Blue Willow Crosses Her Wake, and, Completes the Great Loop

On August 23, 2015, 365 days after departing for a trip around the Great Loop, the crew of Blue Willow safely crossed their wake in Cheboygan Michigan at 2:30 PM.

Mark, Vicki and Daisy would like to express our thanks to the Gold Loopers, who provided so much information via their Blogs, and personal advice. Thanks also to all the active loopers that we met along the way who also provided valuable information to make the journey safe, fun, and enjoyable. To future Loopers, I say do not loose your dream, it is a trip that is truly beyond words to describe the adventure, and its impact on your life. A special thanks to Eddies Weather Wag. To all the loopers that we had docktails, dinner, lunches, and Captains Meetings with I say, thanks to you too, what a superb group of people. Finally, thanks to the ALGCA as a whole for providing so much information for planning and executing our loop trip.


And now, the Great Loop from the point of view of our dog, 'Daisy, the Super Looper Lab', who now wears a " I'm a Gold Looper" collar.

What's that smell? I know, that's the 'Mackinaw Island Fudge' smell. Whoopee, I must be close to home. I thought something was up. Mark n Vicki have been kind of quiet lately, and they do a lot of thinking by themselves. Home? That will be nice, better than this small area on the boat I have had for a year. But what a year I had. I went to Chicago, not many grassy places there for me to pee on. That is where I met Gia on Friendly Cove and JustUs, thought he was a Judge, but he was not. We cruised down the rivers at flood stage with Infinite Sea and Sweet Water and many other boats. The guy on Sweet Water pulled us from a log jam on an island at midnight, sure was a lot of lights and horns that night. Got to know Charlie from Ocean Breeze more at Green Turtle Bay. Charlie even gave Vicki some of his pee and poo for training me to go potty on the Blue Willow for the big crossing. Not going to go potty on the Blue Willow, nope, no way! Some of the lower rivers sure were boring, I slept most of the way. You know, looking for alligators when you have a full bladder, is not much fun, kinda scary when you see gator foot prints too. That 'crossing' thing was not much fun either, 23.5 hours of holding my pee and poo, try that some time! Got to know Patriot very well. Connie, I gave her a big kiss one day when she took me for a ride on a golf cart. That Jim, he has a treat for me almost every day, I now go to any boat that looks like their Nordic Tug, I'm looking for a treat, just in case they all give out treats. Key West is a weird place, they blow into shell horns at sundown, that sound kinda hurts my ears. Sure was windy in Bahia Honda, but I got to swim every day, and I saw a Manatee up close! Looks like a potato to me.I sure hate that salt water, can't drink it! Windy at Tavenier too, a boat crashed into us at 3 AM, sure interrupts my sleep. I sure liked the Florida beaches, but I am not allowed on the good ones. There are alligators all the way to North Carolina did you know that? Sure had a rough time sleeping at an angle while grounded on the NJICW. I took a pee on George Washington's Mt Vernon farm, the security officer said I was not to be there after hours. I've never been to Canada before, the trip to Montreal was fun with lots of swimming in fresh water. I seem to be in the way when we go through the locks, but I like to see the action. The Rideau was the most fun of all, I swam a lot, Mark and Vicki did too. Mark had a rock bass bite his nipple, he screamed out loud , that was so funny. I met a guy named Richard, who speaks French, I cannot understand a word he says, but he is nice. The Canadian lock operators are my newest best friends of all, most of those guys carry treats, so I look pretty as I can and I get a treat, most times. I was way up in the air a few times in a big bathtub, that was weird. I rode is a weird train car thing that carried boats too. There are many large rocks to walk on in Canada, many of the rocks, you can swim from, that sure is a different place, but I loved every minute there. Mark can sure put the Blue Willow in the Cheboygan Lock better that he could a year ago. On the loop I saw: Dolphins, turtles, manatee, alligators, fish, bald eagles, osprey, and black bear poo.
It is so nice being home, I can now run and jump, off leash, on my old trails again, I wish Bliss was here. You know, I kinda wish the Blue Willow would do that Great Loop thing again. That was really a great time. I have to go now, I need to take a nap.

Mark and Vicki Hill
Blue Willow 36 GB Classic
Home Port: Petoskey Mi.

Drummond Island Check In - then Harbor Island

     As we rounded the northern portion of Drummond Island, the reality of our Great Loop Adventure coming to a close, called 'Crossing Our Wake', (as in, we will cross the wake we made when we departed) It all started to become a true reality.  Bittersweet.  I was very quiet reflecting on the trip as a whole.  Glad / sad.  Taking this little 36' trawler on such a trip, amazing.  I looked at the total milage travels to date...  6,380!  Seriously ?  I began to think of the states visited, the rivers system,  the time in Florida, the Intercostal waters, Canada, difficult to grasp the entire picture.  Very sobering.  I began to think about the concept of planning the Loop trip.  A full year?  I then wondered about the execution of the trip.   So much to reflect on.  I think it will be years before I put this trip in true perspective.  Simply an awesome experience.

There was a practical joke played on me, when we were in Customs, that story will be told some day (here).  The anchorage was uneventful.

Meldrum Bay

With weather forecasts making us a bit uneasy, we decided to make plans for the western shore of the North Channel.  The forecast was for prolonged winds and some unsettled conditions.  We made out way to Gore Bay.  We anchored out, but made a stop in town for provisions.  We had a great dinner, played cards and turned in a bit early.  In the morning, the winds were up, infant we were dragging anchor.  We hurried up and set course for Meldrum Bay.  We took the nearest to shore route, it was a bit rough (solid 3;s and some 4's and a couple 5 footers) , but we made it fine.  We stayed at Meldrum for two nights to let the winds die down.  Meldrum is where we decided to celebrate Vickis birthday by dining at the Meldrum Bay Inn.  The meal and desert I had there (Trout Almandine and Apple Pie)  was a top five of the entire trip.  Fabulous!  There are three enterprises in Meldrom Bay, fishing, the marina, and the Meldrum Bay Inn

Blue Willow approaching the Meldrum Bay Marina

Docktails

Meldrum Bay Inn

Bird House replica of the
Meldrum Bay Inn

Celebrating

Cheers!!!

North Channel - Benjamins

We spent a scorching day / night in Little Current.  We attended the Cruisers Net broadcast in the studios. (Cruisers Net is a program that is transmitted across the VHF radio, and it has news weather and 'Check Ins' by boaters who are anchored or transiting the area).  What a great time.  After the show, we made the trek to the Benjamins, which is a two island group that is highly utilized.  We have been here with as many 25+ boats. The area that we anchored is one that I have wanted to be at since we first traveled there.  IMHO, it is a super special place.

The view from only a few feet from our anchorage

We took the dingy and took in the sights, Daisy had a blast.

Daisy checking out the rock formations

Chasing sticks.

Shake!

Posed, but pretty

 We met up with 'Thistle' and went gunk holing around North Benjamins

Vicki with Patroit and Thistle

This sailboat was very nestled into the anchorage

Jim and Connie Chill'in

Connie and Vicki starting the Docktails early

Jim cleaning his catch

Must be close to home.
Butch and Phylis from
our home port showed up.
WOW.