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Molly’s Great American Loop
  • betty staugler
Mar 2024 – Jan 2025

Molly’s Great American Loop

We’re Betty & James, along with Luna cat and Moki dog we are cruising America’s Great Loop aboard our boat the Molly Brown. She is a 24’ C-Dory TomCat. We expect it will take us 8 or so months to complete 😀. Read more
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  • betty stauglerTravelerMolly’s Great American Loop
    Sporting their matching shirts. We enjoyed cruising and visiting with them.
    Just a little rain 🌧️C-Otter passing by to say farewellPretty sunset tonight

    Lower Suwannee River NWR

    December 28, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Today was our last day with Tom and Joyce. We went to Manatee Springs State Park and then they followed us downriver to the Lower Suwannee River NWR where we are at anchor. But being this close to the coast we have noseeums and Tom and Joyce decided to say their goodbyes and head upriver as they will backtrack starting tomorrow anyways. We are headed into Suwannee tomorrow to fuel up for our jump to Tarpon Springs on Monday. Our anchorage tonight has a nice network of trails. Moki and I went out for an adventure and got stuck in the rain about a mile from the boat. Have I mentioned that Moki really likes rain!! 🌧️ Pretty sunset this evening and our thermacell is hard at work keeping the noseeums at bay.Read more

  • betty stauglerTravelerMolly’s Great American Loop
    It got pretty windy and there was tornado warnings for the area
    Most impressive rain on our trip1Bat roost2Last sunset on the Suwannee

    Lower Suwanee River NWR day 2

    December 29, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 70 °F

    We fueled up this morning before some pretty intense rains arrived and anchored back up at the Lower Suwannee River NWR for a down day before our jump south in the morning. After the rain ended Moki and I went for a long hike. On our way back we noticed a bat roost. We passed right by it numerous times over the last couple days but just thought it was a big tree stump 🤦🏼‍♀️. Tonight we’re listening to some animal neither of us recognize. Sky is clear and the stars are bright.Read more

  • betty stauglerTravelerMolly’s Great American Loop
    Shortly after getting underway. Luna's monitoring the situation.
    Sun peeking out as we're leaving the riverAll chill hereFog on the Gulf is a theme this time of yearSponge Docks coming into Tarpon SpringsA nice lady took our picLots of sponge diving history. This memorial in memory of divers lostDowntown Christmas treeMB docked at the city marina. There are only 6 slips here and right downtownGene and Patty at Hella's RestaurantThis boat was very decorated. On the sponge docks

    Tarpon Springs

    December 30, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    We are now in Tarpon Springs. Was up and underway by 6:15am to beat a negative .8 tide. The Suwannee entrance channel to the Gulf is pretty shallow but with the early start we made it out without issue. Hit a fog bank around Cedar Key that stuck with us all the way to Tarpon Springs. Amazingly this is my first trip here! Very cool little city. Touristy but nice. Gene and Patty drove over from Brooksville and we enjoyed dinner with them at Hella’s Restaurant an authentic Greek establishment. We are here another day so I’ll work on more pics in between grocery shopping and other domestic duties…. Like finding good bread 🥖. Lots of bakeries here. 83 miles today.Read more

  • betty stauglerTravelerMolly’s Great American Loop
    2First walk of the day
    Drinks at the bar Nextdoor2Our boat is behind and to the left of this chairThe Naiads... providing life to the springs, rivers, lakes and fountainsHappy Callinectes1All good here 👍

    Tarpon Springs day 2

    December 31, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Hard to believe today is the end of 2024. It’s been an awesome year and I have much to be grateful for. We spent our last day of the year enjoying a Tarpon Springs. We got groceries, found a bakery and Moki and I found a park that connects to a Greenway Trail. This afternoon James and I went to Dock’s Waterfront for Margaritas. It is literally next door. This evening Dave from the boat next to us cooked us steaks and we shared drinks and dessert. Moki and I took our evening walk and talked with a couple guys on a sponge boat. One of them has an Aussie. While we were out fireworks were already popping. Good thing Moki is totally unaffected. Even Luna is handling them well… she’s sleeping at my feet at the moment. No organized fireworks but lots of random ones. We planned to leave tomorrow but were invited to stay an extra day at no charge so are going to take advantage of the hospitality offered. The City Marina is right downtown and convient to everything. Happy New Year Everyone!! We won’t be awake at midnight. We never are.Read more

  • betty stauglerTravelerMolly’s Great American Loop
    Soul Shine is a 35' Seapiper.
    Taken by Susan on Soul ShineOur anchorage tonightThe water's fine!2No two sunsets are ever the same!

