Categories
Uncategorized

Finis

We crossed our wake yesterday!  

Switching from White to Gold Burgees for finishing America’s Great Loop. If you do the Loop more than once, you exchange the Gold for a Platinum Burgee. One boat is doing their 39th Loop!

We are now docked at the Solomons Island Yacht Club, and are ready to rest. 

Libbie and me showing off our new burgee with the old one

We started on May 17, 2022 and traveled 6,412 nautical miles (or 7,379 statute miles) to finish yesterday, August 28, 2025, exactly 1,200 days, nine hours and 50 minutes later. 

Almost there. When we crossed the mouth of the Potomac, it looked much different with wind 20-25 knots and waves crashing over our bow. This is much better.

To top it off, we are celebrating our 41st anniversary this same weekend, which reinforces the fact that living in a small space for months at a time while being put in stressful situations can taught a couple how to communicate better and strengthened the bond to each other.  We certainly experienced that.

At Cabbage Key

We also established that Libbie is a killer Gin card game player. I think I won 20% of our games.

I thought I had Libbie with this hand of Gin. She won immediately after I took this picture. Darn it.

Others have said it.  What an adventure.  

Figuring out that we don’t have to do the Loop in one year opened up a ton of extra time for us to both enjoy the Loop and take care of other parts of our lives. 

Our favorite parts were Georgian Bay and the Florida Keys, but we were pleasantly surprised by the Low Country on the Southeast Coast.  If we did not live in Lake Tahoe, we might consider moving there. 

We anchored out probably two thirds the time and were at dock the other third.  We participated in Docktails (Docktales?), Rocktales, and many other impromptu gatherings where we met wonderful people along the way.  

The brilliant memories and fabulous friendships we will carry forward the rest of our lives are priceless. 

We made many friends with events like this.

I’ll post one or two more blogs to wrap up this adventure of ours.

Many of you have told me personally how much you’ve enjoyed following along as we’ve journeyed around the Great American Loop. I’m grateful that you enjoyed it.

But we enjoyed it more.

Until next time, peace.

Can you find the Peace Sign?
Tad Sheldon's avatar

By Tad Sheldon

I had a lot of fun in my day job in Silicon Valley, most recently as a research and development program director developing display technology.

After retiring, I taught skiing as a follow-on career for fun for 6 years.

I’m very happy to continue my passion with Boating.

I'm even more passionate about our family and friends, and cooking for them when we see them, especially for our 4 grandkids.

My wife and I have been married almost 40 years.

I still volunteer occasionally for non-profit Boards, most recently serving as the Board Secretary for the Western Division of the Professional Ski Instructors of America / American Association of Snowboard Instructors.

4 replies on “Finis”

Having been married to a boat Captain for 2 decades, I know a little bit about living in small spaces. But, watching the two of you reach this landmark achievement, together, side by side, over thousands of hours, I have to say . . . YOU ROCK! I am honored to have been witness to your adventures through Tad’s blogs which captured the good, and the bad and your unwavering spirit. More than any one moment in particular . . . it’s the inspiration of you both that has left an imprint on my heart. I love you both so much . . . and in that last photo in the restaurant . . . are those dollars bills hanging overhead (LOL)? Hope to see you both on dry land in Tahoe before the end of the year. Wrapping you in love . . . ~ Carole

Like

Congratulations you two! Be it boating, skiing, hiking or partying, I enjoy doing it with you so thanks for allowing us to vicariously do the loop with you.

Hugs,

Nancy

Like

Leave a comment