Brenda

What are the odds that our friends from St. Petersburg, FL, who have been out cruising the last 3 years, from Florida, the Bahamas and all around the Chesapeake, would be in Erie, PA the same time we were?  John & Sharon traveled by land yacht to Erie for a family reunion and arrived a […]

This past week ended with a great treat – a trip to Niagara Falls.  Although many shared that in their opinion the view from the Canadian side is much better, we still greatly enjoyed the experience. Niagara Falls Dave Taking a Photo at Niagara Falls Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls Earlier in the

As we head west on the Erie Canal, there is a junction where loopers often head north along the Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario and north to explore Canadian waterways.  With the Canadian border still closed due to COVID, if a looper boat can sneak under several 15’ bridges, the most expeditious route is to

This last week has been another fun adventure – complete with transiting through 23 locks on the eastern end of the Erie Canal.   Whew!  The Erie Canal winds its way from the Hudson River near Albany, NY all of the way to Buffalo, NY on Lake Erie, over 350 miles with an elevation change of

Some things are just worth waiting for.  After departing New York Harbor, we enjoyed our first day cruising up the Hudson River and arrived at Croton-on-Hutson on Saturday, June 5th for 6 days.  Why 6 days?  Waiting for a weather window?  Nope.  Chris on Betty Gail had scored reservations for the 4 of us at

We made it to New York City!  One of the highlights of the Great Loop is to cruise next to the Statue of Liberty while a fellow boater takes your picture.  We were fortunate our friends, Roger & Chris on Betty Gail, were cruising with us, so we took pictures of each other’s boats as

As we were finishing our tour of Chesapeake Bay, we found another gem in the Northeast corner – Chestertown, MD.  It is a bit out of the way, as you need to cruise 3 ½ hours up the Chester River (and then back down again), but so worth it!  This historic colonial town on the

I now understand why some boaters say they spend the entire summer cruising the Chesapeake Bay.  Besides all of the stops right on the bay, there are endless rivers with small towns or big cities to explore, or just spend a quiet day (or more) “on the hook” (at anchor).  We are only able to

In 1608, Captain John Smith, an English solider, explorer, colonial governor, Admiral of New England, and author (quite the busy guy), set out in a 30’ skiff with 14 crew to map the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, claim land, find food for the fledging colonies, trade with the natives and find passage to the

Most “loopers” belong to an association called “America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association” or AGLCA.  It provides a wealth of information for those dreaming, planning, or actively cruising the loop.  Once you have completed the entire loop, you receive a “Gold Looper” designation and many Gold Loopers provide guidance to newbies.  AGLCA’s website has a forum