bridge. Took a ferry to Mackinac (also pronounced “mackinaw”) Island to see the Grand Hotel, luxurious historical site of the movie “Somewhere in Time.” This special island only allows transport of people and things by bicycle or horse-drawn carriage. Our Hanna/McDonough party of seven had an amazing day together including a miniature golf game in the Secret Garden. So fun! The next morning was brother Bob’s big swim under the Mackinac Bridge. He did it! Despite an early ending due to hazardous current, waves, and weather, Team Bob was oh-so proud!
    On July 20, we departed after sunrise to travel 51 nautical miles to Petosky. We hoped to beat the high winds expected after noon. Hello Lake Michigan! Cruising under the Mackinac Bridge was the highlight and then soon after the winds picked up and so did the swells. For three hours, Captain Bill courageously led us through the worst and roughest waters we have encountered. At times, water splashed above the bow exceeded the height of our 17-foot-high boat. We rocked in every direction. Like an earthquake, many items inside and out fell creating a colossal mess! Our amazing boat Maggie kept us safe, and when we arrived at the marina our debrief this time was simply a tight hug.    Read more

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    Chapter 7: Scootering

    July 23 in the United States ☀️ 12 °C

    Drank a big cup of courage and headed out toward Grand Traverse Bay at sunrise (6:15 am). We had a narrow three-hour window before wind and waves kicked up. Bill’s plan was to drive fast like a bat out of hell to reach the calm bay. The plan worked!
    Our marina (Elmwood Township) was the best yet—new, clean and lots of amenities. We are in Traverse City at the far end of long, lovely Grand Traverse Bay. This too, is our favorite city so far. For three days we enjoyed riding our scooters by beach parks, piers, and downtown. The large Farmer’s Market (ate a bag full of juicy gumball-size cherries), giant swans, and wine tasting at Chateau Chantel were highlights. We cranked up the jazz and said farewell to Traverse City at 7:04 am on July 26…but we will be back some day!    Read more

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    Chapter 8: Double Trouble

    July 31 in the United States ☁️ 27 °C

    We arrived at the Frankfort, MI marina a little early and it was a smooth docking. Proceeded to do our usual tasks of tying the bow, stern, then midship lines. Bridgett places the fenders then preps the electrical cable for on-shore power connection. Bill shuts down the engines and the dashboard of controls. Lastly, he pops down to connect the electrical cable to the marina power. This time, the connection failed. Despite multiple tries and help from the Harbormaster, nothing worked. Bunches of “F” bombs later…“Think McGyver think.” Bill spotted a small dark spot on the cable end connector—he suspected a burn. With borrowed tools, he cut six inches off the end, confirmed a slight wire burn, stripped the wires, then repaired the end connector. What a hero! Power restored.
    As our departure date from a marina approaches, we monitor four weather apps (NOAA, windy.com, BuoyWeather, and KSL weather from back home). Aug. 1 was a planned departure from Jacobsen Marina in Frankfort. (Fabulously fun Shakespeare show in the woods, wide sandy beach, and a golf game in the countryside!) Then stormy weather was reported for that day so we canceled our travel to Manistee. Mother Nature changed her mind overnight and the morning was not stormy at all. Bill changed our marina reservations again and we quickly geared up to leave. Lake Michigan was surprisingly (and delightfully) calm! We barely swayed over the smooth glassy water. It rained slightly mid-way and we wished for windshield wipers. Squeegee to the rescue!    Read more

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    Chapter 9: A Freighter, Fog, and Friends!

    August 3 in the United States ⛅ 15 °C

    On Aug. 3 about 5:20 am we woke up to a 508-foot lake freighter moaning, sloshing and moving slowly through the Manistee channel just 15 feet from our Maggie’s port side. Crazy! We left 45 minutes later and encountered a terrible, very dense and cold fog. By some miracle or Godwink, our radar system began working perfectly—it had been unreliable until this day. The navigation rule is a horn toot every minute. We tooted on and off for two hours. The water calmed and then the sun shined through finishing a five-hour, 71-mile ride to Muskegon. Another first.
    Bill’s brother Pat visited, introduced us to his cool sailing friend Scott Smelker,
    and the infamous “snurfer” predecessor to the snowboard.
    Next, we traveled a short distance on Lake Michigan (foggy again and a bit bouncy) to Grand Haven’s Safe Harbor Marina—a favorite with MANY amenities. Oh yeah, and our antenna cleared a bridge by just four inches. Oops!
    Before a Friday evening happy hour, Bill said to Bridgett, “Let’s go make some new friends.” Must’ve been serendipity because indeed, we met new friends, Michele and Dave Bell. They were great ambassadors for Grand Haven and their hospitality was delightful! We thought we would make a lot of friends quickly along this trip, but that has not been the case. So Michele and Dave really warmed our hearts.    Read more

