What Kind of Boat Do You Need for the Great Loop?
If there's one question that sends new Loop dreamers down a rabbit hole they don't come back from for weeks, it's this one.
What kind of boat do I need?
The answer is both simpler and more complicated than the internet makes it look. Simpler because there's genuinely no single right answer… thousands of people have done the Loop on thousands of different boats. More complicated because the question you're really asking isn't about the boat at all. It's about how you want to live on the water.
First: what does the Loop actually require of a boat?
Before you can decide what boat is right for you, it helps to understand what the Loop itself will ask of it.
The Great Loop covers roughly 6,000 miles across a wide range of waterways: protected ICW, open Gulf crossings, inland rivers with current and commercial traffic, the Great Lakes, and everything in between. That variety means your boat needs to be genuinely capable across different conditions, not just optimized for one type of cruising.
A few hard constraints worth knowing upfront:
The Loop has a practical air draft limit of around 65 feet for most routes, meaning the height from the waterline to your tallest fixed point needs to be under that to clear the fixed bridges. This is a real factor for sailboats with tall rigs, and it's worth verifying carefully if you're looking at a specific vessel.
Water draft is a concern in shallow sections, particularly in parts of the ICW and some river stretches. Most Loopers aim for 5 feet or less, though plenty of boats with slightly more make it through with careful planning and tide timing.
Beyond those two constraints, the Loop is genuinely doable on a wide range of boats, which brings us to the real question.
Power or sail?
This is where the debate starts, and it can get heated in online forums. Most people automatically go for powerboats, but our family is a sailboat, so it’s worth entertaining the question. Here's the honest breakdown:
Powerboats (particularly trawlers and full-displacement cruisers) are the most common choice for the Loop, and for practical reasons. They're faster on average, which matters when you're timing locks and bridges and trying to cover miles before weather changes. They tend to have more interior living space relative to their length. And on the rivers and ICW, where you're often motoring regardless of what the wind is doing, a powerboat isn't carrying the weight and complexity of a sailboat rig.
Sailboats absolutely do the Loop. We did it on our Beneteau 423, SV Fika, and we wouldn't trade the experience for anything. But it's worth being honest about the tradeoffs. You'll likely motor more than you sail unless you’re very intentional or are really lucky with the weather. The air draft question needs careful research for your specific boat and route. And some of the tighter spots on the inland waterways require a different kind of attention when you're handling a deeper, taller vessel.
Neither choice is wrong. The right answer is the one that matches how you already boat, what you already own or are looking to buy, and how you want to spend your days on the water.
What about size?
The Loop has a practical floor of around 23–24 feet. You need to be able to handle locks safely and carry enough fuel, water, and provisions to be genuinely self-sufficient between stops.
The sweet spot most Loopers land in is somewhere between 35 and 45 feet. Here's why:
In that range, you typically have enough living space to be genuinely comfortable for a year of full-time cruising: a real berth, a functional galley, a head you don't have to fold yourself in half to use. You're also maneuverable enough to handle tight marinas, narrow river bends, and lock chambers without it being a white-knuckle experience every time.
Boats over 50 feet can and do complete the Loop, but costs scale up significantly… marina fees, fuel, and the sheer complexity of handling a large vessel single- or double-handed all increase in ways that matter.
Under 35 feet can work, especially for solo cruisers or couples who are experienced and genuinely comfortable in a compact space. Just go in with your eyes open about storage, comfort over the long term, and the energy it takes to do everything in close quarters day after day.
What matters more than most people think.
After the big questions of power vs. sail and rough size range, here's what experienced Loopers consistently say made the biggest difference:
The mechanical health of the boat matters more than the brand or the list of features. A well-maintained 20-year-old trawler will serve you better than a newer boat with deferred maintenance and unresolved issues. Get a thorough survey. Know your systems. Budget for repairs… because things will break, and they always seem to break at the least convenient moment.
Livability beats specs. You will sleep on this boat, cook on this boat, argue on this boat, celebrate on this boat, and spend rainy days trapped on this boat. A boat that feels good to live on (comfortable berth, decent galley, enough light and ventilation) matters more than raw performance numbers.
Docking ease reduces stress significantly. Thrusters aren't required, but they help. A boat that handles predictably in close quarters takes a real load off, especially in the first weeks when everything is still new, and you're docking in places you've never been.
The “perfect Loop boat” is mostly a myth. Almost every Looper will tell you they'd change something in hindsight — more storage here, different engine there, wish we'd had a watermaker. You will not find the ideal vessel. You will find a good one, and you will make it work, and that's exactly what everyone else did, too.
What if you don't have a boat yet?
Then you're actually in a good position: you get to choose with the Loop in mind rather than retrofitting an existing boat to the task.
Start by being honest about your budget, not just for the purchase but also for the refit, insurance, survey, and inevitable pre-departure repairs. Factor in ongoing costs for the trip itself. Fuel is the big variable for powerboaters, and marina fees add up for everyone.
Then spend time on other people's boats. Go to AGLCA rendezvous and rallies. Walk the docks. Ask Loopers what they'd do differently. The boat research phase is genuinely fun when you approach it as learning rather than a problem to solve quickly.
And if you're ready to start thinking seriously about AGLCA membership — which gives you access to a community of people who've already made this decision and can help you make yours — we have a discount code on our ambassador page.
The bottom line.
You need a boat that is seaworthy, mechanically sound, comfortable enough to live on for an extended period, and sized appropriately for the crew and budget you have.
Beyond that, the Loop has been done on sailboats and powerboats, trawlers and cruisers, catamarans and single-engine trawlers, boats that cost $40,000 and $400,000.
The boat matters. But the decision to go matters more.
Start with that, and let the boat search follow.
We’d Love to Hear From You!
What kind of boat are you considering for the Loop, or what did you end up choosing? I'd love to hear it in the comments.
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