Attack: Fort Michilimackinac

It's about time I stopped here after passing by it dozens of times. WhiIe traveling The Great Loop by boat, I sought out the history of the places we visited. While traveling by car last week from my primary home (near Washington D.C.) to my 2nd home and Many Moons' homeport (in far-north Michigan), I … Continue reading Attack: Fort Michilimackinac

The Disappearing Island

Tangier Island is disappearing. We've been hearing this for decades. I can confirm that it's true. I was there. The small, still-inhabited island in the Chesapeake Bay is now 2.5 miles long by 1.5 miles wide. That's apparently half its size several years ago, based on local written accounts. I went there to fill in … Continue reading The Disappearing Island

Loop Hangover

Three weeks after leaving The Great Loop, I still have a hangover -- to borrow a phrase from one of my readers. It's strange, because I was eager to leave it in some ways. That last month was pretty tough on me, for reasons too complex to share here. A hangover refers to the lingering … Continue reading Loop Hangover

The “After” Gap: Don’t Anchor Here

When you end something big like The Great Loop, there's a kind of gap afterwards. It can be an unsettling time, filled with satisfaction but also a sense of loss. It's important not to set anchor in this "after" gap because it can suck you down. It's just as important not to rush through it … Continue reading The “After” Gap: Don’t Anchor Here

Many Moons Comes Home – The End

The Great Loop, plus. Done! After 345 days under way, Mainship Many Moons returned today to her homeport of Huron Bay in Michigan's Upper Peninsula with Jeff's son Josh and grandson Jaxtyn on board for the final leg. It was a big family event and milestone for the three of them. Congrats to three generations! … Continue reading Many Moons Comes Home – The End

Return to Munising

As Mainship Many Moons continues her journey homeward through Lake Superior, we are reminded of the beauty and also the moodiness of all the Great Lakes, and this one in particular - the largest of the five. (Will I miss sunrise on the water? Yes. Yes, I will. Not so much the early wake-ups that … Continue reading Return to Munising

The Soo & Whitefish Pt. (Replay)

I write tonight from chilly and foggy Whitefish Point, infamous for the nearby sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which juts out like a claw into Lake Superior. A foghorn blasts loudly nearby. We were here exactly 11 months ago -- on August 5, 2021 -- just six days into this grand adventure. How strange to … Continue reading The Soo & Whitefish Pt. (Replay)

Crossing The Wake (Day 337)

It's hard to take in, that moment when you cross your wake and complete the 6,000-mile waterway tour-of-the-U.S. called The Great Loop. Such mixed feelings! Many Moons has been traveling The Great Loop for 337 days. Behind us (well, behind me anyway), months of diverse experiences and emotions. So much delight and even thrill but … Continue reading Crossing The Wake (Day 337)

Presque Isle: Almost an Island

Presque Isle is French for "almost an island." That's sort of like a boat on The Great Loop, isn't it! When we are under way alone, we also are almost an island. It seems every state with a large lake has a Presque Isle in that lake. We are at the one on the Sunrise … Continue reading Presque Isle: Almost an Island

Up Lake Huron: Close to Closing

As we continue up Lake Huron, we're just 100 miles or so from De Tour Village in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where the Mainship Many Moons will close the loop -- i.e., finish The Great Loop -- and then continue a few hundred more miles to her home port. Loopers call this closing of the loop … Continue reading Up Lake Huron: Close to Closing