America's Great Loop

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Coming soon: Here version of living aboard and cruising America's Great Loop. 

   It is the longest continual navigable waterway in the world:   

• Nile                               2,000mi
• Rhine–Danube         2,200mi
• Mississippi                  2,340mi
• Volga–Baltic               2,500mi
• Yangtze                       2,800mi
• Amazon                       3,700mi
• Great Loop                 6,000mi

America’s Great Loop is the only one you can live on while circling within a continent.

·* America’s Great Loop is much more than just a circle:

It is also a mountain! You don’t just go around it; you also go up and over it. Locks will take you & your vessel almost 1,000 feet above sea level and back down again. Whether you choose the all-USA Erie Canal route or the Canadian Trent-Severn Waterway, the pattern is the same: Lock by lock, you rise. Slowly. Intentionally, and sometimes impatiently, the Locks raise & lower you back down again. When you cross Canada, you’re climbing almost double the height of the U.S. route. 

· Cruising America’s Great Loop is a weather-timed migration.

Loopers must live by this rule: Be NORTH by summer, SOUTH by winter. We Spring up the Atlantic ICW in Spring (Mar–May) to avoid the June 1 – November Atlantic Hurricane Season.
We spend the cooler Summer (Jun–Aug) on the Great Lakes or in Canada. We fall down the Inland Rivers in Fall (Oct–Nov) and avoid Tornado Alley during the peak Tornado Season (April → June) as we head south. We spend the warmer Winter in Florida. FYI – The average temperature in Canada during Summer is in the mid-70s. The average temperature in Florida during Winter is in the mid-70s. On a typical year cruising the Great Loop, a Looper can expect roughly 60 days with daytime temperatures below 60°F - and about 9 rain days per month. This is based on the ‘average’ taken from Capt. John’s cruising Logbooks cruising the recommended Seasonal pattern. It also falls within NOAA published normals by geographical area and season – but it is NOT official by any means. You must give or take from this depending on route, start month, and how long you linger in each area, as well as the unpredictable weather. 

 The brilliance of cruising the Great Loop by the Seasons:

“Not only do you avoid the Atlantic Hurricane & Midwest Tornado Seasons - You are almost always in mild to ideal weather. Run it right… and you live in 65–85° weather the entire voyage. Out of ten voyages around the Great Loop, on two of them, my son and I never had to put on long pants, although sweatshirts & light rain gear is often the most comfortable attire. Cruising by the seasons, means you will be chasing 75° weather for an entire year adventure around America’s Great Loop.  – Capt. John 

· The most underrated truth about the Great Loop:

“While you are only covering the eastern portion of the United States and southern portion of Canada…but you are hitting the most beautiful, recognized places and Tourist Attractions in all of North America.”

Half (25) of Condé Nast Traveler’s “Top 50” must visit sites are directly on or easily accessible from the Great Loop. 

What counts as Capt. John’s “easily accessible” on the loop? 

It must be directly on one of the most popular routes, AICW, GICW, Rivers, Lakes, Canals, Waterways, or within a short easy walking distance from a Looper stop - including short waterway detours or popular waterway side-trips. They include Acadia National Park, St. Augustine, Beaufort, Charleston, Savannah, Outer Banks, Ocracoke, Kitty Hawk, Annapolis, Baltimore, St. Michaels, New York City, Hudson River Valley, Mackinac Island, Door County, Leland, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Thousand Islands, Canada’s Heritage Canals, Trent Severn Waterway, Bobcaygeon, Peterborough Lift Lock, Georgian Bay, North Channel, Florida Keys, Miami, Marathon, Key West, Everglades National Park, Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Sanibel Island, Fort Myers Beach.

· The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) is a “Hidden Highway” Along the Coast

The Atlantic ICW stretches about 1,090 miles from Key West, Florida to Norfolk, Virginia. 

It allows boats to travel long distances without ever entering the open ocean. 

Think of it as a protected inland waterway for boats, shielded from the Atlantic Ocean. 

· The Atlantic ICW was Built for War 

Major sections were developed during and after World War I and World War II. 

Purpose: protect shipping from German U-boats lurking offshore. 

Today? It’s a dream route for Loopers, adventurers, and “snowbird” cruisers. 

· Submarines on the Atlantic ICW

You will cruise by the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. Just off the ICW near the St. Mary's / Fernandina Beach on the St. Mary's River at the GA–FL border. The base sits up that river on the Georgia side. You will cruise very close to it. You may see: Escort/security boats, Restricted zones clearly marked, And possibly a submarine or submarine support vessel. This is an active U.S. Navy strategic base - Strict no-entry security zones - Heavy enforcement - Stay well outside marked boundaries.

· The Hudson River Flows Both Ways:

The most interesting thing about the Hudson River: It’s not really a river… it’s a tidal estuary. Unlike most rivers: The Hudson flows north & south. It changes direction with the tides. 

Incoming tide: Water flows north (upriver). Outgoing tide: Water flows south (toward the NYC & the Ocean) 

Tidal influence extends all the way to Troy and the Troy Lock. That’s 150+ miles inland

For Loopers, timing your voyage from Liberty Landing to the Troy Lock becomes everything. You don’t just go “north” or “south” - You go with the tide - or… against it (and pay the price). Speed & fuel usage difference can be huge. With current: +2 to 3 knots “free speed”. Against current: You slow dramatically and burn lots more fuel. It’s a mix of fresh & salt water:

· Lighthouses on the Great Loop:

It may or may not come as a surprise, but depending on your exact route, you will cruise by 300 or more lighthouses that are located directly along the Great Loop route. This surprises most Loopers.

