T&T: Scouting the Loop

[LRZeitlin at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/1/07 12:01:27 AM, Carl writes:


> If
> we had the time right now we'd be gone on the Scout in a flash.  For a 30'
> boat with a 9'8" beam it's surprisingly comodious and when we have a week
> off we love spending it on the boat.  However, getting the Admiral to spend
> a year on a boat without a shower stall or generator/AirConditioning might
> be a tough sell.
>
Facing a similar problem, we did most of the Loop in stages. One year the
Hudson, the Erie Canal and the Lakes to Chicago, another year the ICW from
Florida to New York, a third year the Gulf Coast and the Keys. Fortunately our
surprisingly roomy Westerly Nomad (23' LOA, 7.5' beam, 2.25' draft, standing
headroom) is trailable and we could either tow it to our starting point and
sail
back or sail to a destination and get the trailer and tow it back. The trip
was
done in 2 month stages defined by the length of the academic summer session.
The real key to the Admiral's comfort was spending every fourth or fifth night
ashore at a decent motel with a hot shower and a good restaurant nearby. The
rest of the time we anchored out. The cost came to less than staying every
other
night in a marina. Incidentally the Westerly Nomad is a British twin keel
sailboat designed for English Channel and North Sea conditions. On one
memorable
occasion we were brushed by a hurricane and suffered more anxieties about our
stomachs than the boat.

Larry Z



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