As loopers arive this is their first view of Joe Wheeler Lodge and Marina on Joe Wheeler Lake. DOUBLE CLICK THE PICS TO SEE BETTER
As some come in, others assist with docking the many cruisers attending the meeting. 55 were docked at the lodge.
A 4788 Pilothouse exactly like ours arriving in early morning fog.
The "Loopers" come from all walks of life and from all over the globe. My old friend Jim White used to say "you hang your occupation on a hook when you come on the dock" as all boaters have a common bond that rises above all else when on a boat. Now that I said this, I gotta tell ya that I even met a Paelentologist (thats a guy who digs up dinosaurs) at the conference and really enjoyed talking to him durring one of our breaks.
Wheeler Lake is on the Tennessee river and is beautiful.
Many, many boats from all over doing the Loop with names like "Blue Heron", "Sea-Quel", "Inching Along", "Good Karma", "Bucket List" and "True North" to name a few. In all over 55 boats came in for the meeting and others who couldn't get a slip anchored elsewhere and dinged in.
Boaters from as far away as New Zealand and Australia are here to do the "Great Loop"
Yep! Thats a flag from BRAZIL !! and Jack sailed it here with his wife and 4 year old daughter (Beatrice) aboard. We had a special Halloween trick or treat day for her on the dock as she was upset that she was missing it at home.
The meetings were held in two rooms and covered topics ranging from diesel mech. repair at sea to Galley cooking at sea. The high points and hazards on the next half of the loop (Tenn-Tom to Norfolk) were covered also in the meetings to inform the loopers and to make the trip more enjoyable.
Judy and Mike on "One September" had nice things to say at the meeting about "Port Charles Harbor", where JoAnn and I are AGLCA Harbor Hosts.
Evening wine and cheese receptions under tent were daily treats.
Old friends from boating, Freya and Don
Friends made while harbor hosting at Port Charles we meet again.
Meeting and dining room was full as we had a record attendance of 250 loopers.
Boat purchased just to do the loop. They sold their resort and bought the boat, a 52 foot Sea Ray
Wine and cheese fun provided by sponsors
"Looper flag" White backround means in progress of doing the loop. Some do the loop in as short a time as 9-10 months and others over several years.
Larry and Cindy on "Bucket List". They are from Grafton Marina and plan to become Harbor Hosts when they complete the loop and "cross their wake" at Grafton.
Loopers pose for the anual photo on last day.
Early morning sun rise and loopers are leaving the meeting to head south toward the Gulf.
Tom and Patsy Conrad, the volunteers who make the whole organization work. The did the loop in a 28 ft. sail boat and are wonderful people. (Also Patsy is an awesome singer!)
Beautiful!
The "Loop"route is indicated on the map. To "do the loop" is to start at any point on the route and complete the circle in a counter clockwise direction. The name AGLCA stands for American Great Loop Cruisers Association.
As "Harbor Hosts"for AGLCA, Joann and I wanted to attend the meeting to renew friendships and enjoy the relationships that we started back at Port Charles Harbor (this pic is us at our dock at Port Charles.)
Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends doing the Loop where ever you are! And to our friends who are "dirt dwellers" as we are now. Please give yourselves a little treat by reading the other blogs attached to our profile. Blogs like "Water Music", "Why Knot", Or "Fandango" or "One September" or "Swing Set". By following these blogs you can get a real feel of what its like to live aboard and travel on a boat! Simply click on "our profile" and pick out a blog to read from the list. (Picture of the Moorings marina in Carrabelle Fla. above.)
Carrabelle river. If you get the idea we miss doing this, you're right! This week "Swing Set" said in their blog, that they lost their Anchor on the Calossahattche river . Now let me think. Would I rather be here in St. Louis waiting for winter with the boat winterised at the dock, or looking for a new anchor like Mike and Rosie, in Ft. Myers Florida??? Hmmmm?
Carrabelle river enterance off of St George Sound. Note Port Charles Harbor burgee in lower left corner on our "Great Escape"..
Carrabelle Fla
JoAnn and I while at Sail Fish Marina bringing "Great Escape" home. It was announced at the AGLCA meeting in Joe Wheeler, there will be "pot luck" thanksgiving dinners in the Fairhope Ala. and Dog River areas for all those Loopers who are away from their home ports. The harbor hosts as I understand it, are cooking the turkeys and the Loopers should bring a dish. JoAnn and I whish we were there to celebrate with you all! (for new readers the term "Loopers" refers to people who are in the process of or who have finished cruising the Loop. A counter clockwise route by water around the eastern half of the United States) Stay dry and keep your pointy end into the wind.
