The Great Loop is a more than 6,000-mile connecting loop of waterways around the eastern half of the United States and a small portion of Canada. It presents a unique opportunity to tour a variety of different locations, environments, and cultures over one encompassing adventure. The full trek covers the Intracoastal Waterway, Great Lakes, US Inland Rivers, along with a variety of locks and canals throughout. This cruising journey is considered by many to be the ultimate bucket-list item and is commonly completed in over a year’s time.
The general route of the Great Loop from the Chesapeake involves traveling north to New York City, up the Hudson River and through the various canals, across the Great Lakes, down the inland rivers and waterways to the Gulf of Mexico, then around Florida and back north up the ICW. There is no true starting or finishing point of the Great Loop or correct direction. Although most boaters chose to cruise counterclockwise to go with the current along the stretch of inland rivers. The starting line is more-so dependent on your boat’s home location and the loop is considered complete when you “cross your own wake”. Where you start the on loop does impact the time of year you would begin. Typically, it is preferred to be cruising in Florida at the southern portion of the route during the winter to avoid the summer heat. More importantly, the canals and locks at the northern portion of the loop are shut down during winter, so careful calendar planning is needed.
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Cruising through New York Harbor is a wonderful way to see the city, just look out for the tour boats and ferries! If you are traveling with a buddy boat, you can cruise up close to Ellis Island for a photo opportunity with your Fleming and the Statue of Liberty!
Departing New York City brings on the beautiful Hudson River Valley and its extensive offerings along the way. There is a surprising amount to see and do here and you can easily spend a week in the area. Renting a car for some land exploration can be a good call!
Navigating through the Trent-Severn brings you to the natural wonders of Georgian Bay featuring untamed wilderness, isolated anchorages, and exciting rapids to cruise with your tender. Georgian Bay is a favorite among Fleming owners with the Bad River Channel and Bustard Islands being stand out areas.
“A spot not to be missed is the Bad River Channel of the French River on Georgian Bay. Shooting the Liley Chutes rapids with your tender is a real hoot.”
– Curt and Bain: Fleming 65-023 “Aslan”
“The North Channel is all of the things that are Georgian Bay, but even more remote, more rugged, and more beautiful. We anchored in Baie Fine because we heard about how remote and beautiful it was and that it was just a short dinghy ride to the shore and the head of the trail to Topaz Lake. The scenery is stunning!”
– Perry and Vicki: Fleming 55-053 “Blessed Again”
This unique island at the top of Michigan is considered a National Historic Landmark and over 80% of it is preserved as a state park. The lively old-world charm of this island town is preserved with historic architecture and even a ban on nearly all motor vehicles, with bicycles and travel by horse & carriage at the forefront. Plan to stop here when traveling from Lake Huron into Lake Michigan.
Entering Lake Michigan presents two different coastlines to cruise along as you move south toward Chicago. The Wisconsin coast provides Milwaukee and other cities to explore, meanwhile the opposite Michigan coastline features plenty of standout stops itself. You could always cross over from coast to coast to see it all!
“We chose to experience the Michigan side of Lake Michigan and enjoyed exploring Mackinaw City, Petoskey, Grand Haven, Charlevoix, and South Haven.”
– Perry and Vicki: Fleming 55-053 “Blessed Again”
The quaint towns and quiet creeks of the inland waterways can offer a great mix of experiences. The historic town of Paducah is a very cool stop and marks the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. Conversely, the major city of St. Louis is also along this stretch and provides an excellent photo opportunity with your Fleming and the Gateway Arch! Popular cities like Nashville and Chattanooga are also reachable with some planned side trips.
A not to be missed excursion of the Great Loop. This chain of islands provides a laid back paradise with wonderful food, rich history, and plenty of adventure. We urge all Loopers to venture south to this boating landmark versus taking the Okeechobee shortcut across the state.
From the vibrant Florida Keys to the ancient city of St. Augustine, Florida’s east coast offers much to explore as you begin the journey up the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Situated roughly in the middle is our BYS South location in Stuart, Florida.
Before even reaching Savannah, you will encounter the enchanting barrier islands of Georgia. Both Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island are fun spots to visit.
“One hidden gem of a stop is the Sunbury Crab Company in Sunbury, GA. The docks are adjacent to the award winning “seafood dive”. Be sure to make restaurant reservations when booking the dockage. Sunbury makes a great stop between Jekyll Island and Savannah.” – Preston and Nina: Fleming 58-008 “45° North”
The coastal beauty of Hilton Head Island, the rich culture of Charleston, or the fun twists and turns of the stunning Waccamaw River leading up to Myrtle Beach – South Carolina boasts plenty of highlights to plan around.
