Gold Loopers Visit Rookies

America's Great Loop Cruising Association [AGLCA] is an organization whose members are interested in doing or have done the Great Loop.

There are various categories of membership based on your participation in the group. There are those in the planning stage [wanna be's], there are those in progress, there are those who have completed, and there are those who have completed the Loop two or more times.

Once you have started the trip you get to fly a white burgee. This identifies you to other loopers as you progress around the loop.

But once you have completed the Loop or "crossed your wake" as they say in AGLCA circles, you get to fly the gold burgee. Flying gold is the goal of every looper. Well, our friends, Bob and Cathryn, from Olalla reached gold status on March 13, 2013. We again congratulate them for this accomplishment.

We met Bob and Cathryn by coincidence as they see the dentist next door to where Bob S practiced. When they explained that they could not make a 6 month check-up as they were going to do the Great Loop, their dentist explained that we were intending to do the same thing. After an exchange of emails, we met for dinner at Bob and Cathryn's home. The rest is history.

We have been following their blog for the year plus that they have been in preparation for as well as under way on this Great Loop trip. During this time we have been in communication with them about our preparations about
a whole variety of topics. They have ALWAYS been willing to share their knowledge with the new guys.

As they were getting close to completing their loop, we were just starting. We tried to meet up a number of times before they left Florida to return home to Olalla but could not do so while they were underway.

But we did manage to do so as they were leaving Florida. They had  their truck all packed and were on their way home. So while we were in Titusville, they took the time to pull off the freeway and come to the marina to see us and wish us well.

As loopers do, they asked us if we needed anything before they left with their "stuffed to the gills" truck. Since we had already planned to go to lunch, the four of us crammed ourselves into the "room for two" front seat with Cathryn wedging herself into the backseat between the clothes and boxes.

Debi sat on Bob's lap while Gold Looper Bob drove. I know it was a lot easier to squeeze in before lunch rather than afterwards. Despite wanting to get back on the road home, they were gracious enough to take us to a nearby grocery store for us to re-provision our supplies and ship's stores. They just said, "That's what looper's do".

They have since returned home and are hopefully planning their next adventure. We wish them well in whatever they choose to do and sincerely thank them for all the help that they have provided us and the time they spent helping out us AGLCA "rookies".

Nautical Word For The Day: [from seatalk.info]

Skipper:

1. Master of a ship; Also Captain.

From Great Loop Jargon:

2. Describes both Bob and Cathryn as they shared the duties of the "skipper" on their boat "Next To Me".