Last Post: Great Loop adventure recap
- boisselle13
- Dec 10, 2023
- 12 min read
Updated: Mar 20
WE CROSSED OUR WAKE on Friday, October 20, 2023!!!
Days on the Loop: 375 days
Miles Completed: 6,051
Locks: 144
Oil Changes: 6
Didn't keep track of fuel used but guessing approx. 3600 gallons
Several favorites but these one stood out to us!
Favorite Marinas
King Fisher Bay Marina & RV Park (Demopolis, AL)
Bluewater Bay Marina (Niceville, FL)
Marker 1 Marina (Dunedine, FL)
Perry Marina & Hotel (Key West, FL)
Ft. Pierce City Marina (Ft. Pierce, FL)
Port 32 (Jacksonville, FL) - property was nice and captain's lounge beautiful. Note: La Vida (Ellen and Joe were married there in 2022)
Windmill Marina (Hilton Head, SC)
Lock to enter marina
Beautiful walking paths
Free outdoor laundry area w/ folding table
Friendly Staff
Southport, NC
Morning Star Marina (Able to visit Creech's porch)
Safe Harbor Marina (near our friends Judy & Mark Weavil)
Solomon's Yacht Club
$1.85 per ft
Everything in Walking distance
Crab Cakes at The Lighthouse Restaurant awesome!
Best Maritime Museum
Winter Park Marina (Brewerton, NY)
Staff wonderful - Tim GREAT
Charged for pump outs (prevents Captain from pumping - yeah!)
Clean Showers
Nice Laundry Room
Courtesy Car
Favorite Restaurants:
Guys Restaurant (Fulton, MS)
- Gumbo was great!
Hogfish (Key West)
- Any of their Hogfish dishes (i.e. taco, stuffed hogfish)
- Always had specials (Joel really liked their Prime Rib)
The Docks (Key West)
- Great drinks - Taylor was the bartender
- Figs in a Blanket (this was like a dessert)
Coconuts (Ft. Lauderdale)
- House salad (coconut shavings, almonds and artichoke hearts)
- Jambalaya
- Apps: Crawfish bread, Scooby snacks (lobster claws), crab dip
- Coconut Cheesecake
Nano French Bakery (Ft. Lauderdale)
- Great breakfast, go early (lines get long)
Cobb Landing (Ft. Pierce, FL)
- Great painkillers and gumbo
- Marina provided 15% discount card (could use duration of visit)
Sunrise Cafe (Ft. Pierce,FL)
- Best Breakfast, nice atmosphere
Panheads (New Smyrna Beach, FL)
- Recognized on a Guy Fieri Diner's & Dive episode
- Great meatball appetizer
Wren's Bistro (Fernandino, SC)
- Great Bloody Mary's
- Chicken Salad Sandwich is one of their specialities
Port of Call (Southport, NC)
- Dinner with Judy & Mark Weavil; the food was awesome
- Food from several Ports (Thai, Italian, etc)
Chop House (Charleston, SC)
- Celebrated 25th Anniversary & Danielle's birthday
- Great food
- Over the top service, worth the money!
The Lobster House (Cape May, NJ)
- An Uber ride away
- Prices not bad
- Ate with a group of folks, no complaints
- Knot Dreaming (Randy & Julie), Arabella (Capel & Karen)
Dinosaur BBQ (Syracuse, NY)
- Noted as "The place to go in Syracuse"
- Known for their brisket (but I liked the pulled pork best)
- Cajun deviled eggs, yummy!
