This past Wednesday, I got to join other family and friends at the Cape Coral Yacht Club and welcome my parents home from their Great Loop journey. They left on March 1st of this year and traveled over 5,000 miles by water on their 38′ trawler, Island Time. They arrived at the yacht club around 4:30pm and we welcomed by a group of 30 friends and family. We all got a chance to catch up with them over pizza and wine and beer. It was a great celebration to end their wonderful journey. Here are a few stats about their trip that my mother posted on their blog, islandtimecruiser.com.
- Miles: 5,069
- Days: 250 days
- Actual Travel Days: 119
- Number of Locks: 103
- % of Days in Marinas: 80%
- % of Days Anchoring, Mooring Balls and Walls: 20%
- Fuel (diesel): 1,998 gallons
- Diesel Cost: Average $3.97/gal (highest in Canada $5.39/gal; cheapest Panama City $3.27/gal
Island Time will remain docked at the Cape Coral Yacht Club for a couple of weeks before heading here, to Snook Bight Marina where they will stay for the winter. They will be reunited with fellow Loopers they met on the trip, Dick and Inge on Bon Foeyage and John and Jackie on Eufloria in a few weeks. Randy and I are looking forward to having the winter to catch up with them.
Congrats to Steve and Gina. Thanks for posting the stats. That helps to calibrate those who will follow in their wake.
By the way, I miss your stories. Go somewhere and write about it!!
Take care and fair winds (I’m a wind sailor),
Fred