The Loop has multiple route options such as Erie Canal vs Trent-Severn Waterway.  

You’re actually cruising through history. Most lighthouses along the Great Loop date to early 1800s, Pre-Civil War and shipping routes older than America. Some that stand out to Loopers:

Mackinac Point Lighthouse, Round Island Lighthouse, Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, Esopus Meadows Lighthouse. “You don’t just pass lighthouses…you pass the story of how boats survived these waters before you.” – Capt. John

· The Atlantic Coast journey, from Ft. Pierce, Florida to the Troy Lock is 25% of the entire Great Loop voyage.

The AICW is a major leg of America’s Great Loop. Loopers use it to travel north in spring to avoid the Hurricane Season. You want to time this leg of your journey to be at the NY State Canal System between mid-May and early June. For many, it’s the most relaxing—and deceptive—section (easy navigation, but constant attention required) 

· The Canadian Route is the shortest route: 

This surprises most Loopers. Not only is the Canadian Trent Severn route the shortest, it is also the most protected & therefore, safest. While there are many routes, route choices, detours and side-trips a Looper can make, if one compares the very shortest routes from Three Rivers Junction to Mackinac Island:

· From Three Rivers Junction (Oswego Canal, Lake Ontario to Trent Severn, Georgian Bay & North Channel to Mackinac Island. -  This is by far the most popular route! 

· Three Rivers – Erie Canal, Niagara River, Lake Erie, Lake St Clair, Lake Huron to Mackinac Island.

The northernmost Canadian Route will be 200 to 300-miles shorter than cruising the all-USA route.

· America’s Great Loop is a 99% “land-in-sight” journey… 

There are only two locations where you will NOT see land. 

Crossing the Gulf with options of Carrabelle 78-miles to Steinhatchee, 

Or Crossing the Gulf from Carrabelle to 178-miles to Anclote Key Anchorage near Tarpon Springs

Lake Okeechobee — is enormous, about 730 square miles. Direct Route (across the lake) route is 40 miles
(Port Mayaca Clewiston → Port Mayaca via the marked channel. The Rim Route is 105-miles and while it is close to shore, it is also shallower.

· Land Is Never Far Away & Provisions are near:

This is one of the biggest advantages of cruising America’s Great Loop: 

Marinas with fuel, water, provisions, and towns everywhere. On the Atlantic ICW you are never more than 69-miles from a Marina with fuel, Great Regional or Waterfront Restaurant, Groceries, Provisions, Supplies, or a safe anchorage. Crossing the Gulf, (it’s your choice between 78-miles (1-day-trip) from Carrabelle to Steinhatchee or 185-miles (overnight trip) from Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs). Cruising south on the (east side) of Lake Michigan, you never need to be any more than a mile offshore, and never more than 54-miles from the next major protected harbor with Marinas, Fuel, Restaurants, Shopping, Tourist attractions, and more. 

Provisions on the USA side - Only in three locations: 1. Alton or Hoppies to Paducah, 2. Columbus to Demopolis, 3. Bobby’s Fish to Mobile Bay, must you have at least 2- or 3-days food & water rations on your boat. Elsewhere, convenient stops for fuel, water, and provisions are available every day or two. 

Provisions on the Canada side - on the Trent–Severn, the longest stretch without reliable Fuel & Provisions will be between Buckhorn → Peterborough → Orillia. This is 100 miles total at a typical Looper pace of 20–30 miles per day. As a result, Loopers should plan 3 to 5 days between fuel and provisions (Meals, Water, Snacks, Coffee, etc.) Also, there is no fuel between Fenelon Falls & Midland. in Georgian Bay. In Georgian Bay & North Channel, the maximum fuel & provision gap is 90-miles or an easy 3-4 days cruising with major Service Points at Midland, Penetanguishene, Parry Sound, Killarney, Little Current, Gore Bay, and Blind River. However, most Loopers remain in areas anchored out for several days at a time. For example, The Pool at Baie Fine (one of the most popular “Bucket Listed Anchorages” is less than 10-miles from Killarney, but a Looper might stay in this area for 3 or 4 days. 

· The Atlantic ICW is a Hurricane Escape Route

During storm season, boaters all along the East Coast use the ICW to:  * Move inland  * Relocate quickly inland along the coast 

It’s a strategic safety corridor, not just a cruising route. 

· The Chesapeake

Chesapeake Bay was created by a catastrophic asteroid striking what is now the U.S. East Coast. The impact formed the Chesapeake Bay. The Impact Crater, is about 53 miles wide. Cruising the Chesapeake Bay is where the Great Loop truly comes alive. It’s a perfect blend of protected waters, rich American history, and unforgettable waterfront towns—all wrapped in a rhythm that invites you to slow down and enjoy the journey. One day you’re dropping anchor in a quiet creek with nothing but birds and sunset around you, the next you’re tied up in Annapolis cracking fresh blue crabs at a dockside table. With endless anchorages, short cruising distances, and some of the best boating culture in the country, the Chesapeake isn’t just a stop on the Loop—It’s an entire adventure all on it’s own. 

· Georgian Bay – It’s called the “Freshwater Caribbean”

No Tides, No Current - Water is calm & predictable. Water clarity is often 20–30+ feet visibility, Color deep blues and turquoise tones, 30,000 Islands, World’s largest freshwater archipelago, Ancient Rock — Older Than Almost Anything, With rock formations over 1 billion years old. Unlike most of the Loop, you can anchor almost anywhere safely. It has the Darkest Skies in North America - Remote areas = zero light pollution and at night you can see the full Milky Way with stars down to the horizon.