“Chasing 80” is what Jill and Kevin named their trawler. They were some of the folks we met while we were chasing 80 degree weather in the Florida Keys.
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| Captain Jerry & Admiral Sam pose in front of Turtle Kraals in Key West, February 2018 |
The American Great Loop is a journey designed to keep us in short pants year ‘round. Under Tanuki’s previous name, Carolyn Ann, she made the trip 3 times with Joe and Punk. This will be our first time.
We also met Rick and Monica who completed their first Great Loop. They took the journey full circle when they gave us their White AGLCA burgee before we left Key West on February 27. The flag helps “Loopers” indentify each other so they can compare notes and share tales.
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| Rick ceremoniously gives Jerry the White AGLCA burgee they flew on thier first Great Loop February 27, 2018 |
Rick and Monica will get a Gold burgee for completing the Loop. Joe and Punk have a Platinum burgee for taking Carolyn Ann on the journey more than once.
Flying the White burgee, we moseyed up from Key West to St. Augustine, staying in short pants most of the way. We’re in St. Augustine until mid-April visiting family, doctors and so forth.
From here we’ll cruise up the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), moving north as the weather warms. We’ll be in new-to-us territory when we pass through the C & D canal between the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware.
The Great Loop takes cruisers up the East Coast on the ICW and across 25 miles of ocean turning at Sandy Hook and into New York Harbor. Expect to see a picture of Tanuki with the Statue of Liberty when we get to New York.
From there, we’ll travel up the Hudson and into the Erie Canal. As our luck would have it, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of New York State’s Canal System, there are no fees for recreational vessels traveling the canal system in 2018! Woo hoo! Free locking and docking!!
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| Osprey & nest on ICW in Florida |
In the height of summer, we hope to hear people in the Great Lakes, Chicago and Canada complaining of the intolerable heat and humidity when it’s a mere 80 degrees with 60% humidity (after living so long in Florida, we think those conditions are ideal).
As temperatures start to fall, we anticipate seeing the leaves change color along the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and other rivers down to Mobile, AL.
If everything goes as planned, we should be arriving in sunny Florida as the snowbirds are fleeing the snowy north. From there we go back to Key West to “cross our wake” and complete the Great Loop.
Next year, while we’re in Key West, we’ll order a Gold Burgee and keep an ear out for cruisers who are thinking about traveling the Great Loop. Our Great Loop will go full circle when we encourage other cruisers by giving them our White burgee.
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| Tanuki in Boca Chita in Biscayne Bay National Park. Last stop before heading into Miami. |