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    Chapter 10: Gratitude

    August 7 in the United States ☀️ 24 °C

    We do not take this for granted. It is special. It is an incredible opportunity and the adventure of a life time. To our family, friends and everyone reading this today, we miss you and are oh-so-grateful for your encouragement, support and love! Photos of you are always with us. Over the past two months, we have cruised nearly 800 miles, experienced 21 ports, and ate an insane amount of salmon, perch, and walleye fish!
    Two things are constant at every port harbor so far—American flags and flowers. They are a bright, happy and a welcome sight. And even though it is August 17 (well past July 4th), we still see buntings, flags, and red, white and blue in many Michigan communities. America, the beautiful.
    Stay tuned for Chapter 11 with highlights from a week of fabulous visitors!    Read more

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    Chapter 11: 8 Visitors in 6 Days, YAY!

    August 11 in the United States 🌧 24 °C

    On Monday, July 10, we enjoyed a slow meandering waterway into beautiful Saugatuck/Douglas, MI. Bill said we had “one hour to shit, shower, and shave“ before Pat and RaeAnn arrived for their 50th anniversary dinner celebration—a great restaurant with the perfect window seat. Back at the boat, friends Denny and Julie arrived for a two-night stay. Fun times as usual, including pool time, shopping, and four-person shotski! On departure day, Julie stayed aboard for cruising up the Kalamazoo River back to Lake Michigan and into South Haven Harbor. Denny drove by land to meet us. After lunch, we hugged Denny and Julie goodbye and in 20 minutes prepped the guest room for brother Bob. Niece Jennifer and sons Connor and Max joined us for dinner at yummy Clementine‘s. Our visit with Bob included a scooter ride to the Maritime Museum, a disco ball, movies, and more bars. A big highlight at South Haven was getting new flooring installed by the wonderful team Jenn and Bret with Great Lakes Castaway. Our beautiful new swim deck, cockpit, and stairs are awesome! Bridgett said she got a bonus gift by becoming friends with Jenn.
    Next day we cruised to St. Joseph West Basin Marina (another favorite). First, however, we practiced anchoring in the bay. Bob was a big help and donned his snorkel gear to scrub the boat’s hull! His car was awaiting him at the marina so we got to stock up at big store Meijers before his exit home on July 15. Thanks, Bob and all our fun visitors this week!    Read more

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    Chapter 12: Hammond, Indiana

    August 24 in the United States ⛅ 21 °C

    On August 20, we left beautiful St. Joseph Marina in southern Michigan for a 60-mile ride to Hammond, Indiana. The first hour was great. The next three hours were rough with waves and wind (though not as bad as July 20 thank heaven). Captain Bill and our boat Maggie did fantastic getting us safely to the very large Hammond marina – hundreds of boats! This stop brought our total nautical miles to 832 and completed our trek around Michigan.
    At St. Joseph, we met a delightful Scottish couple (Vicki and John Lewis) doing the loop in an awesome Monk boat. We were smitten by their lovely accents and they liked our Irish flag. We were assigned the dock slip right next to them so we enjoyed an afternoon drink on our boat then dinner on their boat. The best part was listening to Scottish music with John playing his guitar, and Vicki accompanying him with whistles. It was sweet! We shared stories, tales of our lives, and laughed for hours. The next day, John and Vicki were off to Chicago and we began several days goofing off, including casino evening and fancy dinner, scooter ride to Symphony in the Park (of course, it rained on the last mile back to the boat), then Chicago White Sox baseball game where Bridgett legit caught a foul ball! Bill‘s good friend and former boss Roger Wood paid us a visit for breakfast and drove us all to the baseball game – we so enjoyed his company! After a day of boat chores and grocery shopping, we hopped on an Uber for a ride to Chicago. If you have never been there or are planning a trip, be sure to schedule a ferry boat for the architectural tour. Simply awesome! Next adventure? “Goodbye”spastic Great Lakes (for now), and “hello” Illinois inland rivers!    Read more

