Most Fortunate People

We know we are the most fortunate of people to get to do this trip and we marvel at it every day. A few things have gone wrong and a few days have had bad moments, but most of the time has been absolutely wonderful. I’ve come to realize that adventure, exploring and travel are worthwhile ways to spend your time, even if you’re not actually accomplishing anything or making the world a better place.

On the Loop, most of the travelers are retirees, but we have also met people like us who are on leave from their work. We’ve met people who have sold everything and live aboard and a young man who works from his boat. We met a very nice young couple on a sailboat and we met a woman who sulks all the time because she doesn’t want to be here. Some boaters are single-handing the trip - that means going through all those locks without help and traveling thousands of miles alone. It’s certainly possible to do it that way, but I think it’s better to have another person on board. 

From time to time, our paths cross again with boaters we met earlier. Here in the south, we’ve encountered boats that we met in the North Channel in Canada but haven’t seen since August. We traveled to different places and spent different amounts of time there, but then we ended up in the same place at the same time. 

These are our Great Loop Policies:

Tip generously

Eat only food with flavor

No regrets

Captain your own ship

Make it your own trip

Explore

Be courteous

Be curious

Say thank you

Go to farmers markets

Sing louder

Be social

Learn something new. 

In our fifth month, we still learn something new every day about the boat or about navigation. Today we learned that our stern can go aground while tied up at a dock. In addition to all the boating knowledge I’ve gained, however, I have also figured out how to read crocheting instructions in books. I haven’t finished a single project, but I can at least read how to make them.