Ed.Note: We started this 'journey' in the fall of 2018 when the Admiral suggested we should consider it! We joined the AGLCA [Americas Great Loop Cruisers Association] that fall and went to one of their conferences in Fort Myers, FL in January 2019; where we simultaineously looked at a boat specifically for the Loop, which Marg's sister and bro.in-law, Pat/Warren Briggs, had already scouted for us. Our 1987 Trojan 12M, which we had had since 2015, would not fit our needs for a two year journey; a 2005 Meridian 490 Pilothouse, with its environment-controlled PH and easier access, would.

After buying the boat and bringing it back to Florence in June 2019, with the assistance of pilot Jay Martin, we began more detailed planning; and the end result has been a blog which is compiled in two volumes, 2020 and 2021. This is the 2020 journey, beginning Mar.1/20 from Florence, AL, and travelling 3273 miles in 193 days to arrive Sept.3 in Alexandria Bay, NY, where we stored Doc's Aweigh over the winter.



Friends were able to follow us via our travelmap.net link and post comments, which have been included. Anyone interested in reading the complete original blog, with all the photos, etc. [839 pictures in 2020 - 522 in 2021], it remains accesseble on our blog site - https://robandmarg.travelmap.net/. This 2020 book volume was edited to make it a more reasonable size -- some daily writings were condensed and if we stayed for several days in one marina, and there wasn't much significant happening, the days were significantly summarized. The map above shows our travel in 2020: the blue line, starting at Florence, represents our water journey with the blue spots marking where we stopped at a marina [or anchored]; the black line is our drive back home from upstate New York after putting Doc's Aweigh in heated storage for the winter.

We are including all the comments made by friends each day on the blog; their support was most appreciated and a significant event for us each day.

If you observe that there are not many photos of people, it's because Covid restricted the usual Looper gatherings and tourism opportunities; so our most significant memories are shoreline and marina related snapshots with our phones.

Our Blog/Journey begins here.

Our plan was to leave March 1, 2020, but that has been delayed a day due to flooding on the Tombigbee River, which is our only route to the Gulf. The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway [The Tenn-Tom, or TTW] is a series of canals along the Tombigbee River, allowing boats to go from the Tennessee River, near Iuka, MS [at mile 449] all the way down to Mobile, AL [m.0] on the Gulf. We will cruise downstream to Demopolis, AL [at m.216], where the TTW joins the Black Warrior River, and then continues as the Tombigbee R. until m.45 where it becomes the Mobile River until reaching Mobile. The TTW was completed in 1985, has 12 locks over a distance of 450 miles, and is used extensively for commercial barge/tow traffic as well as for recreational boaters, like us.

Although we hope to average 10knots [11mph] cruising speed, it may be slower until we reach Mobile, due to all the flooding-related debris/driftwood in the Tombigbee; so we likely won't reach Mobile before Mar.10-11.

After Mobile, we will travel along the Gulf coast ICW [Intra-Coastal Waterway] to Fort Myers, FL, then take the Lake Okeechobee Waterway system east to Stuart, FL on the east coast. We expect to reach Stuart the end of the 3rd week in March - but, one never knows what nature has in store for us and it may be later: therefore, no schedule, only 'plans'. Regardless, we are finally ready and will be posting on our blog most days.

Comments:

Deedee - 2 Mar 2020: Not a great way to start!!! Lol! Patience!! LOL

Janice - 3 Mar 2020: Looks like you’re on your way. Safe sailing you two.

Helen - 3 Mar 2020: Good luck you two. You haven't been impacted by the tornados in Nashville and surrounding area last night have you?

Wayne - 4 Mar 2020: Safe travels you two, look forward to following your adventure!

Marnie and Roger - 20 Apr 2020: Thanks for sharing your adventures with us.