The Great American Loop

[goeasy123]

While typical 3rd country folks (Brits) can only sail 90/180 days in the EU they can sail indefinatley in North American?

We're planning a trip round the American Great Loop. With a B1/B2 visa we can sail the East Coast for 6 months, a summer in Canada and then another 6 months down the big rivers... ad infinitum. An occassional trip to the Bahamas can also accomodate the immigration constraints.

So why are the so few UK loopers? Anyone want to join us?

 

[KeelsonGraham]

Don’t forget the need to report by phone or email to Immigration every 24 hours for the entire duration of your trip.

 

[goeasy123]

Don’t forget the need to report by phone or email to Immigration every 24 hours for the entire duration of your trip.

No you don't??

 

[Blue Seas]

We have looked at doing the loop off and on for years (we have done some short bits of it) though until recently life has sort of got in the way. It would be great to hear further details as your plans evolve.

 

[Solent Cruiser]

Great points. I wonder why it's not so 'done'. Watching. Weather? Expense?

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Great points. I wonder why it's not so 'done'. Watching. Weather? Expense?

Mast hight and draught I would guess are the two critical things for cruising yachts.

 

[goeasy123]

I've done some research since the original post.

There are a few UK folks that have done it and are now doing it. A spoke to one couple that do it did it as a Schengen get around, but have now given up on the EU. 'Did you know' that you can stay in N. America on the great loop indefinately.... with a little careful planning.

It's mainly a mobo thing although there are plenty that do it on a stick boat. There are places to put the stick on and off at strategic locations.

Weather is rarely an issue as you follow the seasons round and there's a lot of bandwidth on the cost options. It can be dirt cheap in reasonable comfort.

The community support is very good. Especially the great loop cruising association and lots of on line resources..... America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association

 

[MADRIGAL]

No you don't??

You don't in Canada, at least...

 

[MADRIGAL]

There is amazing sailing in the Great Lakes, which are huge, tideless, freshwater seas, and vessels over 6m can use the Seaway locks to descend the St Lawrence River to tidewater with no concern about air draught (unless taller than a container ship!) There is also a canal route out of the American side of the Great Lakes to the Atlantic, but that requires masts to be unstepped and carried aboard. The Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to Florida is famous for cruising - Frank Dye even did it in a Wayfarer - and could include a detour to Bahamas. That long, inland passage under bridges up the Mississippi to complete the loop must seem pretty tedious to a sailor, however.

 

[goeasy123]

There is amazing sailing in the Great Lakes, which are huge, tideless, freshwater seas, and vessels over 6m can use the Seaway locks to descend the St Lawrence River to tidewater with no concern about air draught (unless taller than a container ship!) There is also a canal route out of the American side of the Great Lakes to the Atlantic, but that requires masts to be unstepped and carried aboard. The Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to Florida is famous for cruising - Frank Dye even did it in a Wayfarer - and could include a detour to Bahamas. That long, inland passage under bridges up the Mississippi to complete the loop must seem pretty tedious to a sailor, however.

Thanks. I get that the river section is tedius, but we're hopping that if we're going that way we get to experience the culture and people. We're into Americana music and have family history in the region.

 

[dunedin]

There is amazing sailing in the Great Lakes, which are huge, tideless, freshwater seas, and vessels over 6m can use the Seaway locks to descend the St Lawrence River to tidewater with no concern about air draught (unless taller than a container ship!) There is also a canal route out of the American side of the Great Lakes to the Atlantic, but that requires masts to be unstepped and carried aboard. The Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to Florida is famous for cruising - Frank Dye even did it in a Wayfarer - and could include a detour to Bahamas. That long, inland passage under bridges up the Mississippi to complete the loop must seem pretty tedious to a sailor, however.

I have absolutely no personal experience of doing that trip (other than a Great Lakes charter), but reading of a friend’s trip, I would have thought it imperative to do the inland River section southwards to go with the river flow (unless a very powerful motorboat and happy to pay big fuel bills).
Even go8 g with the flow, they had some very scary times on the river when floods dramatically increased the flow, along with boat bashing large debris (no issue to steel barges but huge worry with GRP yacht). But it was a while ago and not sure if unusual conditions.

 

[Motor_Sailor]

That long, inland passage under bridges up the Mississippi to complete the loop must seem pretty tedious to a sailor, however.

Most of the big wide boring Mississippi is avoided by taking the route through a series of rivers and lakes from north to south through Alabama and Tennessee.