Mainship Many Moons has completed the last 32-mile leg of her 6,200-mile journey which I call "The Great Loop-Plus," as she returns to the marina where it all began. Captain/Skipper Jeff and Navy Captain/First Mate Mary feel rather sad by this "last leg of the journey." The boat doesn't seem to care. Funny how that … Continue reading Many Moons’ Last “Loop” Leg
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”
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
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! Behind you (well, behind me anyway), months of diverse experiences and emotions. So much delight and even thrill but also, sometimes, discouragement. Such determination but also, sometimes, doubt. Dozens of … Continue reading Crossing The Wake
Presque Isle is French for "almost an island." That's sort of like a boat on The Great Loop, isn't it! Seems like every state with a large lake has a Presque Isle. We are at the one on the Sunrise Coast of Michigan, on the NE corner of the Lower Peninsula. It's called the Sunrise … Continue reading Almost an Island
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 "crossing your wake" because when a … Continue reading Close to Closing
This post is labelled "yikes" because a "thumb" sounds tame...but wasn't. It's Lake Huron. One of the Great Lakes. It can mess with you. And it did, with us. You probably know that Michigan's Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten. (By now, you also know that the crew of Many Moons is from an … Continue reading The Thumb. Yikes.
The river I knew the least is the one that made itself known most dramatically...by almost stopping us in our tracks. (Um, wake. 😄) At 6:30 this morning, Many Moons slowed to trolling speed (3 mph) in the St. Clair River as we neared its northern end on the U.S./Canada border in lower Michigan. We … Continue reading Up the St. Clair River
We're sitting in a marina in downtown Detroit, hearing music from all directions and from various vehicles...cars, boats, motorcycles, bicycles, scooters...a constant musical parade going by! Plus the sounds of a live concert nearby. This city sure loves its music. (I guess that's why it's also called MoTown?) There's a prominent but friendly police presence … Continue reading Back in Michigan! (Motor City)
For Many Moons 