Post-Trip Observations and Conclusions
1) Jeanne and I were both looking forward to the cruise before we started. We soon found the trip much better than we could have dreamed it to be. The journey was fantastic, the destinations were great and the people that we met were outstanding.
2) Traveling the Great Loop clearly qualifies as an adventure. Every day brings new experiences. As the saying "fortune favors the prepared" suggests, it is necessary to purchase all the guides, charts (paper and electronic) and locate internet resources for the route. The Skipper Bob books are the single most important resource, closely followed by the river charts from the Army Corps of Engineers and finally flip charts of the ICW. There are several different guides for cities and marinas on the ICW, each has its strengths and weaknesses.
3) Every couple traveling the Loop has different priorities and budgets. Jeanne and I wanted to experience as many cities (and restaurants) as possible. We traveled relatively slow, staying in most cities two to three days and some cities for a week. Our boat runs on AC, even when anchored. It was less expensive and more convenient to stay at marinas than to anchor out when calculating the cost of diesel fuel for the generator.
4) Communications turned out to be critical for us. We used a Verizonwireless cell phone connected to an amplifier and special antenna. We also used a Verizonwireless aircard (which also interfaced to the same amplifier and antenna) to connect our computers to the internet. We had phone and internet service almost everywhere on the Loop. This arrangement allowed us to order medications, pay bills, make reservations, manage email, publish a website and keep up on the river and lock conditions.
5) Our boat, while being very comfortable, was a little too big for the loop. Our deep draft limited the number of available anchorages on the river systems and forced us to very carefully plan (timing with the tides) our passages through the shallower areas of the ICW.
6) Passages across the larger bodies of waters, crossing the Gulf, some of the Great Lakes, and going on the outside (not using the ICW, but traveling in the open ocean) are not hazardous if the captain is patient and waits for good weather. Next time, we will go on the outside more often when traveling North up the East Coast to avoid those shallow spots on the ICW.
7) While traveling on the inland waterways and the ICW, docking in currents and wind is fact of life. While challenaging, it is not a hardship. During the trip, Jeanne was assigned the job of docking and undocking Morning Star. She handled this task for over 95% of our destinations. I handled the lines and provided information about the boat position via wireless headsets. Planning is critical to uneventful docking and undocking. (We also have a bowthruster and two engines and we used them shamelessly)
8) We choose to spend the winter in Marathon, Fl. We had the same weather in Marathon as in the island, but had all the conveniences (mail system, groceries, phones, internet, shopping, transportation and entertainment) of the US. We will stay in Marathon when we do the Loop again.
9) The toughest question for Jeanne and I to answer, now that we are home is "what part the trip did we enjoy the most".
