Day 6 of "The Loop", 10/14/2022

Day 6 of our Great Loop journey: Only 1 day of it was actually boating, we attended the Fall AGLCA Rendezvous 4 of the days. As mentioned perviously, it's a conference that includes various sessions about the Great Loop: route tips, show & tell events which included meeting a variety of really cool people with very unique stories!

Our boat neighbors here at Paris Landing in Tennessee were from Sandy Springs, GA (Capel & Karen). We met a couple from Vandiver, AL (Stuart and Rod), they live on route 25, the same road my Aunt Peggy lives on (Stuart actually knows where my Aunt's house is located - what a small world). We met people from CO, WA, UT and even some from Hawaii. Our friends the Nightingale's (from Green Turtle Bay, our home port) drove to the Rendezvous. They are in the planning stage of their loop adventure. They boarded our boat for the quick 2 minute tour and then gave us a ride from the marina to the conference (Thank you! Wendy & Tyson - Best of luck on your boat search.)

The week allowed several opportunities to mingle with other loopers and learn their stories. We met people in different stages of planning their Great Loop adventure. Some have completed the loop more than once, giving up their "dirt home" (a new term for us) to live on their boats year round while others are just beginning, mid way through or ending their Great Loop adventure. There were even a few in search of the best boat to suit their needs.

On day 1 - October 10th: First day of conference, Loopers in the "in progress" phase were invited to the front to share their story, name of boat and how long they have been on the loop. Our story was quite short since we were only 2 days in. The majority of the "in progress" group were about 30 - 90 days in, while others were nearing the end of their journey about to cross their wake (meaning end where they began). Side note: Some of the women asked if I was nervous, my reply was, "I don't have anything to be nervous about, yet, we have only had 1 day of boating". (the other 4 days were sessions about different things to expect during the next few weeks and beyond of travel). Plug: If you plan to do the Great Loop, I highly recommend attending one of the Rendezvous, it is certainly energizing! It also takes some of the fear and doubts away. AGLCA host these in different states.

Day 2 - October 11th: Second day of conference, Loopers that had completed the loop were invited to share information about their journey. Many of these individuals made up songs during their time on the water. Some songs included boat names or a jingle about having such a great time on the loop! They set the bar high, now we have to come up with a song - eek! Hopefully, if Kellye & Eric join us we can come up with something over some docktails. Kellye is the creative genius!

Day 3, 4 & 5 (October 12, 13 & 14) were sessions related to getting from one point to another. We heard about some great stops, learned pros and cons of anchoring out vs. staying at marinas. Attended a session about crossing over to the Bahamas and the importance of monitoring the weather. We heard from a few loopers that experienced hurricanes and other dangerous weather situations. Information was shared about the recent devastation in Ft. Meyers, FL and what loopers should expect when traveling in that area.

In closing for this week's blog; there was a Looper Crawl. This is an event where boaters open their doors for people to peak inside. By doing this, we were able to get ideas on how to pack and store things. This forum provided an opportunity for conversations, meet host masters, and exchange boat cards (aka business cards).

Next Stop: Cuba Landing Marina: 302 Cuba Marina Ln, Waverly, TN

Also: Shout out to Jonathan - Happy Birthday (10/13 - turned 19), see ya soon!

Pictures from the week:

Loopers Crawl:

Random pictures

My favorite picture of the week, apologies if it is duplicated. It is Day 1, we waited for the fog to burn off.

we are front table to left, Joel is in blue pullover :-)

Map of Trip - From Paris Landing (Tennessee) to Cuba Landing Marina (Waverly, Tennessee)