Great Loop Yen

sugilbert

sugilbert

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Here's a semi-hypothetical question and request for advice.
A few days ago, I read a brief description on doing the Great Loop and what was needed to do it.
This has been on my bucket list, admittedly far down, for a long time.
I can't afford it with just myself and the admiral. To my utter shock, I brought up the subject, and she said she would like to do that!! I suggested it to a very good couple friend of ours, also a boater, and he and his admiral are both very interested in it too.
Brief look on the web for the smallest 2 stateroom trawler type turned up not a lot. If we two couples jointly buy such a vessel, it would have to be awfully close to even accommodations.
Brief background: I'm 74, he 75, and both admirals 70. All healthy and agile for our ages. All retired.
Looking for recommendations, advice, warnings, cautions, and someone to talk us out of this fiasco. :)
 
That’s a LOT of time crammed in a small space with your wife! Kidding of course, but long time with this other couple. Probably would be more fun than going with just yourselves, and possibly more economical, but the risks seem pretty high. What if one couple wants/needs to bail a few weeks in, and the other wants to travel onwards? That could get ugly. Hopefully this guy isn’t your best friend, cause I fear after the loop, you will all never want to see each other again! (:

I was going to go halves on a boat with a good friend a few years back. Fortunately it sunk at the dock shortly before we went to see it. Probably would not have ended well if it sunk after we bought it.

I think the even accommodations are going to be a problem. Seems every boat has a master cabin, and then the rest of the cabin(s) meant for guests or kids, or crew, no matter how big you get. Perhaps instead of a 50/50 split you do 70/30 on the purchase price, and split the trip expenses 50/50. - and the 70% owner gets the big cabin?

Or maybe instead of one big boat, you each get your own 28-34 or so foot “little” boat and travel together ? I would feel less crowded with 2 of us on a 30 footer than 4 on a 60 footer, and sixty footers are are probably the cost of four thirty footers.

Or if you could find a boat with good mechanicals, and trashed interior - have it redesigned and rebuilt to even up the cabin spaces? I’m thinking a three cabin model, redesigned as two somewhat equal master cabins. That would take some time, and would not be cheap - but maybe if you found the right boat? Hard to imagine equitable accommodations otherwise.
 
Make it a transaction. Buy the boat, split the costs, sell the boat. If even accommodations are an issue, change up every week or two, or whatever. You could even do it in stages, with breaks at home in between if needed. If all four of you are into it, you may as well check it out the best you can.

I'm not saying this is the boat, but the 80s Chris Craft 381 seems to have pretty equal cabins for two. I am sure there are other options out there as well. A lot may depend on budget. Good luck.
 
With the Canada border closed all summer I saw more "loopers" than normal this past summer. Most were trawler type boats in the upper 30' to lower 40' range. A lot of them were traveling in pairs.
Good luck
Niles
 
alk mage some very good suggestions but in my experience the easiest way to loose friends is to share ownership in something.
 
Some.people take a year, or more, to do it. Do you want to be in a boat with another couple for that long?

It's on our bucket list, but just than Two of us. I'm sure we will meet plenty of fellow boaters along the way, so we won't be lonely.
 
I wouldn’t do it in anything less than a 45 footer... a small trawler maybe cool for a couple of weeks but not for months especially for two couples.

A neighbor of mine used to have a DeFever 49, it had a cockpit but I think they made the same boat without the cockpit as a 44. It was ok... the bow stateroom was a little smaller than the aft but not by much.
 
There's a book titled "Honey let's Buy a Boat". You should read it. A couple from Cali bought a trawler in Fla and made the trip. Described their experiences well. Well worth the read for you.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Gregory S

There's a book titled "Honey let's Buy a Boat". You should read it. A couple from Cali bought a trawler in Fla and made the trip. Described their experiences well. Well worth the read for you.

Click to expand...


All great suggestions, and I have a text document going with them all to forward to the other couple.

Greg, It's NOT "Honey let's Buy a Boat", it is "Honey let's Get a Boat". https://www.amazon.com/Honey-Boat-C...sprefix=Honey+let's+Buy+a+Boat,aps,207&sr=8-1
 
Ha! Memory starting to go. Anyway, a great read with lots of pointers.
 
I know two couples that are good friends. They decided to rent a canal boat in Europe together. The trip was supposed to last four weeks but one couple left after two LOL. If this happens consider a trawler with a lower bridge clearance. Being under 15'6" can have some advantages depending on which route is chosen. I think the lowest clearance is 15'6" on the Erie Canal West of Oswego. It also enables going up through Lake Champlain for better access to the Trent.
 
I can't imagine being in a relatively small boat with another couple for an entire year. And of course the financial side of it would be difficult as well.

Give this a lot of serious thought before you do it.

On the "Great Loop" thing, there are a dozen or so good books written by people who have done the Great Loop and they will give you a good idea on what's involved. You can find them on amazon.com.

There is also the AGLA (do a search) and some Great Loop groups on Facebook.
 
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