    Archies Island

    January 2 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    Another big milestone today… we have logged 7,013 miles!!! We are only a couple days from crossing our wake and had a super cool encounter today…. We met Bill and Susan on Soul Shine on day 2 of our loop at the Labelle City Dcks. They live in Hernando Beach and crossed their wake a while ago. Well they went to Clearwater Beach for the New Year and we crossed paths with them in the ICW on their way home. Too cool that they bookended our trip, especially since we did not see them at all in between. Nice couple! We are now just north of Tampa Bay proper at anchor off a spoil island large enough for Moki to run and explore but small enough to keep him out of trouble.Read more

  • betty stauglerTravelerMolly’s Great American Loop
    2Passing the Skyway this morning
    Mural in Venice just inside the ditchThe Tom Adam's Bridge in Charlotte County2Milton Pass created by Hurricane MiltonOur anchorage tonightThere was never this much sand here1Sunset on the Gulf of Mexico

    Ski Alley - getting close!!

    January 3 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 50 °F

    We are back in Charlotte County!! And red tide…. Sigh. Only a few dead fish and the water is beautiful but my breathing is a reck! … Started in Sarasota Bay… I’m pretty sensitive to red tide toxins. Everyone else is fine. We hope to cross our wake tomorrow but winds for Charlotte Harbor are not good…. 10-20 NE which would be a pounding ride. That said we may push forward anyways. It’s been an awesome trip but now we are ready to come home. And we are ready to swap out our white burgee for a gold one! 🌟🏆💛🏅We are at anchor tonight in familiar territory although it looks very different. Helene and Milton dumped a lot more sand on the Ski Alley side of Manasota Key at Stump Pass State Park. It’s actually really pretty. We also checked out the new Milton Pass that cut thru the State Park. 78 miles today.Read more

  • betty stauglerTravelerMolly’s Great American Loop
    We crossed our wake in Charlotte Harbor
    1Selfie as we crossed our wake. It was choppyOur gold boots from Paradise BoundThe Alligator Creek water towerPlayed on the bar at Alligator Creek2Water was really lowSporting our gold!!6Family pic changing of our AGLCA burgeeWe're gold loopers!!Our daughter meet us at the dockCheers 🥂Our friends and family joined us for dinner2Our Great Loop!!

    Punta Gorda - Wake Crossed !!!!

    January 4 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    We crossed our wake today and are officially gold loopers!!! 🙌🙌. Charlotte Harbor was sporty but not nearly as bad as we expected. After crossing we continued to Alligator Creek and anchored off the bar. The water was super low with the NE wind. Moki enjoyed a romp on the bar. We enjoyed some down time, then went to Riviera Bar and Grill to celebrate. Our daughter Sara met us at the dock and our neighbors and James’s sister joined us for dinner. Tonight we are staying on the restaurant dock and will head up to Laishley Marina in the morning to pull out. This was an epic adventure!! And today was a Great day!!

    Some stats…
    7,124 total miles over 300 days.
    19 states & 2 Canadian Provinces
    163 locks
    112 Marina nights 37%
    Fuel: 2635.9 gal at 🤑 $5.02/gal for a whopping $13,253
    We averaged 2.7 miles/gal
    809 engine hours for an average 2.67hr/day

    What broke:
    My glasses - I had them repaired but they’re still technically broke
    The side curtain on our camper canvas - repaired in Trenton
    The steering - replaced cylinder in Quebec
    My finger - healed but still technically broke
    Ooh the transom gelcoat - patched but not pretty
    The berth curtain rod - broke twice and fixed twice… sort of
    The fill hose - bought a new one
    Head fan x2 and needs replaced yet again
    The stove - still works but not happy after the biofuel incident in Ontario. Needs serviced

    What went MIA
    Cell phone x2 - pretty expensive drops in the water
    Grill top - it’s somewhere in the Thousands Islands
    AGLCA burgee - very rough seas around Ferdinand Beach. Replaced in Savannah
    Lanterns x3 - we bought more. They’re fun!
    Skegs on the kayaks - all of them. Replaced with new ones.
    Reading glasses - James started with 6. Down to 1 now
    The cat - 2 hours in NY while she napped in a bush. Now wears an AirTag
    Gasket for the water filter - will replace later
    Gas cap - chain broke and whoops. Replaced    Read more

  • betty stauglerTravelerMolly’s Great American Loop
    2Sunrise on way to ramp
    US-41 Bridge over the Peace RiverMB is out of the water 💦Animals are loaded upBack home pressure washing 10 months worth of green, brown, black and yellow gunk on the hullDidn't take long for Moki to settle in6MB back in her barn! This trip is a wrap.

    And that’s a Wrap!

    January 5 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    We pulled Molly Brown out this morning back at Laishley Marina where we began. Home by 8:30 and James was pressure washing by 8:45. MB is now back in her barn and mostly unpacked. But still lots to do. Thank you all for following us on our epic adventure. Your likes and comments kept me inspired to keep writing and posting. We have so many wonderful memories visiting with friends, seeing new places and learning about the waterways of our nation and of Canada to our north. It’s been quite a ride… This will be our last post. Take care everyone!!!!Read more

    Trip end
    January 5, 2025
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