A 'great' adventure

SANDUSKY — Two flags wave proudly at the bow of spouses Rich and Tina Brown's 32-foot Grand Banks boat. One flag, which is white, symbolizes the beginning of the Great Loop, a 6,000-mile route through waterways in the eastern portion of the U.S. The other flag, which is gold, indicates the completion of the loop — something the Sandusky couple was able to add to their vessel this past July. On average, the trip takes voyagers about a year to complete. They'll travel through at least 15 states. There's a route, but there are numerous points where boaters can make decisions to take different waterways. The Great Loop can be started anywhere on the route. It's typically done counter-clockwise so boats travel with river currents. The spouses spent a couple of years preparing before embarking on the journey that created unforgettable memories. Tina journaled every day, so she could look back and remember the trip. The Browns completed the loop one week shy of a year. Life-long boaters Both Rich and Tina have always been boaters. They enjoy going out on the water and visiting the Lake Erie islands. More than 10 years ago, Rich came across the Great Loop in a magazine and thought it would be a fun trip at some point. When the Browns retired, the trip became more realistic for them. They still own and manage Sandusky Mini Storage. They attended conventions and seminars to learn more about it. It was like a pep rally, and it was inspiring, Tina said. People who completed the loop shared their experiences and answered questions about it. The Browns have a 26-foot Lyman but needed something bigger for the loop trip. They needed something they could live on, so they purchased the 32-foot Grand Banks, which they named the Tina B. It included kitchen and bathroom, also referred to as a galley and a head. Even though the boat was about 45 years old at the time, it was in great shape, despite having some older parts. "It needed to be freshened up," Tina said. The couple spent two summers on the boat before making the trip. It allowed them to get comfortable living on it and it helped them decide what they did and didn't need to take with them. They stocked the boat with dry goods and prepared to leave the Sandusky Yacht Club. There was a surprise send-off for the Browns with family and friends on Aug. 7, 2022. The couple started by visiting the islands for a couple of days so they could mentally prepare for the journey ahead of them. "We kind of needed to do it in baby steps," Tina said. The yearlong expedition With a lot of family and friends along the route, the Browns were excited to meet up with as many of them as they could. The Browns were also eager to meet new people, so they were equipped with plenty of boat cards. Boat cards — similar to a business card — contain a photo of the owners and/or their boat, boat name, along with some contact information. Boaters can exchange them when they meet. On each card the Browns received, Tina made notes on it. She wrote down something that would trigger her memory so she could remember each person. Tina said they gave out about 200 cards during the trip. Because of the white burgee flag identifying other "loopers," the Browns were able to recognize others participating in similar journeys. "We already have that bond," Tina said. The Browns met people from all over, including Singapore, Canada and Australia. Most people had a pet with them whether a dog, a cat or even a bird. "We were kind of the oddballs who didn't have a pet," said Tina, noting it would be one more thing they'd need to factor into the trip. It took the Browns about two and a half months to go from the Chicago area down the rivers heading south. The whole trip, they "cruised." It took them five to six hours to go 30 miles because they don't go faster than 8 mph. In the rivers, the Browns encountered locks, which they had never done until this trip. Locks are used to raise and lower watercraft where there are different levels of water. The rivers proved to be grueling. There was also a lot of commercial traffic. "But the scenery was beautiful," Tina said. "There were white cliffs, red cliffs and sand dunes. It was just beautiful." At one point, the Browns had to anchor out on a river a few nights in a row. They typically spend nights at marinas along their route. They reached Green Turtle Bay in Kentucky, which was a little resort and marina with a town and parks. "When we got there, I just wanted to kiss the ground," Tina said. "We're marina people, and we're not used to anchoring out. After four days, you feel rugged." The couple recalled Thanksgiving as an especially memorable day. The Browns were at Bashi Creek on the Tombigbee River in Alabama with seven other loopers. "We all anchored together, and one guy dropped his dinghy and brought all of us