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Pre Loop Madness and Monotony

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   The build up was huge, the anticipation was killing us. Now we're here, living on the boat in Bradenton, FL for the next 14 days before we "shove off". With everything we think we will need for the trip in the back of our car, we load it onto the boat. Where in the heck are we going to put all of this stuff? Organizing and storing in every nook & cranny, sorting and reprioritizing. Re-looking at something and saying, "Do we really need 3 of these?" "Put it back in the car." After two full days, Beth managed to get it all labeled and packed away, somewhere. This little boat has a lot more storage space than we thought. Now, to be able to find it when we want it. I looked for my work gloves for 20 minutes!  "Where is all this stuff going to fit?"     Meanwhile I'm doing the same for all of my tools and gear, gallons of oil, fluids and filters, spare parts and odd things that we just might need to get us out of a pinch.  A few last mi...
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The "REAL" Journey Begins

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TRAVEL DAY 1 - Palmetto to Sarasota February 14, 2023 4.2 Hours/31.6 Miles     Today is "really" the day we start of the Great Loop, as opposed to the "Unofficial Start of the Great Loop" . We felt pretty confident that all the preparation and work would pay off . Well, feelings are one thing, realty is another.     We pulled out of our slip and headed for the fuel dock to top off the tanks with a few gallons of diesel and pump out the holding tank. Of course the predicted wind was not what we got, neither was the air temperature, still it was a decent day for a cruise. We're still in our home waters so we basically knew the way. Our destination was Sarasota and a free anchorage. We had planned to pick up an anchor ball at Marina Jack's but it was full. Free anchorages mean more money for food, snacks and drinks! Out of the Manatee River and around Ana Marie Island     Beth had planned some routes on her Navionics and Aqua Maps apps and was ready to assume ...
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Great Loop Stats

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  Great Loop Stats Google Earth Great Loop Route     It was the trip of a lifetime. We planned it for over 15 years and the hardest part really was just leaving the dock. Carving out this much time was certainly a challenge, but we are glad we did it. We are certainly better off for it. We grew as a couple and sharpened our navigation and problem solving skills. We met folks from all over the country, some of which will be lifelong friends. We were helped by total strangers both out of kindness and generosity and because they thought what we were doing was interesting.    The Troll     We forecasted weather and made decisions on our gut feelings and our growing experience as seaman. We traveled through new waters virtually everyday and saw things that mostly only the folks that lived there ever see. We learned how to make split decisions and pivot to plan B when we needed to and how to not make any decisions at all.    River Rats in Petoskey,...
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