“My other favorite spot is a trip through the Dismal Swamp Canal. It’s tight for a Fleming but it’s a wonderful trip as long as you motor at the slowest speed possible and be ready for a few bumps.”– Preston and Nina: Fleming 58-008 “45° North”
As the largest estuary in the United States, the brackish water of the Chesapeake provides some of the best cruising grounds on the east coast. You could easily spend a multiple cruising seasons exploring all the nooks and crannies of this watershed. Notably, BYS North is located on Selby Bay of the South River – just south of the Maryland capital of Annapolis.
An optional visit while in Lake Ontario, you can easily divert to here at the eastern side of the lake before heading over to take on the Trent-Severn. This picturesque stretch features over 1,800 islands along the river that form the border between the United States and Canada.
“The Thousand Island Area is not to be missed. You will see beautiful homes, quaint towns, historic mansions and an outstanding antique boat museum all surrounded by crystal clear fresh water” – Perry and Vicki: Fleming 55-053 “Blessed Again”
“The Rideau Canal was a highlight of our journey. All the locks are hand-cranked, and the canal itself is a Canadian national park. My favorite stop was the historic Hotel Kenney at Jones Falls. The canal ends in Ottawa with a flight of eight locks lowering you to the Ottawa River. We spent several days exploring Ottawa before descending. Between Ottawa and Montreal, we visited the lovely resort and marina at Montebello, a must for its beauty, food, and atmosphere.” – Gail and David Bernstein, Fleming 58-027 “Tonto’s Reward”
Since Fleming Yachts cannot travel the full length of the Erie canal, instead taking a midway detour onto the Oswego Canal, Niagara Falls is a bit off the routine path. But coming within such close proximity certainly warrants a trip to see the falls! A common alternative is renting a car and driving to Niagara Falls for a day trip. A good spot to do this is Brewerton, NY on Oneida Lake, which is close to the transition point of the Erie Canal to the Oswego Canal. From Brewerton it is about 2.5-hour car ride to Niagara Falls.
“One of my favorites are the small towns on the east coast of lower Michigan, which many people skip as they are in Georgian Bay. Alpena, Michigan is a particularly welcoming stop.”– Preston and Nina: Fleming 58-008 “45° North”
The Great Lakes have a lot to offer beyond the standard route of the Great Loop. Many loopers spend additional time in the area and take on a variety of extra exploration stops. Visiting Lake Superior via the Soo Locks is a common extra trip before heading south down Lake Michigan.
Even when exiting the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterways at Mobile, Alabama, an excursion to New Orleans is very feasible and can be time well spent away from the Loop. Visiting New Orleans from Mobile is about a two-day trip and rewards you with all the historic culture, amazing food, and legendary charm that the city has to offer. The National World War II Museum is a particularly enticing destination in the city.
While the Bahamas are a bit more than a mere detour, they do synch up well with the path of the Great Loop. The Bahamas are a straight shot across from the Atlantic coastline of South Florida and our BYS South location in Stuart, Florida provides the perfect rest stop and launch pad before your Bahamian excursion.
About 100 miles up the Potomac River of the Chesapeake Bay lies the Nation’s capital. While the cruising trip is a bit of a time commitment away from the path of the Great Loop, Washington DC is a very memorable visit. Docking is obtainable quite close to the National Mall, as close as a mile walk to the heart of DC. There are plenty of other landmarks to see along the Potomac on the way back out, including the historic Mt. Vernon.
Fleming yachts are perfectly suited and equipped for cruising the Great Loop. With a 5’ draft and hinged masts to reduce air draft when necessary – most Fleming models can handle the various locks and bridges found along the journey. We have had numerous 55, 58, and 65 owners complete the Great Loop with their Fleming.
“Our friends at Burr Yacht Sales (seemingly always) had a solution that did not require major surgery on our hardtop. Our satellite mast was made with a hinge, so with the aid of a large inflatable fender for support, we were able to lower and raise it with ease and reduce our air draft below the 19’ 6” bridge clearance.” – Curt and Bain: Fleming 65-023 “Aslan”
The Burr outfitting standard includes our custom hinged masts that can fold back with a simple procedure to greatly reduce air draft. In recent years we have begun fabricating these masts with carbon fiber to further reduce weight and increase strength. This hinged mast allows the Fleming 55, 58, and 65 models to easily clear the lowest point on the Loop: the 19’6” fixed railroad bridge just outside of Chicago that gatekeeps the inland waterways.
Despite their larger size, our pilothouse motor yachts all feature a reasonable 5-foot draft (with the Fleming 85 as the lone exception at 5.5’). Additionally, each Fleming is equipped with a full-length keel which is foam filled and glassed across the top to isolate it from the hull. This keel provides about a foot of protection before reaching the running gear.