to his boat," Tina said. "Each of us cooked our own mini Thanksgiving dinners and brought it to their boat. We shared Thanksgiving together." The Browns' journey continued south. They dumped out into Mobile Bay and headed toward Florida. "There were some areas that you wouldn't believe is part of Florida," Tina said. "There was lots of wilderness, beautiful trees and sand dunes." In Florida, the Browns had to deal with the tides changing throughout the day, but they got used to it. While in Captiva, Florida, the Browns thought back to the 90-year-old man they purchased their boat from. He died shortly after selling the boat, but he had made notes about places he had taken the boat. The couple tried to stop at some of them. "It was still nice to know we had it back where he was," Tina said. "It felt like he was looking down and smiling at us." The Browns encountered dolphins frequently and they enjoyed the company. "They would swim along with us until they got bored with us. I think we were too slow for them," Tina said with a laugh. As they made their way back north, the Browns reached the New York Harbor but didn't stop. Neither of them particularly enjoy big cities, so they were fine with cruising by. They did pass the Statue of Liberty and took a few photos. Mostly smooth cruising Throughout the whole trip, they had decent weather. The Browns were very conscious of the weather. There was one time when they were in the northern Chesapeake Bay and encountered a squall of heavy rain. "It was raining sideways and we couldn't see anything and we had to throttle down," Tina said. It only lasted about 10 minutes, and it was probably the worst weather they experienced, Tina said. The Browns were fortunate. They didn't have any breakdowns or serious engine trouble. "She was a great boat. She held up well," Tina said. "Rich is real mechanical, so he kept up with oil changes and checking the engine." One unexpected incident happened in Nashville. They were stopping at a marina and got stuck in the channel. Tina said they weren't warned about a hump below the water. While Rich was working on the anchor, Tina went to climb over him and fell. She broke some of her ribs. When the Browns eventually were able to dock their boat, they took a taxi to the emergency room. Tina said she didn't want to take an ambulance. The journey continued, and Tina recovered within a couple of weeks. At another time, the Browns encountered an unexpected guest on their boat. A skunk wedged its way into the exhaust pipe. Rich couldn't believe a skunk could fit in there. They did manage to free the skunk without being sprayed by it. 'A big history lesson' When the Browns started their Great Loop trip, they had no idea how much history they would encounter. Each town where they stopped had its own claim to fame. "There's a lot of history on the waterways," Rich said. After a day of cruising, the couple looked forward to exploring each place they visited. They took their bikes and would either ride them or take a walk. "The most unexpected thing was the history," Tina said. "Every little town had a museum or historical spot." As an example, Tina used a house in Columbus, Mississippi where playwright Tennessee Williams lived. The Victorian home was turned into a museum. "For me, the whole thing was a big history lesson," Tina said. She said one of her favorite places was Annapolis, Maryland. The history was rich there with many buildings that were built in the 1700s. The city also includes the United States Naval Academy. What's next? Before the Browns returned home completely, they stopped at the Lake Erie islands — like they did when the first left. It was a way to decompress and prepare to go home. The couple met with friends for lunch on Kelleys Island on July 30, 2023. During their cruise to the Sandusky Yacht Club's marina, friends on their boats showed up on the water. Then there were more boats and a fireboat, which escorted the couple back. "There were all sorts of boats with banners and they were beeping their horns," Tina said. "It was really cool." Added Rich: "The welcome we got when we came back was unbelievable." Back at the marina, they had a champagne toast to celebrate the couple's feat. The Browns we happy to be around family and friends. Even though there's a platinum burgee for people who complete the Great Loop route more than once, the Browns don't plan on taking the trip again. Instead, they're thinking about another big trip next summer to either Lake Superior or Lake Champlain. By the numbers: Tina B's Great Loop Adventure Aug. 7, 2022 to July 30, 2023 Start: Sandusky Yacht Club End: Sandusky Yacht Club • 6,123 statue miles • 845.3 engine hours • 172 stops • 14 fuel stops • 1,712 gallons of diesel • 65 locks • 9 lift bridges • 20 anchorages • 40 pump outs • 5 oil and filter changes