The Great Loop

Rideau Repeat

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The entire historic Rideau Canal is a Canadian National Park and was a highlight of our Loop in 2022. So we do it again — just in reverse to give us a new perspective. From Lake Ontario we go up through 14 locks, through the three lakes at the highest point, then down another 21 locks to Ottawa, where we have a grand finale of 8 locks taking us to the Ottawa River. That’s 43 locks in 126 miles.

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Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands: Canadian Version

We cross to the other side of the St. Lawrence River, visiting towns and anchoring at several islands in Thousand Islands National Park in Canada. We end up in Kingston on Lake Ontario, where we enjoy a week of city living.

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Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands: American Version

Our summer cruising continues in new territory for us – the freshwater cruising of a Great Lake and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Along the way, we are surrounded by a vintage vibe in the towns and a timeless feel on the water as we hug the NY coast of the Lake and make our way into the American Thousand Islands.

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Headin’ Up the Hudson

We head up the Hudson River, familiar territory for us, and are reminded once again of the beauty and history in the Valley. Most stops are repeats of previous and Looper standards, but gives us a chance to revisit some favorite places.

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Big Water Heading North by Northeast

We go back into cruising mode, heading north for the summer. The first leg is all big water — up the Chesapeake, down the Delaware, and up the Jersey Coast to NY Harbor. Retracing the same path we did two years ago almost to the day when we were doing The Great Loop. Which means there will also be lots of current Loopers to mee . But we notice it feels different this time.

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Re-engaging With The ICW

It’s been an intense two months.  The first was a fast run up the coast from Florida to Virginia with nearly daily travel, made fun by traveling with friends.  Next was a busy month of appointments, projects, and happenings.  Throughout it all, we find ourselves reflecting more and moe on Life After Boat.

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Closing The Loop

From Ft. Pierce, we planned for a sprint of near-daily travel to get us the final couple hundred miles to our Loop Finish Line in St. Augustine.  The route takes us through Eau Gallie, Titusville, Daytona, and Palm Coast before we arrive back where our Loop started, thus crossing our wake. It seemed straightforward, but of course Mother Nature laughs in the face of even the best laid voyage plan. 

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The Home Stretch

We start up the east coast of Florida, beginning with crossing Biscayne Bay to get back onto the ICW.  Making our way past ridiculously extravagant homes and boats, we stop in Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Stuart before arriving for a month long stay in Ft. Pierce.  There we completely slow down, enjoying just living and visits from friends. 

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On To The Keys!

We leave the Florida mainland behind and cross over to the Keys, visiting Key West and Bahia Honda before an extended stay in Marathon.  Finally, we wrap up our island hopping in Key Largo as we start making our way back to Florida’s east coast.  

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