Marinating on the 4th "Final Farewell Tour"

So the one year of living on a boat and doing the Great Loop has not turned out as planned. At the end of last season we were ready "not to cross our wake", a Looper term for completing our circumnavigation of the route by "going over the place where you started", after 3 years of cruising.

In our case crossing our wake meant getting to somewhere near Pickwick Lake on the borders of Tennessee/Mississippi/Alabama from somewhere in the Great Lakes, another 2000 or so miles on our 6000 mile journey to date.

Were we tired of boating or living on a boat, was it getting boring, too expensive? Were the prospects of more locks, mechanical breakdowns, rough seas dampening our enthusiasm for completing the challenge and checking the box?

This winter in the Great Lakes has given us much time to think about the two seasons on the Great Lakes ("winter and August 31st!").

Spring launch out of heated storage in a warehouse in northern Michigan will be an involved process to make sure everything still works!

The beginning of this seasons travels will include "going back" to Canada.

Traveling back to the remote wilds of the North Channel could benefit from some modifications to Happy Happy.

Cruising the Great Lakes is a unique experience with big water and weather like the open seas.

We have learned to be resourceful with what we have.

We're looking forward to experiencing Chicago on Happy Happy.

From Chicago, "Crossing Our Wake" means a trip down part of the Mississippi and dealing with commercial traffic and reliving the experiences of Mobile and Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Norfolk shipyards and New York City. Keep a lookout!

How and where will this cruising season end?

Can we transition to a life without a boat?