Grafton Oyster Bar (Grafton, IL)
Doe's Eat Place(Paducah, KY)
Friends along the way (no particular order), special thank you to those that followed our Great Loop adventure:
Craig Baggett - (Special Shout Out, drove 6 hours round trip to drop us off so we could start the loop, picked us up at the airport on one of our trips home, and brought our truck to us when we completed the loop)
Mark & Liz McClean (Panama City, FL ... Halloween 2022, stayed at their house one evening while in PCB:-)
- Side note: Mark & Liz did a trial run w/ us & Jus' Relaxin (Rob & Jaime) to Nashville, TN (before we left for the loop)
Eric Heise (Panama City, FL > Apalachicola, FL, Carrabelle, FL)
David & Kimberly (Jeffries) Cramer (Apalachicola, FL)
Randy & Allison Stickrod (Dunedin, FL)
Jason, Trisha & Chloe Shinneman (Dunedin, FL)
Jim & Julie Howard (Cape Coral, FL)
Ron Morgan & Jane Ruby (Dunedin, FL, Key West, FL, Jupiter, FL, Grafton, IL)
Jonathan Boisselle (Dunedin, FL, St. Pete, Sarasota, Boca Grande, Ft. Meyers, Key West, Hudson River, assisted in locks: Newark, NJ - Syracuse, NY and Alton, IL - for a night and celebrated his 20th b'day)
Kirk & Chris Norris (Key West, FL)
Bob & Bonnie Hendershot (Key West, FL)
Shane & Cissy Howell (Coco Village, FL)
Stan & Kendall Jesniowski (Key West, FL)
Chris & Keyla Walker (Key West > Key Largo > Hollywood (Miami) > Ft. Lauderdale)
Rick Lee (Hollywood, FL took us to lunch)
Craig, Jennifer & Austin Welde (Met in Jupiter, FL for Cardinals Baseball Spring Training)
Ron Morgan & Jane Ruby (Met in Jupiter, FL for Cardinals Baseball Spring Training)
Uncle Dennis & Aunt Grace Dotson (Palatka, FL)
Greg Hardee (Charleston, SC)
Mark & Darlene McMakin (Charleston, SC)
Mark & Judy Weavil (Southport, NC)
Tim Stephan (Norfolk, VA - helped Joel with air condition install, we owe him a dinner)
Dan & Terri Fulton (Annapolis, MD)
Fred Singler (Syracuse, NY)
Danielle & Alain Sear, Breakaway: (Skichippi, Ontario, Canada - completed their loop 6/10/2023)
Graeme & John, Aquaholics: (Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada)
Corbin & Patti Kerr, Panacea (Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada) - will start their loop back up in 2024
Jeff & Sharon French, Yachts of Fun (Orillia, Ontario, Canada)
John Mills (Alton, IL to Paducah, KY leg)
Bobby & Lucas Kaye (Alton, IL to Hoppies marina in Imperial, MO)
Lisa Mills (Paducah, KY) - had dinner with the Mills in Paducah
SOME OF OUR FAVORITES:
Marina Wash Rooms & Laundry Rooms:
Green Turtle Bay - By far seems to have the best bath house set up. They have 4 rooms with shower, sink and toilet in each. Most everyone on the loop enjoyed staying @ Green Turtle
Perry Hotel & Marina - They had two shower houses, one near Coconut Row and one near Piers (A - D docks). The one near the pier included shower rooms for both men and women and in addition there was one large wash room that had a bit more privacy (i.e. reminded me of GTB w/ the shower, sink and toilet all in one room).
Port 32 (Jacksonville, FL) - Nice facilities, clean (Laundry free here)
Winter Harbor - Wonderful showers, CLEAN
Pump Outs:
Canada was by far the most expensive, charging for each tank. I think the most we paid was $70 per tank. Canada dock hands handle all of the pump out equipment, leading us to believe the reason for the expense.
US pump outs are hit or miss as to whether the dock hands empty the tank or we, the crew, empty the tanks. Rule of thumb, if boat crew is required to empty, Captain Joel takes care of it, it's free; however, if the dockhands complete the task, the cost is $5 - $20 dollars, plus tip.
Bars / Happy Hours:
- Goodland, FL - One man band, had several costumes as well as Big Lips for his
Mick Jagger performance. Great find by looper boat, Breakaway (Danielle & Alain)
- Clifton Marina (TN) w/ Kayak & Anna Dee - we watched the TN / AL college football game, boy was it a fun night, heard the song Rocky Top so many times!
- Old Tavern Grill (Key West, FL)
- Best happy hour prices and shareable size portions
- Key Largo - Gilbert's,
- Happy Hour on Breakaway
- Walker's (Chris & Keyla) were with us!
- Myrtle Beach Marina...
- Longest happy hour, 4 - 8pm and BEST "She Crab soup"
Locations:
Fairhope, AL
- One of our first long stops, I loved this little town. Perhaps it was because my
brother (Brian) and sister-in-law (Chauntiel) live there and we were able to
spend time with us.
Niceville, FL
- Dolphin swam in the marina almost nightly
- Restaurant on marina property, people super friendly
- courtesy vehicle
Dunedin, FL
- 80 miles of bike paths, we really enjoyed this town. A lot of activities:
Festivals, Holiday parades, Honeymoon Island. We were able to find
time and see so much (Clearwater / Tarpon Springs)
- Jonathan joined us for this leg (to Key West), we enjoyed his visit
Key West, FL
- This was one of Joel's favorite places, so much to do in this town; I liked it; but
felt a full month was too much time there.
Ft. Pierce, FL
- Great Downtown area, town square
- Wednesday & Saturday markets (produce & crafts)
- Comedy Club & Sunrise Theater (small town feel)
St. Augustine City Marina
- Walking distance to the downtown historic area
- Great dining areas
- A lot to see and do, could spend 2-3 days here
Jacksonville, FL / Palatka, FL / St. John's River
- This was a side trip
- Visited with my Aunt Grace & Uncle Dennis
- Spent time with La Vida, attended their Power Squadron meeting
SouthPort, NC
- Harbor Host, Robert & Kay Creech (so welcoming)
- Our Friends Judy & Mark live here and made it VERY hard to leave
- Fishy, Fishy Cafe
New Bern, NC
- Home of Pepsi
- Beautiful architecture
- Wish we had of stayed longer
Liberty Landing / NYC
- Jonathan joined us in Jersey and traveled up the Hudson River. He was
helpful throughout the Erie and Oswego locks. We loved having and sharing
the loop experience with him.
