Mike and Beth's Adventures

Amy Marie entering Pickwick Lock at the end of a full day of travel A single  goal guided the crew of Amy Marie as we departed Green Turtle Bay and pointed the bow south.  We had been resisting and trying to ignore it's siren call.  The attraction was becoming too strong.  We had to acknowledge it's presence. So we did so in a clear and forceful manner.  Our normal cruising mode was to amble and linger which allowed us to engage with and interact with the areas through which we travelled.  We were so close to crossing our wake, we discarded our leisurely style and instead single mindedly focused on "crossing our wake".  This is the goal for which all Loopers strive.  For 365 days our focus had been on the journey.  Thereby allowing us  to savor our interactions with the people, towns, and geographies through which we passed.  Intellectually, we did not want the experience to end.  We wanted to continue travelling with the Loope...

Sunset during our 20 hour Gulf Crossing- Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs January 18th-19th, 2022  Preparations Every day on the Loop is different.  This helps cultivate your sense of adventure.  Even as experienced boaters, we constantly find ourselves challenged in new ways.  Our 20 hour open water voyage from Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs was one of those challenges that you will remember forever.   My navigator is confident she can guide us to the other side First of all, the Gulf crossing seems larger than life.  The type of event where you can easily build a "boogie man" that grows in size, proportionate to your  anxiety level.  Many hours are spent in discussions, conversations and musings anticipating "the crossing"   There are so many tasks that must be completed or learned. which puts this in a different category of life experiences.  The decisions you make, and the care you have taken, to prepare yourself and you vessel w...