Mainship Many Moons finished The Great Loop two months ago. Even among boaters and adventurers, it's an unusual accomplishment. Fewer than 200 boats achieve this milestone each year, which is fewer than climb Mount Everest. That may be why so few know about it. (The National Geographic called it "the epic adventure you've never heard … Continue reading By The Numbers: Many Moons On “The Loop”
Have you ever noticed how two trajectories can meet unexpectedly in your life? That's how it was when we joined Looping Sid on a visit to my hometown this week. We met Sid in North Carolina in late March just before entering The Great Dismal Swamp. We were more than 4,000 miles into The Great … Continue reading Hometown Visit With Sid
The chainsaws are busy again at Camp Many Moons. It got me thinking. How do you know when to trim back and when to lop off? The question applies not just to trees but also to outmoded habits. Or stuff you don't use any more. Or relationships. When it comes to trees, the answer is … Continue reading A Time to Trim, A Time To Cut
Where is "home?" Where your heart is, they say. For boats doing The Great Loop, it's the home port. For Mainship Many Moons, that's Huron Bay, a narrow 12-mile-long bay (some call it a fjord) on the southern shore of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Many Moons has been at anchor here for over … Continue reading Many Moons at “Home”
WhiIe traveling The Great Loop by boat, I sought out the history of the places we visited. But on the road last week, while driving from my primary home (near Washington D.C.) to my 2nd home and Many Moons' homeport (in far-north Michigan), I filled in some history closer to home. It's about time I … Continue reading Attack: Fort Michilimackinac
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
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
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
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! The Great Loop, plus. Done. I've seen this kind of … Continue reading Many Moons Comes Home
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
For Many Moons 