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My Great Loop Adventure

Tales of crusing the Loop as crew and then (mostly) solo as captain of my own boat.

  • Home
  • Travelogue
    • Captaining Do It NowPosts about my third time on the Great Loop, starting in October 2022, on my own boat, M/V Do It Now.
    • Crewing with Capt JohnPosts about my second time on the Great Loop, in April through May, 2022.
    • Crewing with Capt PaulPosts about my first time on the Great Loop, in August through September, 2021.
    • Cruising on Captain GigsStories from my travels working as a training captain, delivery captain, or Great Loop advisor while on the Great Loop.
  • Destinations
    • Side TripsSome interesting side trips I’ve made.
    • MarinasMarinas I’ve stayed at along the way.
    • AnchoragesAnchorages I’ve stayed at along the way.
    • Points of InterestTowns, museums, attractions, and other points of interest I’ve visited on my journey.
    • Off the Beaten Tracks
  • Great Loop Info
    • TipsTips to help you save money, travel safer, and have more fun on your Great Loop journey.
    • Onboard Cooking
  • Captain Services
    • Delivery Services
    • Ranger Tug Hands On Training
    • Single Handing/Solo Cruising
    • Being the Best First Mate
    • Start Your Great Loop with a Pro!
    • Learn How to Cruise on a Guided Flotilla!
    • Cruising on Captain GigsStories from my travels working as a training captain, delivery captain, or Great Loop advisor while on the Great Loop.
  • About
    • About Maria
    • Contact Maria
    • About My Loop BoatPosts about choosing, acquiring, shipping, and cruising in my Great Loop boat, M/V Do It Now, a 2019 Ranger Tug R-29 CB.
    • About this BlogGeneral information about this blog.
  • Maria’s Other Content
    • Maria’s Personal Blog
    • Maria’s YouTube Channel
    • FlyingMAir YouTube Channel
    • ML Jewelry Designs
Video: Leaving Crystal River, FL

Video: Leaving Crystal River, FL

A video of my departure down Crystal River nearly two years ago today, accompanied by some added narration and the reading of a blog post.
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January 2, 2025Posted inCaptaining Do It NowNo Comments
On This Date

On This Date

I add a custom WordPress plugin to the blog that displays date-related location data in the sidebar.
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December 20, 2024Posted inBlog Info2 Comments
Clearwater Beach to Gulfport FL

Clearwater Beach to Gulfport FL

January 21, 2023: I leave Clearwater Beach for the sheltered marina at Gulfport, FL.
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December 18, 2024Posted inCaptaining Do It NowNo Comments
Video: Transiting the LB Knox Bridge

Video: Transiting the LB Knox Bridge

A quick video from my transit of the LB Knox bascule bridge in Florida back in February 2023.
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December 15, 2024Posted inCaptaining Do It NowNo Comments
Great Loop Cruise Planning, Part 4: Planning Your Next Cruising Day

Great Loop Cruise Planning, Part 4: Planning Your Next Cruising Day

In this part of my multipart trip planning series, I explain how to plan for the next day of travel.
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December 12, 2024Posted inGreat Loop Info, TipsNo Comments
December 2024 Blog Update

December 2024 Blog Update

I attempt to explain why I've just been releasing posts with video links lately and what my plans for this site are in the months to come.
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December 9, 2024Posted inBlog Info5 Comments
Video: St Ignace to Beaver Island

Video: St Ignace to Beaver Island

A video, with synced chartplotter, for my trip from St Ignace to Beaver Island on a mirror calm Lake Michigan.
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December 9, 2024Posted inCaptaining Do It NowNo Comments
Video: Cruising Down the Chicago River

Video: Cruising Down the Chicago River

A video from the first day of my Great Loop journey.
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December 1, 2024Posted inCaptaining Do It Now2 Comments
Video: Erie Canal Lock 17 Guillotine Gate

Video: Erie Canal Lock 17 Guillotine Gate

A narrated look at the operation of the enormous guillotine gate at the Erie Canal's Lock 17.
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November 17, 2024Posted inCaptaining Do It Now, Great Loop Info, Points of InterestNo Comments
Video: DeTour to St Ignace, MI

Video: DeTour to St Ignace, MI

July 31, 2024: I leave DeTour MI, recovering from a sinus infection, and, enroute to St Ignace MI, show you how I use my Garmin chartplotter's AIS feature to get information about nearby traffic.
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November 10, 2024Posted inCaptaining Do It Now2 Comments

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Learn to Cruise on a Flotilla!

Join a flotilla in the San Juan Islands this autumn and take along a qualified training captain to learn while you cruise. Click here to learn more.

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On this Date

Here's where I was on this day during my Great Loop travels. Click a link to read all about that part of my trip.

8/1/24
St. Ignace City Marina at Saint Ignace, MI

Status Report

I crossed my wake in Chicago on August 12, 2024.

The Numbers
Days on the Loop: 464*
Travel Days: 258*
States: 19
Provinces: 1
Countries: 2
Nautical Miles: 8,330
Fuel Gallons: 5,234
Fuel Cost: $23,552
Marina Nights: 278
Marina Cost: $15,590

*Typical Great Loop trip lengthened by multiple side trips.

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Start YOUR Loop with a Pro!

If you’re new to long-range cruising and are planning to start your Great Loop Adventure soon, why not start it with an experienced Looper on board?

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What I’m Reading

You can help support this blog and small local booksellers by buying one of the books linked here.

My Marina Reviews

Read my Waterway Guide marina reviews.

RSS On My Personal Blog
  • Getting Back to Writing
  • Why I’m Not Blogging as Regularly as I Used To
  • Doing the Math on Art Shows (and Other Ways to Sell My Silversmithing Work)
  • Getting Sucked In to the Traveler’s Notebook Craze, Part 3
  • Battling Irrational Beliefs
  • Getting Sucked In to the Traveler’s Notebook Craze, Part 2
  • On Wasting Time Preaching to People Who Won’t Read What You Write
  • Jewelry Studio Tour Video
  • Getting Sucked In to the Traveler’s Notebook Craze, Part 1
  • Making Paste Paper
All content ©2021-2025 Maria Langer unless otherwise specified. All rights reserved.
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