All of Canada (enjoyed all locks but 1)
- Loons and River Otters were plentiful
- Beautiful waterway, narrow channels
- Frankford (Lock #6)
- Fenelon Falls (Lock #34)
- Couchiching (Lock #42) - stayed at the bottom, so peaceful)
- Peterborough Lift (Lock #21)
- Kirkfield Lift (Lock #36)
- The Big Chute (Lock #44)
- We enjoyed the lock walls on the Trent-Severn
- Anchored out (aka - On the Hook) multiple nights and locations - Beausoleil Island (on the hook)
- Near Frying Pan Bay (on the hook)
- Baie Fine - (on the hook), great watering hole
- Topaz Lake - clear water lake (had to hike to)
- Bad River - (on the hook), amazing anchorage
- Killarney (stayed at marina)
- Extremely "rocky" area, several looper friends hit props on these rocks
BUTTER TARTS & PASTRIES WERE A HUGE HIT IN CANADA!
ADDITIONAL, Great Memories: There were so many; but, these stood out!
TN marina (Kayak & Anna Dee), Rocky Top Song, TN / AL football game
Irish Kevin's in Key West
- Looper Friends (Breakaway, Aquaholics, Kelly & Howard from Canada), had such a fun night! We hope to see them all again, perhaps if we get a place in Florida
Green Parrot in Key West
- Looper Friends (Breakaway, Aquaholics, Anna Dee, 1/2 of Donna Lynn (Corbin),
Bad Rep, Kelly & Howard) had a fun night of playing bingo! Alain marked Joel's
card when he wasn't looking and Joel danced to the counter to collect his
winnings only to discover that he didn't win - yikes!
Bon Fire @ Columbus
- This is where we met Donna Lynn, now known as Panacea (Corbin & Patti)
Carrabelle, FL
- Several Loopers waited here in Carrabelle for weather window to cross the Gulf
- Loopers met nightly at C-Quarters for docktails ($1 beers & water)
- discussed "waiting" for a good weather window
- Eric Heise was traveling with us, I (Tracy) was sick with bronchitis and
had to see a doctor.
Coco Village, FL
- Had dinner with my cousin, Cissy and her husband Shane. It was great to catch up; but, the time was short (wish we had longer). We did not see the downtown area; however, hear it is nice!
All of Canada - See 8/25 post for additional details on this leg of our trip
- IMO:
Trent-Severn, Georgian Bay & Rideau (from water perspective)
Rideau & Georgian Bay from stops along the way
- Valley Field
- Stayed on the wall, it was a lovely location
- Walked to bakery, about 2 miles away, so worth it
- Rented a car, drove to Montreal
- Montreal
- Stayed at Dalphun Hotel - priced at less than $90USD per night
- Amazing continental breakfast (with bakery items)
- Ottawa
- Stayed on the Wall, before entering the Rideau canal
- Nice light show at the government buildings
- Great market
- Kingston
- Enjoyed the Trolly ride, Penitentiary
- Dock Residents were super friendly
- Toured a lot of this area, everything was in walking different
Boating Buddies (or Loopers we met multiple times during the Loop):
Based on various sources, heard or read there were 300+ boats on the loop during the 2022-2023 loop season. There were 265 boats noted as needing to pass through the Chicago locks on Oct 1 (boaters were placed in flotillas, staged & staggered to prevent chaos). Side note: Chicago locks were closed down for maintenance, so several of us were held up in Hammond, IN waiting for the locks to open.
