Information On Cruising The Great Loop

Join us for a very special interview on this week's Great Loop Radio podcast.  Connie Bowman, one of our new Gold Loopers, will tell the story of how she and her husband, Bill, started the Great Loop together. After Bill's unexpected passing, Connie completed the Great Loop without him, fulfilling the couple's dream of becoming Gold Loopers. Listen to hear this inspirational Looper tell the story of how she prepared herself for Looping without Bill and how it felt when she finished the Great Loop. 

On this week's episode of Great Loop Radio, we'll discuss what to do to prepare your fresh water boat for the salt water found on parts on the Great Loop route.  Our guests, Captains Chris & Alyse Caldwell, will share tips about your engine coolant, anodes, and the age old question of whether fresh water boats hold their value better than salt water boats.

On this episode of Great Loop Radio, Larry Dostal of the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee will join us to provide advice on safe boating to Loopers heading to Chicago.   

On this week's episode of Great Loop Radio, Tom Hale joins us to talk about common causes of fire aboard.  Tom also shares what to do if fire breaks out. 

After the popular thread in the forum this week regarding when a sea trial should happen on a boat you're interested in purchasing, we thought it was a great time to do an episode of Great Loop Radio on what to expect from the boat buying process.  Curtis Stokes of Curtis Stokes & Associates joins us to explain the ins and outs, including details on the sea trial, the survey, the closing, and more.

Join us as Chris Kealey of the Canada Border Services Agency explains the procedure to follow when arriving in Ontario by boat. 

On this week's episode of Great Loop Radio, Boat U.S. Vice President of Public Affairs, Scott Croft, shares details about  boating infrastructure grants (BIG) just awarded for facilities that cater to transient boaters.  We also discuss two important current issues, electric shock drowning and keeping your outboard and electronics safe from theft.

This week's episode is a rebroadcast of two episodes that originally aired in 2016 covering cruising both sides of Lake Michigan. Foster Schucker and Susan Wilson cover cruising the Wisconsin side, while Pat & George Hospodar cover the Michigan side.

Join us as Chad Buchner, Manager of Canal Operations for the Trent-Severn Waterway, tells us what to expect along this historic canal as they prepare to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. 

A new transient dock will soon open in Paducah, Kentucky, providing a much needed fuel stop for Loopers.  Paducah's Director of Park Services, Mark Thompson, will be our guest on this episode to tell us more about the new facility and what services will be offered there.

AGLCA members, Captains Ed & Sue Kelly, are two prairie-raised Iowans who sold everything, bought a boat, and sailed off into retirement.  Sounds familiar to many Great Loopers, but this couple's first Great Loop was not in North America.  It was the Great Loop of Europe!  Listen to learn about this fascinating 6,000 mile trip aboard their 40' catamaran.  

It's National Safe Boating Week and Rachel Johnson, Executive Director of the National Safe Boating Council, is our guest!  Rachel will share information on staying safe on the water, including tips on finding the right life jacket, the importance of safe boating courses, technology that can help keep you safe, and more!

On this week's episode of Great Loop Radio, Captains Chris and Alyse Caldwell share tips on what to consider when searching for your perfect boat. They'll teach you how to KNOW whether a boat is perfect for you, including tips on considerations for  budget, guests aboard, engine room access, boat handling, and more.  

On this week's episode of Great Loop Radio, Cindy Lewis of Sterling Associates gives tips on how to finance your dream boat.  Cindy was one of the most highly rated speakers at our recent Spring Rendezvous, and she'll cover everything from requirements for obtaining financing to tax benefits and consequences, plus much more.

This week's episode of Great Loop Radio features a discussion with Tom Van Benschoten of Waterside Marina in Norfolk.  The waterfront area of Norfolk has undergone a complete revitalization with the new Waterside District set to open.  The marina has also completed several improvements and more are planned.  Join us to learn more about this new not-to-be-missed destination for Loopers.

On this episode of Great Loop Radio, marine systems expert Steve D'Antonio tells us why we shouldn't go easy on our diesel engines and explains the damage that can happen when running at a light load for extended periods of time.

Join us on this week's Great Loop Radio podcast for a discussion on the Erie Canal and its bicentennial celebration.? Our guest is Steven Gosset of the New York Power Authority.  The NYPA assumed ownership of the NY State Canal Corporation, including the Erie Canal, earlier this year.

Join us as Jim Healy discusses AIS, what it is, and how to use it.  He'll also cover best practices for when to use (and not use) this technology.

Several recreational boating associations have come together to ensure that boaters' rights to anchor in Florida's public waterways are preserved.  The coalition has retained Jerry Paul of Capitol Access to lobby on our behalf.  Join us for this episode of Great Loop Radio as Jerry, along with Mike Bodin of the Marine Trawler Owners Association, gives us an update on the current status of the bills filed in Florida.

Join us for this week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast with guests 10-year old Lucas Pronk and 7-year-old Marcos Pronk.  The boys will share details of their Great Loop adventure so far and talk about some of their highlights.  We'll also talk about a new program AGLCA is introducing to facilitate the sharing of information among special interest groups like families doing the Loop.