“Who Moved My Cheese?” Many of you may remember the book with this title. The fundamental principle is that a mouse gets used to going through a maze and finding cheese at the destination. If you move the cheese, the result is befuddlement for the mouse. There is no greater cheese move than deciding to leave a dirt home of typically 50-plus years for life on a boat to cruise the Great Loop.
This is the third and final part in our series on preparing for the Great Loop. The first article focused on the physical preparation, including choosing and outfitting your boat, how to pack, and more. The second article discussed how to intellectually prepare for the trip. This article is perhaps the most difficult, dealing with the emotions of virtually and literally changing course in life and putting behind you so much that is familiar for an adventure into the unknown. Everyone’s emotions are unique.
In the Looper community the term “reluctant spouse” is often bantered about to capture the concerns of one individual over the other. Many times, the idea of the trip originates when one individual is changing life status (i.e. retiring) and seeks fulfillment with a trip of this nature. The spouse/partner quickly aligns, wanting to reward/support the other for a lifetime of focused effort. However, internal strife builds up as that person wonders if they can meet the demands both in body and mind. Let’s be honest: hopping around the boat handling lines, anchors, locks and dinghies takes a degree of strength and agility. Knowing how to do all of these takes a degree of knowledge and skill. If this is new to you, it is a concern.
Interviews with fellow Loopers showed these concerns universally melted away shortly into the trip. The school of experience shaped each individual into a seaworthy companion. From this rose an unanticipated sense of pride and accomplishment.
For some Loopers, the “cheese moving” metaphor extended beyond the trip participants to the extended family. After a lifetime of being the cornerstone of a family unit, it was hard for those reliant on you to accept the void left by your trip. I mean, “who is going to cook for the holidays or babysit on date night?” For those that faced this challenge, their retrospective conclusion was several fold. First, it is okay to be a little selfish with your time. Second, with today’s communications, you are never really out of touch even to the point where leaving the boat and returning home were simple. Finally, in the end those most concerned were ultimately better off as they learned a level of self-sufficiency and strength from doing things for themselves.
But will you be able to live in roughly 300 square feet with your significant other for a year? Kim Russo, director of America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association (AGLCA), often starts her introductory talks with a statement like this: “If you are looking for this trip to fix a relationship, it is probably the wrong trip for you. If, however, you are in a good relationship you can expect at the end of the trip for it to be stronger.” I couldn’t agree more with this. On the boat, you must learn true teamwork. Each will have a role, and the roles often are not interchangeable. However, the dependence of both to perform well is imperative. That turns to trust as proficiency improves.
But won’t leaving behind friends and family leave you lonely and isolated? If everyone is on their own boat with their own schedule, how could you possibly meet others? At a minimum there is the FOMO of people you love moving on without you. From experience the emotion is both real and unfounded.
On day one we met a boat named Faith (featured in the April 2025 PropTalk and at proptalk.com/circumnavigating-great-loop-mainship-390) and now, years later, we still talk weekly. Faith is representative of many (i.e. Never Home, Jolly Roger, Harken…) and to list all would consume pages. The community even has a term for meeting people, “Loop Frogging.” You will meet folks in one place and jump ahead of them only to see they caught up three or four stops later. Then they are ahead of you, and you catch up. By the third or fourth time, you greet each other with hugs and handshakes. As for the friends at home, it turns out they are usually eager to live vicariously through your adventures. As one solo Looper said: “You might be doing it alone on the Loop, but you are never alone.”
Ultimately, each boat/crew comes up with a philosophy and rules that allow for peace, eliminates anticipatory stress, and creates an environment of respect. Here are a few examples:
- Faith: No bad weather, no high seas.
- General Fun: Three green lights (weather, boat, crew… in that order).
- Shorebilly: One no is a no go.
Whereas the statements are different, the intent is the same; be safe, comfortable, and prepared before leaving the dock.
The concerns and emotions you feel when preparing for a trip of this magnitude are real and valid. However, most Loopers quickly discover that experience and time put to rest those thoughts and replace them with the thrill and excitement that the American Great Loop is known for. Kathy and Fred on General Fun published a private newsletter for friends and family throughout the trip. Their final publication offered these lessons learned:
- Be patient—Surrender to the “weather Gods.”
- Be creative and think positive. There is always a solution.
- Listen to your crew.
- Listen to your boat.
- Trust your skills—but not too much.
- Wear sunscreen!
- The support of friends, family, and fellow Loopers make this the BEST trip ever.
These are words of wisdom, so relax and be excited. The adventure ahead is not overrated and is really full of fun, friendship, adventure, and passion.
About the authors: Aubrey and Terri Smoot and their dog, Yudee, completed the Great Loop in the 2023/2024 fleet aboard their Aspen C-108 power catamaran Shorebilly Too. They hail from Kilmarnock, VA, and their story was featured in the November 2024 PropTalk (proptalk.com/great-loop-real-retirement-adventure).
This concludes our three-part Great Loop series. To catch up on earlier articles, check out Part 1: The Physical Prep and Part 2: The Intellectual Prep.
Editor's Note: We want to thank Cruisers University for sponsoring this three-part series. The Fall 2025 Semester of Cruisers University will be held Monday, October 6 through Friday, October 10 at The Historic Inns of Annapolis. Registration will open in May. More than 75 classes are available for sailors and powerboaters alike who have an interest in learning the fundamentals of blue water cruising. Led by experienced cruisers and sailing industry professionals, the curriculum includes classes such as marine weather forecasting, traditional navigation techniques, electronic tablet navigation, diesel maintenance, heavy weather sailing, and electrical systems. To learn more, visit cruisersuniversity.com, and/or the Annapolis Boat Shows website.