Would you do the Loop in an A-25?

[Jmk2000]

I absolutely would!

[glk34]

I think the best approach for the great loop in our A25s is to start it doing short one month sections at a time then take a break. Our boats are small and lack some modern items that we would likely miss. No question in my mind after cruising in our A25, "Iron Jack" for the past 12 summers, the boats are capable and the most efficient vessel in its class. BUT, our boats were never designed to be "live on" for months at a time.
Chris
New Brunswick
Canada

[DesertAlbin736]

I agree Chris. In our limited 'looping' experience, which consists of two partial transits of Erie Canal, that is one westbound from Seneca Lake to Fairport & back in 2015 and the other from Tonawanda to haul out on Lake Onondaga near Syracuse in 2021, the thing we missed not having installed more than anything was air conditioning. Granted, that's something possible to have in an A25 at considerable "boat unit" extra expense, but more than I want to spend. But anyone considering looping in the summer would do well to have that "luxury". I say that from being on the Erie in August 2021 when it was hot & muggy (90+ deg F + 90% humidity) & at times rainy as hell. That was a big reason we gave up on our goal of making it to New York City after hauling our boat 2,400 miles over the road from Phoenix, AZ to get to Tonawanda which beat the hell out of my 16 years old truck.

I would add our record number of consecutive days 'living' aboard/afloat is 46.

[LopezMike]

So let me get this straight. You take a vacation in places where you need air conditioning?

Last summer we towed Caprice two half days out to Barkeley Sound and spent a month there hanging out and kayaking. Then another day and a half trailering up to Port McNeill and wandered about in the Broughtens for a month or so. Never saw more than ten miles of open water the whole time.

Drinking water was sometimes an issue in both areas. I'm installing a small watermaker to ease that problem. With the dreadful thirst of our 3GM Yanmar (a quart per hour at 5 kts.) we hardly looked at the fuel gauge.

Never rained or blew much. Never used the RIB enough to add any gas to the motor. The gas tends to go stale in the Honda 2 hp. I dump it in the lawnmower every fall.

Of course we live in the San Juans so Orca watching is an 30 minute putt away. For reasons that I cannot remember, we have always bypassed Princess Louisa inlet so we'll likely launch from home this year and doodle our way north.

Barbara just looked over my shoulder and accused me of being cruel and causing grinding of teeth. Probably true.

All that said, if any of you poor benighted souls find yourselves anywhere near Lopez Island, let us know. We are minutes away from anywhere on the island and have showers and laundry as well as local chauffeur service to stores and hikes.

No air conditioning however. Now about those canals . . .

Of course we might be gone!

Mike and Barbara

P.S. Caprice is equipped with ham radio and if anyone shares this disease or is curious, contact me please.

[DesertAlbin736]

Of course San Juans & all those places Mike mentioned are our favorites. 2019 was our last time up there. COVID kept us home in 2020. Erie Canal in 2021 was part of a plan to meet friends who had bought a sailboat in Wisconsin & planned to sail it across Lakes Superior, Huron, and Erie to Tonawanda, NY and on thru Erie Canal & Hudson River to the East coast. We would time our arrival in Tonawanda with their arrival & we would continue eastward together. They made it as far as Bay City, MI where they were forced by health & mechanical issues to cut their passage short & lay the boat up on the hard for the rest of 2021 summer season. We did get to meet up with tribologist & Driftless on the canal. But weather & the remnants of tropical storms that swept western NY got to the point where we just weren't having fun anymore. Those friends had that sailboat (31 ft, 17,000 lbs) transported out here to AZ in November '21, laid up in a boat yard, did repairs & TLC then had it transported to La Conner, WA in spring of '22 & sailed Puget Sound & San Juans last summer. Meanwhile we stayed home thru 2022 doing what to us was important non-boating volunteer work. My Admiral fell & broke her wrist last month which will mean weeks & months of healing & therapy, so no "DAing" & climbing around boats for us this year either.

[WillieC]

We had a bit of a discussion about Principessa Louiser as well but since the Starfleet Commander had done Beyond Malibu some half century prior (don’t tell her I said that) we had to go. It is definitely worth it. Just keep it to yourself. We may return this summer. Met amazing people and the beauty of the gorge…almost up there with Hood Canal.

As a California kid and not that big on hiking, she hated Beyond Malibu. She actually hoped she would hurt herself bad enough to be airlifted out. But it is still going strong. We ran into a bunch of starving, bedraggled, exhausted BMers returning from their week in the rain. It was all they could do to toss their gear onto and climb aboard the shuttle launch back to Malibu, hot showers, served meals and comfy beds. The SC could relate and spoke at length with the guides.

Where have all the years gone? She NEVER thought she would or could even want to return and here we were in our little A25. On the water all the way from our home. The sun came out. We shared happy hours and hikes with instant friends we made from Victoria. Priceless.

Point being, returning to the topic…get in the A25, get it safe and dependable and comfortable enough for now and GO.

[DesertAlbin736]

Point being, returning to the topic…get in the A25, get it safe and dependable and comfortable enough for now and GO.

Amen! I'm not sure what the future holds for us in terms of A25 cruising. Next month will be the nine year anniversary of ownership since we purchased what was then "Nowell's Ark", renamed to "La Dolce Vita". We've made so many memories, taken 100s of photos & videos, the four cruises to Pacific NW in '14, '16, '18, & '19, twice back east including a 2 week cruise on Chesapeake Bay in '15, Erie Canal & RI & CT in '15, Catalina Island in '17, and Erie Canal again in '21. So yes, as WillieC say, "GO". Since our last big "DA'ing" to Erie Canal in '21 we have done very little, just a few outings on our local Lake Pleasant, which we've long since outgrown. The years are flying by. My Admiral/Star Fleet Commander is recovering from a fractured wrist sustained in a recent fall, so not only summer A25 cruising this year but also a planned trip next month to New Zealand & a Holland America trans Pacific repositioning cruise from New Zealand to Vancouver BC had to be canceled. Next summer & fall we may be back to our volunteer work, and after that age is catching up to us. I'm getting to the point where I don't want to "invest" much more money in boating. The Admiral is talking about wanting to travel to Europe before we get too old. As for canals, maybe a week long "Le Boat" bare boat charter for the Rideau Canal in Ontario might be something to look at.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8c9Mne5I9E

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So many changes/upgrades over the years it's hardly the same boat.