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Big Boat or Little Boat We all end up at the same destinations, having the same amount of fun.

Captain John

HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE DO I NEED?

Experience is great, the more you have the better; but you don't need a ton of it. You simply need to be a very safe boater in a very safe, suitable, seaworthy boat. You need to know your boat, your gear and electronics as well as your anchoring system; and you need to know how to use them safely and correctly. You need to know the rules of the road, and your vessel's limitations as well as your own. Very few boaters have 'ALL' the experience you will get cruising America's Great Loop. There are many 'first time experiences' (Locks, Lift Bridges, Tides, etc.) for all of us. Indeed, if you are a safe boater in a safe suitable boat, you're good to go!

HOW DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS IS IT?

America's Great Loop is neither difficult nor dangerous. Thousands of boaters have made this voyage safely. Having made it a dozen times ourselves, we've never felt threatened in any way by anyone or anything bigger than a mosquito. We have never been in danger of damaging or losing our boat. With today's technology, and all the information you have at your disposal, as well as Marine GPS, Weather Forecasting, 24/7 USCG & USACE communications, Cellphones, Laptops, VHF Radios, you are in great shape to make this voyage safely and successfully. Fact is, long before your voyage is over, you will be amazed at the realization of just how safe and easy cruising the Loop really is.

BASIC BOAT REQUIREMENTS

Your boat MUST be able to clear 19’ 7” fixed bridge, just south of Chicago. There is no alternative waterway route around this fixed bridge. If you can clear 17-feet, you can boat right through downtown Chicago! If you can clear 19'7" but cannot clear 17', there is an optional route, but both routes lead to that 19'7" bridge we must all go under. If you can clear 15-feet 6-inches, you can cruise the full-length of the Erie Canal from the Hudson River to Buffalo & Lake Erie. If cruising Canada's Trent-Severn & Heritage Canals, your vessel must have a draft of 5-feet or less, and a beam less than 23'. All boats must have a minimum fuel range of 204-miles. The length of your boat is limited to common sense, safety, and affordability.
#1 BEST-SELLER & BOOK OF THE YEAR

The Looper’s Companion Guide:

Don’t leave home without it.

The Ultimate Great Loop Cruising Guide

For cruising America’s Great Loop, “The Looper’s Companion Guide” is a must have. It includes everything you will need and want to plan, prepare and actually cruise the Loop. From boats to budgets, it will help you plan and prepare yourself, your finances, your boat, your equipment, supplies and amenities for a safe, comfortable, successful, and most enjoyable voyage around the Loop.
The UPDATED 2023 EDITION gives you each and every single ‘cruising day’s’ distance, miles, estimated cruising time, fuel range, bridge heights, controlled depths, and what to expect along the way, as well as when you get there. You get mile markers, waypoints, the route, route options, detours, recommended side trips and directions to the safest anchorages and the cleanest, affordable, people and pet friendly marinas including phone numbers. Best of all, it ends each one of your cruising days at a free dock or wall, safe anchorage or marina before dark.
From the frugal to the flamboyant, from the best dives to the dining elites, Tiki Bars, Ice Cream Parlors, tourist attractions, and Looper favorite destinations, “The Looper’s Companion Guide” prepares you for actually cruising the Great Loop like nobody else can or does. The #1 BEST-SELLING “Great Loop Guide” on the market  since 2016, it now includes “Looping By The Numbers” and was awarded 2022 & 2023 “Book of the Year”. It’s proof positive no one knows more about what you need and want when cruising the Loop better than Capt. John.

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