THE GREAT LOOP
The big adventure that we are about to embark upon is known as "The Great Loop", a counter-clockwise circumnavigation of eastern North America. As you can see from the map at right, there are several alternative routes - we'll figure it out as we proceed, probably in stages over a two- to three-year time frame. We're planning to get started within the next year, but first we'll have to find and buy the right boat - see Our Boat.
Our advenure has begun with a refresher Mariner Training course over nine weeks at the Chapman School of Seamanship in Stuart, Florida. We drove here from Calgary, a distance of 5000 km (3000 miles), right across the middle of middle America. The trip was itself fun (we managed to miss blizzards in Montana and tornadoes in the mid-West), at a liesurely pace (10 days) with interesting stops along the way at Mount Rushmore:
and a night in Heartbreak Hotel in Memphis, TN to visit Elvis' home at Graceland:
We arrived at the Chapman School in Stuart on Saturday, March 24, where we are living in very comfortable one bedroom apartment right on the campus.
The School is located on a quiet inlet named the Manatee Pocket, off the St. Lucie River and the Intracoastal Waterway. This photo was taken from the School docks and shows some of the many boats that we are training on. There is a pool on the School grounds, right outside our door in fact. The weather has been fantastic, in the high 20s, although we won't want to be here in summer when it gets very humid, not to mention having to keep an eye out for approaching hurricanes!
We began classes on Monday, March 26 and they're working us pretty hard. We have mid-term exams starting next week (April 19).
But it's not all in the classroom. There's engine maintenance
and painting. Here Alex shows the boys how it's done.
But there's also lots of time on the water, starting with safety. (Alex learning to fire flares - despite our radio notice to "All Mariners", Coast Guard approval, etc., that this was an approved training exercise, a couple of boats and an aircraft checked out whether we were actually in distress, which was reassuring).
It really is "hands on". Already we've decided our boat will have twin engines ("twin screw", in yachtie talk), which makes the boat so much easier to handle, although it is more expensive to run.
Here Alex is backing one of the many training vessels into the dock. She's doing great, and lovin' it.
This is Captain Jack, who is teaching us basic seamanship and navigation (which is pretty challenging), as well as giving us lots of coaching at the wheel. He's from Boston and, as he himself says, his accent doesn't include any "Rs" - it's "Havad", rather than "Harrrvarrd"!
And this is Captain "Christo" Chris, who is teaching us all the electronic stuff, from VHF radio, to radar to GPS.
The navigation work in the classroom is challenging, but interesting and quite satisfying. Even with all the electronic aids that are available, you still need to be able to read a paper chart and plot a course with a ruler and pencil. Towards the end of the course, we have to plan and execute a night run up the coast to Fort Pierce. There will be just four of us on each boat, plus an instructor who apparently only interferes if we're heading for the rocks.
...which, apparently does happen!
But we're managing a little bit of time off. Here we are cutting a rug at Sailors Retreat at one of the local marinas.