GL: Number of loopers

[Bob Williamson]

Hi Guys,

My guess as to the number of Loopers in any given year is 150 to 200 boats.
This is based on a couple of numbers from 2007 when we did most of the Loop:
- number of boats at the Joe Wheeler Rendezvous in Oct07 --- 76 boats
- number of transient boats that passed thru Green Turtle Bay Marina that
Fall --- about 220

Not every Looper is a member of the AGLCA but I'd guess 95% are.  Not
everyone Looping in 2007 made the Joe Wheeler Rendezvous but a significant
number did.  That rendezvous always has the highest boat attendance because
of the timing & location.

There are a few "choke points" on the Loop where most everyone stops,
Waterford NY and Green Turtle Bay KY being the two that come to mind.  Again
not everyone stops at these two points but the majority does.  Of the
transient boats stopping at Green Turtle Bay that fall, not all of them were
Loopers, some were local boats, some were the northern boats heading south
for the winter (i.e., Chicago, upper Mississippi boats) and Loopers.

We are anchored off Coxsackie Island on the Hudson River (mm 28) tonight and
plan to stop in Waterford tomorrow for a few days.  I'll take a look at the
Visitor Center sign-in book and try to get a count of the numbers that have
passed thru so far this spring.

As for the number of cruising boats (i.e., 4-6 months a year in North
America), 5,000 seems high to me but I don't know about the West Coast -
also is that people or the number of boats?  We have been cruising the east
coast since December 2005, there are a number of sail boats that migrate
north & south in the spring and fall with a significant percentage being
Canadian (30% or more maybe).  I'd guess the ratio of power boats to sail
boats is 1 to 3 - I'm trying not to count the sport fishing boats with
delivery captains moving them north/south ;-).  Maybe the ratio is 1 to 2.5
-- do the majority of power cruising boats anchor out or go to marinas?  On
09 Nov 2006 there were 31 boats anchored in Mile Hammock Bay, 8 motor and 23
sail.  Now that said, a few days before, 27 Oct 2006, there were 14 motor
and 4 sail boats waiting south bound at the Jordon Bridge in Norfolk VA for
the 8:30 AM opening.

There are a significant number of boats migrating up and down the east coast
ICW - my guess is 2,000 or so.  And a lot of qualifications have to be
applied to that number - how far south and how far north being the main
ones.  Many more boats go between Florida and the Chesapeake than head
further north to the Great Lakes for instance.

Based on the folks we have met, boats that we've seen, etc., I'd have to say
the number of 1/2 to full time power cruisers on the east coast is actually
quite small - 500 boats maybe.  It is not a big community.

Anyway, those are my observation from running the East Coast ICW since Dec
2005.

Bob & Lynn Williamson
On Legrace, anchored Coxsackie Island NY
Heading for Waterford and the Erie Canal