Great Loop (v2021)
On April 30, we will begin another cross-country-one-way-rental-car trek to rejoin the Irish Lass where she has wintered under shrink wrap in Deale, MD. Details and dollars are flying every which way as we prepare our selves, our home, and our ever growing pile o' stuff for departure day. We expect to be on site by May 6 to begin active commissioning for this year's voyage. Irish Lass will rejoin the floating at Herrington Harbor Marina-North on or about May 10. As our various contractors complete their work, our plan is to cast off on May 23.
Our (massively summarized)
plan...
....... is to cruise north on the Chesapeake
through the C&D Canal into Delaware Bay and then west to Cape May,
NJ. From there, we will (when weather-appropriate) make an off-shore run
up the New Jersey coast to Sandy Hook and thence through the Verrazano Narrows
into New York Harbor (Yes, that New York, The Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps)
Refreshened by the sights and
delights of Gotham, we will make our way up the Hudson River to Troy,
NY, where we will enter the Erie Canal (Yes, that Erie Canal,
pal) for the westward voyage toward the Great Lakes. Through Ontario,
Erie, St Clair, Huron, Michigan and, perhaps a bit of Superior, our lake cruise
will take us eventually to Chicago. (Yes, that Chicago, The Windy City, Chi-town,The City with Broad Shoulders)
Warning: If Prime Minister Trudeau (the Younger) sees fit to
re-open the Canadian border to recreational boat traffic, we reserve the right
to "revise and extend" our Great Lakes plans. (Hedging our bets, as it were. Just like your
Congressperson does with their speeches in the Congressional Record, huh.)
From the My Kinda Town, we will turn southwest into the Illinois River, make a turn to port at the Mississippi and head south past St Louis to Cairo, IL. A short jog upstream on the Ohio River will take us to the Kentucky Lake and the Tennessee River.
Intermisison: Regardless of location, we will DROP EVERYTHING! in early September to trek to Boston (Yes, that Boston, The Cradle of Liberty, Land of the Bean and the Cod,) for the wedding of our son, Daniel, to Ms. Alexandria Smith. HooRAY!
Tired yet?
Oh, us too. (Sheesh!) At this point it
will be October-ish and time to find a secure port for Irish Lass so we can
trek home to see family, to comfort our lonely skis and snow blower, and to plan the
final, tropical leg of our Great Loop.
All that being said...
...we know that two immutable laws
will govern our journey:
- "Everything costs more and takes longer."
- "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans."
So, adaptability will be the order of the day. But we know it will be a grand adventure, regardless, and we hope you will all join us, digitally or otherwise.
Stay tuned!
