So you've heard about the Great Loop.
Maybe a friend won't stop talking about it.
Maybe you found a video at midnight, and now you can't stop thinking about it.
Whatever brought you here, you're in the right place.
the Loop
and ready › Live It Underway or
nearly there › Tell Your Story Capture what
matters
What is the Great Loop?
The Great Loop is a roughly 6,000-mile continuous waterway circumnavigating the eastern portion of North America.
Boats follow the Atlantic and Gulf Intracoastal Waterways up the East Coast, through the New York canals, across the Great Lakes, down the inland rivers, and back around through the Gulf of Mexico.
Most Loopers take 12–18 months to complete the full route, though many do it in segments over several years.
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~6,000 miles of continuous waterway
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15+ states and provinces
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Hundreds of boats complete it every year
Resources for Dreamers
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What is the Great Loop?
Available to our Free Members in Loop Life Academy’s Skool platform.
Everything you need to know about the 6,000-mile waterway that circles eastern North America: the route, the history, the community, and what it's actually like to do it.
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Is the Loop Right for Me?
Available to our Free Members in Loop Life Academy’s Skool platform.
An honest self-assessment to help you figure out whether the Great Loop fits your life right now: your finances, your work, your crew, and your boat.
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Great Loop Books
Love to read? We’ve been building a curated reading list of Loop memoirs, planning guides, and cruising stories.
If you’re a homeschool parent, we’ve also added books that are great for each region you’ll pass through on the Loop (many of which we’ve read ourselves while Looping!).
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Dream to Plan Roadmap
Start your journey with our comprehensive checklist, designed to guide you through every step of the planning process, from dreaming to launching your adventure.
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Alison's TEDx Talk
The Map Is Not the Journey.
9,000 nautical miles of lessons in 15 minutes.
Free for all community members.
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Free Community
Come ask the questions you've been thinking about or discover things you didn’t know to ask.
Join a group of people dreaming and planning, just like you.
Is the Loop right for you?
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How much does it cost?
Somewhere between $50,000 and $120,000+ for a full year — depending on your boat, your pace, and how often you anchor vs. marina.
→ Download the Budget Planner for a spreadsheet built around these real variables.
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What kind of boat do you need?
The Great Loop has been done in everything from a 60-foot yacht to a jet ski.
Main requirements: adequate bridge clearance and seaworthiness for the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes.
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Do you need experience?
More Loopers than you'd expect start with limited boating experience.
What matters more is preparation, good judgment, and a willingness to learn as you go.
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Can you work remotely while doing it?
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AGLCA
AGLCA is the official home for Loop information, member resources, and in-person events.
Loop Life Academy complements AGLCA — we're not replacing them.
Ready to go from dreaming to planning?
Not every board game survives boat life. After years of cruising with kids, here's what actually got played, what got stowed permanently after one session, and what we'd bring again without hesitation.
Six thousand miles sounds impossible until you stop looking at the whole thing and start breaking it into something smaller. Here's how to approach Great Loop route planning like someone who's actually done it.
There's no single "right" boat for the Great Loop. But there are smart ways to think through the decision and a few things that matter a lot more than most people expect.
This isn't a "should I do it?" post. You already know the answer to that. These five questions are about going in clear-eyed, with honest conversations had and real expectations set.
Cruising guides are invaluable — and also, occasionally, a lot. Here's how to read them like an experienced Looper instead of a panicked student cramming for an exam.
Every time we mention the Great Loop, someone asks, "Wait… what is that exactly?" So here's the simple, honest answer. No jargon, no overwhelm. Just the thing that might change everything.