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09/21/2022
At Pantaenius | Stories & People
Cruising stories: America’s Great Loop
In this latest episode of our cruising stories, we will take you to the other side of the globe to the US where our lovely clients Heather and Mark keep their beautiful boat ‘Bushranger.’
Before we dive into their travels, let’s introduce the boat. Bushranger is a 1982 Marine Trader single engine trawler. Thanks to an extensive refit from 2012-2014 her age could not be guessed, she is beautiful example of a classic design which has been well maintained throughout the decades and as such has many more years of cruising ahead of her! The boat is air conditioned, fitted with modern electronics, a master suite with queen bed, en-suite and even a bath! The only downside is that she has no bow or stern thrusters which makes maneuverability a bit more of challenge, luckily Heather and Mark have the skills to make light work of the task.
The route
Heather and Mark purchased Bushranger in Alabama on the Tennessee River back in 2017, buying the boat off Australian friends who completed the loop the year prior. For those of you that don’t know, America’s Great Loop is a circumnavigation of the eastern US and a part of Canada, see the map below for a visual of the 2 possible routes for the loop. Heather and Mark’s first experiences of the loop were side trips in 2017, firstly up the Tennessee River to Chattanooga and then the Cumberland River to Nashville. In 2018 the loop was properly commenced, departing from Lake Pickwick on the Tennessee River, at the mouth of the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway which heads south to Mobile Bay Alabama.
Heather and Mark planned to do the loop in segments over the course of three years, limited by the length of visa stays and work commitments before retiring in 2019. By the end of 2019 the two were in Chesapeake Bay, roughly halfway through the loop. Then alas, Covid came into the picture forcing a two year delay of the continuation of the loop. At the end of last year the two managed to reunite with their boat and cruise Long Island Sound. They plan I to return in October to complete the loop, they have 6 month visas for this trip. Their journey will take them from New York up the Hudson River, into the Erie Canal and then American and Canadian Great Lakes and Canals, through Chicago, down to Mississippi and finally back to the Tennessee River where they will ‘cross their wake’ in proper looper parlance.
When asked about what drew them to the loop, Mark noted:
“We are long time sailors and were looking for a long distance sailing adventure once we retired. Heather heard about the loop and after research, proposed we consider it. As a yachtie, I had reservations about going to the darkside but am now very glad we did. It is the voyage of a lifetime and motorboating is very enjoyable. Bushranger only travels at 6 knots, similar to a yacht, so we are quite at home to watch the world go by as we steam between ports.”
We also queried what the highlights of the trip have been so far, here’s their response:
“We are asked this frequently and it is not possible to fully answer. Every part has had its highlights. Every part is different. Perhaps the highlight is not in what we have done or where we have been, it is the people we have met, some of whom are now firm friends and have even visited us in Sydney. It is reasonable to say we have not had an unfriendly experience while on the loop. The camaraderie amongst loopers, who all fly a distinctive burgee, is unbelievable. It is quite usual to meet and greet on the dock, and hours later be enjoying a meal together, only to repeat for many days as boats sail a similar track. We have been met and befriended by strangers in ports, keen to show us their town or village, drive us to the supermarket or take us on a history tour. We have experienced acts of great generosity.”
The recount of Mark and Heathers journey has been nothing but inspiring! I think a lot of members of our office decided to put America’s Great Loop on their long term bucket list after hearing of the amazing experiences the loop affords. One other interesting take away from the conversation was the topic of insurance and just how difficult it has becoming to insure a boat in the USA, even if you do meet all the stringent criteria.
“Insuring an old boat as a foreigner in the USA, has not been easy. From 2016 to 2022, we were insured by a major US insurer. In 2021, US insurers increased premiums dramatically, placed trade constraints by cutting out agents and then, in our case, terminated our policy because it was through an agent. When going directly to the insurer they increased the premium by 50%, then again refused us because we did not have a USA driving licence. All this despite 6 years of faultless cover. I could have gone and obtained a US driver's licence but thought to ask the question of Pantaenius, our insurer in Australia. In two days we were covered at half the premium, for equal coverage.”
Pantaenius Australia can provide cover globally for Aussies and Kiwi’s which a lot of boaties forget or aren’t aware of! We aren’t confined to Australian and New Zealand waters, we offer blue water cover and do pro-rata cruising area changes, so you’ll only ever have to pay for the cover you need. If you pay for the year of a cruising area but have to be laid up or change to a cheaper cruising area we will credit or refund you the difference.
Overall we cannot wait to hear about how the rest of Heather and Marks journey goes and wish them all the best with their future travels. We hope their story has been as delightful for you to read as it has been for us!