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    Chapter 13: Locks, Locks, Locks

    August 28 in the United States ⛅ 25 °C

    We drove each other crazy one day. Upon leaving Hammond Aug. 27 and the moody Lake Michigan, we were happy as pigs in mud. Both excited about a new adventure into the Illinois inland river system. Then we got nervous about experiencing our first river lock. A little “he said,” “she said,” but it all disappeared when we conquered our fear of locks. What are locks? They are like elevators in the river lowering or raising vessels to either the north or south side of a river. Ingenious inventions by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Commercial tow boats and barges take precedence on the inland rivers, so our “pleasure craft“ has to wait if there’s a barge already entering or leaving the lock. When the lockmaster blows the horn for entry, we don our life jackets, head phones and gloves to park Maggie next to the wall. Next, Bridgett loops a line around a bollard pin to hold us in place while the water is released and we are lowered—sometimes up to 40 feet! It feels as crazy as it sounds.
    During our first lock on the Illinois River, we met three other Looper boats and all ended the day at a place called Joliet. We tied onto a wall for the night and had “docktails” before bedtime. The next day, the four of us Looper boats departed at 6:10 am to travel together through three more locks, many bridges, and lots of industrial areas on the river. This day ended at Ottawa’s beautiful Heritage Harbor Marina with a swimming pool!    Read more

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    Chapter 14: Like Jurassic Park

    September 1 in the United States ⛅ 24 °C

    Cruising through the river at times, seemed like Jurassic Park. So many pterodactyl-like birds including blue heron, white egrets, big osprey, Canada geese, white pelicans, and bald eagles. Lost count of the many eagles we saw!
    On one section of the river near Joliet, there is an electric, bottom-floor fence to keep the Asian Carp from migrating to the Great Lakes. These are highly invasive and have been problematic for many years. While cruising on Aug. 30 near Ottawa, our boat was swarmed by small white birds and they were getting really close to us. Bridgett went to the back to take a photo and all of a sudden, these big white fish started jumping and flying everywhere! Bill had read an early book about the Great American Loop discussing these flying fish landing in boats. This was one of the reasons he was intrigued about this adventure. It was almost exhilarating, seeing the flying fish he had read about years ago. Bridgett, on the other hand said, “Hell to the no they aren’t jumping on my boat!”    Read more

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    Chapter 15: Prayers and a Little Luck

    September 4 in the United States ☀️ 36 °C

    With a little luck and lots of skill, Bill has docked our boat nearly 50 times. When we get to a marina often someone will come to “catch” our lines and help us tie up. At the Heritage Harbor Marina in Ottawa, Sam Z gave us a helping hand. Sam and Ginger were Loopers on their boat “Knot Normal.” Together, the four of us traveled about 50 miles on Aug. 29 to Hennepin. When we arrived, our boat smelled terrible inside. Bill discovered one of our four batteries was hot and bulging. Hennepin was a small town of only 700 residents and the nearest store that sold batteries was 30 miles away. A sweet young man named Aaron said he would drive Bill to the store. Long story short…Bill got the wrong battery, the next day the marina owner drove us back to the store for a battery exchange, then Sam helped lower the 60-pound battery into the engine room. It worked perfectly! Amazing kindness from Hennepin townspeople. And Sam helped us not twice but three times. At another marina in Grafton, IL, we experienced problems with our electrical cable splitter. Sam let us borrow his until Amazon angels could deliver a new one. Our network of Looper friends has grown and we are oh-so-grateful.
    Over the next couple days on the river, Bill got really good at talking on the VHF radio to lock masters, bridge masters, and tow captains. The tow captains moving multiple barges were the coolest. They would say, “Pass on the one whistle,” (port-to-port side), “Uh, 2 Explore, you’re gonna need to back that down,” and one called Bill “big daddy.” Oh geez.
    After a long 94-mile day, it was time to anchor. No marinas or wall tie-ups around so that was our only option. We anchored successfully in a quiet, safe spot along the riverside thanks to teamwork, a prayer, a little more luck and our great boat.
    Closing this chapter with a few words about our Looper besties, John and Vicki Lewis. We caught up with them and enjoyed their sweet company and “concerts” at the IVY Club, Grafton and Alton marinas in early September. If we are truly lucky, the four of us will be lifelong friends.    Read more

