To be honest, this whole boating adventure started out as land-based journey. Due to Covid, travel overseas was very difficult so we decided to make the best of it and tour America via an RV. The only problem was, that was just about everyone else’s thought as well so getting hold of an RV was jut about impossible for the foreseeable future. Being water people, we naturally turned to the concept of touring America by boat instead. I had been reading about a route called “The Great Loop” and was intrigued by it the idea of circumnavigating the eastern half of the U.S. by boat. The route typically goes counterclockwise starting out on the eastern coast, traveling up the Hudson River, into the Great Lakes, down the river system that splits the U.S., into the Gulf of Mexico, around the tip of Florida, and back up the east coast. We’re currently doing an abbreviated and bastardized version of this awaiting the Canadian border to reopen.
The boat we chose, a 55′ MJM 50Z (an express cruiser), might be a little surprising to those of you who know I love sailing. But for a journey like this, she is ideal. Fast, comfortable, and loaded with electronics (which we are still learning about!) Southern Cross (as we christened her) is a fantastic choice for a trip like this.
America's Great Loop on the Southern Cross 