Local Couple Completes Unique Adventure
From Press Release
David and Amy Deutl of Hinesburg received their MasterLOOPerate degree from America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association (AGLCA). The degree is given in recognition of completing one of the world’s most unique adventures, America’s Great Loop – twice. Boaters doing the Great Loop are on a 6,000-mile journey that circumnavigates the eastern part of the U.S. and Canada, cruising up the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, through the New York State Canals, into the Great Lakes, down the inland river system, across the Gulf of Mexico, and around the southern tip of Florida.
David and Amy completed the Great Loop aboard their 44’ Hi-Star Motor Yacht power boat, Selah Way. The first time it took 356 days – June to June. But it was the second time that they really took their time, spending more than a year doing several side trips and spending extended time with friends and family on the way.
When the Selah Way is moored, a dinghy, christened Shofar Away, is vital for going ashore and getting supplies, or just taking side trips.
It’s not all fun and games, especially if you don’t know your way around a boat. But for the most part the cruising is delightful.
And, occasionally, as David points out, “It’s about going to exotic places to make boat repairs.”
Places along the way are NYC, a place called Steinhatchee in Florida, St. Louis and Niagara Falls. Advice for avoiding the actual Niagara Falls: stay left!
In addition to facing the challenges inherent to long-distance cruising, the couple enjoyed unparalleled views of the U.S. and Canada from the distinct vantage point of the water’s edge. They had this to say about their adventure:
“It still seems surreal that we have been able to live this cruising lifestyle experiencing such beauty and adventure. We especially cherish times spent with family and many friends along the way.”
From enhanced boats to upgraded marinas, much has changed on the Great Loop since the early 1900s, including the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway, a 234-mile passage erected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1984 to connect the Tennessee and Tombigbee rivers. With this shortcut, loopers shave off the lower Mississippi River, making the trip significantly faster, and more pleasurable, since the lower Mississippi can get bogged down with barges and commercial shipping.
Approximately 150 boats complete the Great Loop each year, making it a feat more unique than swimming the English Channel or climbing Mount Everest. Throughout this trip of a lifetime, they relied on America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association to provide them with information and assistance vital to the successful completion of their journey.
For more information on America’s Great Loop, contact America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association, 500 Oakbrook Lane, Summerville, SC 29485, 1-877-GR8-LOOP (478-5667), www.GreatLoop.org., email info@greatloop.org.
