Jeff and Terry Smith started their Great Loop journey in May aboard Wild Blue Yonder, a North Pacific 42 Pilothouse, along with buddy boaters George and Kat Brown on A-Lure, an Eastern 35. A-Lure was designed as a fishing boat with a cabin, galley, and head. She has upper and lower helms and a single Volvo 370. Wild Blue Yonder has two cabins, one head, and a generous galley. She has a pilothouse and upper helm and also a 370 (but a Cummins).
Jeff recently shared the inspiration behind their planning (and perhaps he’ll even inspire a few more Chesapeake boaters to take the adventure of a lifetime!).
What made you first want to do the Loop?
We have had boats for over 20 years, but about eight to 10 years ago I read a book called “Once is not Enough” about the Loop, and it sounded like a really great adventure. At one point we had a boat named Loop Hole, but ended up selling it when we went to Italy. We bought our current boat, Wild Blue Yonder, when we got back. Probably three years ago George set the end of 2023 as his retirement date, and that’s when we decided to begin our Loop in May of this year.
Did you always plan to do the Loop with a buddy boat?
George and Kat Brown are our buddy boat. We fell in love with the idea together and have done all our planning with the intention of being together throughout the entire Loop. It’s been great to have friends to travel with, but many on the Loop do their own thing. Some end up with a small group they travel with, some with a single boat, and some are solo. We have folks we have seen 10 times and some we have seen twice. Always good to have another opinion or get good advice.
Did you have much extended cruising experience prior to this trip?
We did a lot of cruising on the Chesapeake but had never been north of Rock Hall. So, when we left there for Havre de Grace, it was new territory. That said, we have owned boats in North Carolina, Texas, and California. But our longest time on the boat had been about a week, and we didn’t go that far. Our longest trip on the Bay had been to Crisfield via Solomons.
What are some highlights of the trip thus far?
This is truly the adventure of a lifetime. We have enjoyed all parts of it. There are lots of highlights. The Hudson River was much more scenic than we expected. The Erie Canal was our first exposure to locking; it was intimidating at first but now we have been through about 120 locks and it is pretty routine. We went from the Erie Canal to the Oswego Canal, and to the St. Lawrence River to Montreal and up the Ottawa River to Ottawa (we were there for Canada Day), and the Rideau Canal back down to Lake Ontario, and over to the Trent-Severn Waterway. We have been up a flight of eight locks in Ottawa and the Lift Lock in Peterborough, Ontario. So many beautiful lakes with lots of islands.
Any scary/tense moments?
We have had some scary currents in Manesquan, NJ, and in Peterborough, Ontario. Both made docking a challenge. Much of the Rideau Canal is at a depth of five feet and we draw four and a half, so it was a bit scary.
So far, has the Loop lived up to your expectations?
And then some. We have been to so many awesome places and met so many nice people. The staff at all the Canadian locks have been friendly and helpful. One thing I would say is this is a working vacation. Some days have been long with five or more locks. Once docked, we are dead tired.
When do you expect to finish?
Should be May or June… about 12 or 13 months.
What advice would you give to someone who is dreaming of completing the Great Loop?
Don’t let any of the bad stories influence your plan. There might be a lot of reasons to delay, but it is totally worth it. It’s the experience of a lifetime. We have seen young families, retired couples, and working couples. We have two dogs, and they are fun to have along. Get the right boat (for you) and hit the water!!