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BACKGROUND

How do people decide to do “The Loop?  For us it went something like this…

He said: “I just read about something called the Great Loop and it involves taking a boat trip for a year following waterways… etc…”

Then he bravely asked, “What do you think of that idea?”

She simply said: “It sounds interesting.”

He exclaimed, while jumping up and down, “She said yes!”

That was about five years ago, and after reading many books and blogs written by “Loopers”, going to at least three Trawlerfests and other boat shows, she eventually said “yes”.  Of course neither he nor she had a boat, and she had never driven a boat! 

BRINGING THE BOAT HOME

We first saw the boat, a Californian 45 motoryacht, in October, 2011 and purchased her in December.  We brought her back from Georgetown, South Carolina to Virginia in early January, with the expert help of Captain Jerry and Wendy Taylor.   They taught us navigation, driving, docking, line handling, and many other things while underway. In January, we were the only ones going north on the ICW! 

Carried Away spent the winter at Zimmerman Marine, on the East River near the Chesapeake Bay, getting new electronics, bottom work, and other upgrades under the watchful eye of Steve Zimmerman.  We visited her often! In the meantime, we had a house to get ready to put on the market!

FINAL PREPARATIONS

After driving to Texas and Colorado in late April to visit our children and grandchildren we will leave the car with our son. We will fly home, take our boat to Norfolk, VA and attend the AGLCA Spring Rendezvous with many other Loopers. Our next stop will be Yorktown, VA where we will officially depart on the Loop on May 12, 2012 after our farewell party!