*Anna Dee (Tom & ME) - Boston (River system, Carrabelle, Key West)
*Arabella (Capel & Karen) - Georgia (traveled most of trip with this couple)
*Aquaholics (John & Graeme) - Canadians (Carrabelle & Key West / They are now
RVing)
Bad Rep (Rep & Karen) - met thru looper friends - from GA, live in FL now
Bama Breeze (Russell & Darlene) - Traveled w/ Perm. Vacation
Beach House (David & Roxanne) - leaped frog with this boat
Beach Side (Tom & Diane) - Florida
*Breakaway (Alain & Danielle) - Canadians (travel most of our trip with this couple)
Crab Shack (Carson, Allison & their 2 daughters) - Wisconsin (mutual friend, Nate
Singler)
Crustacean (Bill & Margie) - Florida (met in Michigan)
Darlin' Lea (Mike & Trish) - Texas (met in Brewerton, NY)
*Donna Lynn (Corbin & Patty)* - Canadians (River System, Carrabelle, Key West)
Dragon Fly (Steve & Jennifer) - Ft. Pierce, FL boat neighbors - from Georgia
*Escape (Marshall & Diane) - Chicago & Indiana (Carrabelle,FL)
Jagger (Chuck & Susan) - Florida (mutual friend, Laura Schneider)
*Kayak (John & Kim) - Michigan (crossed path multiple times)
Knot Dreaming (Randy & Julie) - Canadians, met in Cape May, NJ
*La Vita (Joe & Ellen) - Florida (Carrabelle, Crossing & Jacksonville)
Lucky Chicklett (Jeff & Shannon) - New Hampshire (met in Kingston, Canada)
*Long Gone 2 (Dan & Chris) - Knoxville Tennessee (traveled most of the trip with
this couple)
Moon Shadow II (John & Robin) - Michigan (met at Rondevoux)
Nice Aft (Ted, Jill & Sam, 10 yo) - Key West Boat Neighbors - Canadians
Other Woman (Danny & Jenny) - leap frogged with this boat most of the trip, they crossed their wake at Green Turtle Bay (same day as us).
*Perfect Match (Kevin & Ellen) - Georgia (Mobile Bay & Fairhope, AL)
*Permanent Vacation (Craig & Jane) - Georgia (Carrabelle & Gulf Crossing)
*Port-A-Gee (Brian & LoraLorall) - Michigan (met in Canada - Orillia & traveled thru
Georgia Bay & Michigan)
R&R (Rick & Ruth Ann and Sally, the dog) - Key West Boat Neighbors - Georgia
Slack Tide (Roger) - single handed boat most of the trip, n/a home port
*Spartina (Pat & Joy) - Savannah, GA (traveled most of the trip with this couple)
*Two Harbors (Tom & Debbie) - California
Volition (Emonn & Rhonda) - Ft. Pierce - Canadians
Voyager (Alan & Diedre w/ Brody the dog) - South Carolina (met in New Bern, SC)
Who Dat (Scott & Amy) - Wisconsin (took over shirts), GTB and one other stop
*Yachts of Fun (Jeff & Sharon) - Arabella introduced them to us - Canadians (leaped
frog with this couple)
Kelly & Howard (Non loopers, from Canada), friends of Aquaholics (hung out in Key West) HONORARY MENTION... LOVE THESE TWO!
Met so many loopers along the way, I am sure I left someone out; but, it was not intentional. Those with " * " - we traveled, docked or anchored with them on multiple occasions.
*Donna Lynn cut their trip short due to a fire (in Bahamas); Anna Dee did a great job keeping us posted on how they were doing once they returned to Canada. Corbin & Patti purchased a new boat in June 2023. They will store Panacea in the Chesapeake area and start again in spring of 2024. Their new boat name is: Panacea (means: a solution or remedy for all difficulties). They will also be traveling with a new crew member: ENZO (their new puppy).
Special thanks to those listed below. They made our trip possible by helping with Raymond (Grampy) during his health issues, Jonathan's wisdom teeth and school and providing transportation for me & Joel when needed (STL / Kentucky). We were blessed with so much help, I hope I didn't leave anyone out!
When they say it "takes a village," it's true!
Julie Boisselle & Jim Howard / Shelia & Denny Rasure / Jan & Steve Wunsch / Keyla & Chris Walker / Jane Ruby & Ron Morgan / Craig & Jan Baggett / Marsha & Tom Bleedorn / Evelyn Soto / Kellye & Eric Heise / Kathy & Denny Jarvis / Laine Fillman and Patty Desrosiers (and Jonathan helped too!)
My siblings (Tammy, Jane, Jimmy & Brian) reaching out throughout the trip!
How do we feel?
Sure it's a bit sad, bittersweet; but, the emotion I think we feel is grateful and thankful.
Grateful:
We were able to experience a "once in a lifetime opportunity".
For all the people we met a long the way.
Seeing all the waterfront properties and learning the history of the lakes, rivers and water towns.
Thankful:
That we are/were healthy enough to do a trip like this.
For our family and friends that supported, prayed and helped us along the way!
In closing, if you are interested in learning more about the LOOP and would like to talk with us, feel free to call us: 314-677-4636 (Tracy) or 314-677-9901 (Joel). You should also consider joining the AGLCA, it will be the best $100.00 you spend. They have so many resources and a wealth of information.
You can find Summer Place at Kentucky Lake, Green Turtle Bay (Pier 7, slip 16), proudly flying a Gold burgee. Thanks again for following our journey, we enjoyed sharing this experience with you. We would do it again if we didn't have other fun things planned.
Now on to the next adventure .....Thanks again for reading the blog!
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