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    Chapter 16: Vacation and Home Sweet Home

    September 10 in the United States ☁️ 26 °C

    It is Thursday, Sept. 24. We left Alton Marina, Illinois at 7 am to get through the big Mel Price lock on the muddy Mississippi. After a 10-day break, we are rusty! On Sept. 8, we arrived at Alton and then friends Denny and Julie joined us. We were also meeting Bob and Marsha from Arizona for a vacation in St. Louis, Missouri—about 30 minutes from our marina. We packed a lot of fun into five days: “open mic“ talent night at jazz club Blue Strawberry, St. Louis arch ride to the top (630 feet high), Union Station putt putt golf, Zac Brown Band concert (fabulous), STL Cardinals baseball game (hotter than Hades), indoor farmers market, art in the park, Oktoberfest, and Anheuser Busch Clydesdales at Grant‘s farm. One evening, a server asked, “How did you all get here?” Denny replied, “A truck, a boat, and a plane.” Bah!
    On Sept. 14, we flew from St. Louis back home for much-needed visits with family and friends. Everyone’s sweet smiles, warm hugs, and great questions made us feel oh-so-special! We appreciated the parties, wonderful meals, games, and “best day ever” group pictures. It was hard to leave.
    When we returned to the boat, Maggie was good and our plants were just fine, thanks to kind Harbormaster Greg Brown. We talked with several loopers and due to lowering water levels and anticipated debris in the river, we decided to quickly do laundry, get groceries, fill the water tank, and head out to see what the Mississippi River had in mind for us over a 250-mile trek without marinas or fuel stops. As of Sept. 25, we are cruising at 12 knots, 100 miles in and planning to anchor tonight. Be good to us muddy river.    Read more

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    Chapter 17: Boating in the Dark

    September 25 in the United States ☀️ 24 °C

    Anchoring was cool! We picked a spot at Browns Chute—good water depth and just a little current. Anchor set on the second try. Sun was setting and the temperature was cool. We set the anchor alarm to wake us if the boat moved outside of 50 feet. Two beers down then bedtime. Problem-free night and the moon light was beautiful! Next morning, the sunrise was simply majestic. Raising the anchor went perfectly too (thank heaven) and we were on our way. Back to the muddy Mississippi with no wildlife, dodging logs and tree limbs, hailing tow captains to pass on the “one” or “two whistle,” and eating sandwiches for a third day. Weather was good so we kept cruising across the Mississippi, into the Ohio, and then Tennessee River.
    We aimed for the Kentucky Dam Lock, which was just three miles from our marina destination. We arrived at 5:30 pm. Lockmaster was vague, but told us to wait by a green buoy and they would get us in. Pleasure craft are lower priority, which means we have to be patient and wait our turn. This also means captain Billy has to manage the boat in a steady, low-movement manner. After two hours, it was getting dark and we were still waiting. Bill called the Lockmaster. We were next and it would be just another 30 minutes. Not much we could do but wait. Finally, the lock chamber doors opened! We motored in slowly. No other boats and the chamber was DEEP! The lock would raise us 55 feet! By the time the horn went off and we got through the lock another hour had passed. It was complete darkness. Another first. Slowly we traveled across Kentucky Lake using our spotlight and a crummy flashlight. Bill’s brilliant navigational skills got us safely to the marina. We docked and tied up tired Maggie in the dark. We CAN do hard things!    Read more

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    Chapter 18: Party in Nashville!

    October 4 in the United States ☁️ 26 °C

    It is Monday, Oct. 12 and we are back on the lovely Cumberland River after a 10–day side trip to Nashville. Captain Bill is leading two other Looper boats that began their 6,000-mile journey today. They think we are experts…ha ha!
    We arrived in Nashville on Oct. 2 and prepped for the arrival of friends Bruce and Patti Larrabee from Murray, Utah. We packed a ton of fun into 5 days: Grand Ole Opry, downtown Broadway street, hop on/hop off bus, good food, games, and the crowd favorite—songwriters’ concert at The Listening Room. Thank you, friends for joining us in Nash!
    We sneaked in a date night at the Symphony before connecting with cousins Wendy and Scott Sherman who live about 30 minutes from Nashville. And then cousins Matt and Beth Beatie flew in from Ogden, Utah. It was an awesome weekend with lots of laughter!
    Hurricane Isaias brought a big rain storm to Nashville so we tucked our boat under cover and stayed two extra days. Good time to get mega laundry done.    Read more

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    Chapter 19: Day in the Life

    October 16 in the United States ☁️ 14 °C

    One of the surprising things about this loop trip is how much time we spend route planning and making marina reservations. Some days our plans get tossed out like bad avocados due to changing weather, water depth, or boat issues. Yesterday (Oct. 16), was one of those days. We planned to leave at sunrise from the lovely Paris Landing Marina, but woke up to strong winds, cold temps, and dark gray clouds. Bridgett’s half of the boat voted to stay put for the day. Bill‘s half was disappointed. :-/ Nevertheless, we had a very productive day:
    > watched morning news and drank coffee
    > cooked breakfast veggie hash
    > cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes
    > did the laundry and took a walk between the wash and dry cycles
    > wrote a card to Mom and dropped it in the mailbox
    > worked in engine room trying to fix vacuum flush system (need new duckbills)
    > finished more route plans and made more reservations
    > followed online exercises in salon
    > showered :-)
    > enjoyed happy hour then cooked dinner
    > watched a movie and went to bed (Looper midnight is 9 pm, ha!)
    Truly blessed to be living this life. Today on the Tennessee River, Bill’s smile was back.    Read more

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    Chapter 20: Fast and Fun

    October 21 in the United States ☀️ 8 °C

    Everyone knows Bill likes to drive fast, right? Well, on Oct. 20 Captain Billy put the hammer down driving “2 Explore” up to 19 knots (= to 21 mph)! Had to catch up to our gang of boaters going into a really big lock and to avoid a really long wait. We were flying! It was fast and fun for about 10 miles. The lead boaters likely were thinking we would not make it. Bridgett was thinking, “Just watch us try!”
    At Iuka, Mississippi the Tennessee River joins the Tombigbee waterway and becomes the “Tenn–Tom.” It’s not deep nor significantly wide, but it is tree lined, bird heaven, and beautiful. We left Columbus, MS marina at 5:30 am today (10/23) so our parade of eight boats could get through three locks together. It was 46 degrees and a bit too dark for our comfort level. Got through the first lock at 6:45 and the rising sun was spectacular!
    We have now traveled 1,909 nautical miles, completing about 35% of our estimated 5,500-mile journey in four months. So far, the dream is a reality.    Read more

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    Chapter 21: Docktails, Birthday Pie, Friendships

    October 23 in the United States 🌙 8 °C

    Below is the America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association (AGLCA) docktails toast:
    “There are good ships and wood ships,
    ships that sail the sea.
    But the best ships are friendships,
    may they always be!"
    We didn’t fully appreciate that lovely sentiment until we traveled 14 days down the Tenn-Tom waterway with a group of four looper boats. Our parade was led by Rio and April on Ti Amo (first boat), Gail and Tim on Tug-Along (second boat), and our looper buddies Gwyn and Rick on Salt and Lime (third boat), then 2 Explore. We departed some days before sunrise to go through 13 locks, and we always arrived safely at our destination before sunset. We ate Southern food, drank chilled spirits, and laughed about our adventures. We supported each other when a boat problem worried us, and never left anyone behind. We shared pictures of our boats, eagles, and alligators. They surprised Bridgett on her birthday with song, presents, and a key lime birthday pie. She cried.
    At Mobile Bay, Alabama on Oct. 28, we celebrated the end of river system boating and cheered the new salty waters. We saw jellyfish and dolphin and screamed with excitement! We made it a long way together. We sincerely hope to be long-time friends with these great people.
    We parted from our floatilla buddies at Orange Beach, AL and our dear friends John and Vicki went back to Alaska for the winter. Back to just Bill and Bridgett. After 2,218 nautical miles and touching nine states, on to the next great adventure…    Read more