“The controlling depth for the two Canadian canals is 5 feet, the draft of all Flemings. The full keel of the Fleming is appreciated here because we did bump the bottom a few times but with no damage.” – Curt and Bain: Fleming 65-023 “Aslan”
With a Fleming yacht you will be one of the biggest boats on the Loop, but you remain more than capable of navigating the tight locks, low bridges, and extended cruise distances. You also inherit the benefits of the increased LOA with plenty of onboard space, storage, and staterooms for you and your family to cruise comfortably. Space and comfort underway are certainly important factors considering many boaters take a full year to appreciate the Great Loop. With superior seaworthiness and proper specs, the Fleming yacht could be the ultimate Great Loop boat and represents a true luxury option to complete the voyage with.
“We never felt cramped in our Fleming 55. Other boaters came on board and immediately commented about the expansiveness of our Fleming. The ample storage allowed us to carry things on board like gallons of oil and spare parts. Our fuel capacity and extended range were also distinct advantages of our Fleming 55. – Perry and Vicki: Fleming 55-053 “Blessed Again”
Assuming a start with your Fleming at BYS North near Annapolis, Maryland, you would continue north up the Cheaspeake Bay and cut through the C&D canal. From Delaware Bay, continue moving up and around Atlantic City and proceed through New York City. Entering the Hudson River Valley in New York brings you to the first true lock of the journey with the Federal Lock at Troy – a warmup for what is to come. In an average Great Loop route, you will pass through nearly 100 locks with your Fleming yacht. Up next is the Erie Canal and Oswego Canal along with their numerous locks enroute to Lake Ontario. Most Fleming loopers will next travel north and enter the Canada’s Trent-Severn Waterway which connects Lake Ontario with the stunning reward of Georgian Bay and the Thirty Thousand Islands area on the other side. Continuing through the wild beauty of the North Channel and Lake Huron will bring you to Lake Michigan, prompting one to travel south along either the Wisconsin or Michigan coastlines – both chock full of their own unique towns and experiences.
Leaving the Great Lakes through Chicago challenges boaters with the lowest necessary air clearance of the entire loop with a 19’6” fixed railroad bridge. This bridge is found on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in Lemont, Illinois and, despite the low air draft requirement, it has been successfully cleared by numerous 55, 58, and 65 Fleming Yachts that have all gone on to complete the Great Loop.
The inland river waterways after Chicago present a vastly different cruising environment from the Great Lakes. A long stretch down the Illinois River meets up with Mississippi just before reaching the city of St. Louis. You could continue down the length of the Mississippi, exiting in Louisiana. However, most Fleming owners chose to only stay with the Mississippi river for a short while and then switch over to the Ohio River at Cairo, IL and then another quick switch to the Tennessee River at Paducah, KY. This route is commonly agreed to be the superior option among loopers for both the convenience and overall cruising experience. Continue up the Tennessee River until reaching the Tenn-Tom Waterway, a series of locks that connect down to the Tombigbee River. This river flows down the state of Alabama to Mobile, AL into the Gulf of Mexico.
Entering the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and continuing east, the next challenge lies in crossing the Gulf of Mexico with a good weather window to reach the western coast of Florida. Continuing along close to the Panhandle is not an option due to shallow waters so most vessels, including Flemings, will need to make around a 170-mile trek across. Navigating around the state of Florida provides two options: traveling directly across Lake Okeechobee, or cruising around South Florida and visiting the Florida Keys. If time isn’t an issue at this stage of your trip, cruising South Florida is the preferred option! Both routes will take you by our BYS South marina and service yard along the Florida Atlantic Coast in Stuart, Florida as you begin to head north up the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.
Progressing up the ICW brings plenty of highlight cities and towns along the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas. Entering the Chesapeake Bay provides one last major route option between the safer Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal and the much shallower Dismal Swamp Canal. With a controlled depth of 6 foot, the Dismal Swamp Canal can be a little a bit tight for the standard 5-foot draft of Fleming Yachts. However, we have had a few customers carefully complete the side trip with their Fleming without issue and it became a favorite portion of the loop for them!
Back in the Chesapeake, and returned to BYS North in Maryland, this concludes the Great Loop! Truly an ultimate cruising experience that incorporates the eastern seaboard, Great Lakes, and inland waterways. Despite covering much over the trip, the North American east coast cruising grounds still provide much more to explore. Many boaters even opt to tackle the Great Loop a second time to cover areas they might have missed or spend more time at locations they fell in love with along the way.
“I’d say the ease of handling was amazing. Her size simply disappears and, even though she’s 18 years old, she does exactly what you want her to do. Also, the layout of the boat allowed us to share the trip with Bernadette’s parents. Grab rails everywhere, well laid out stairs, and the wide exterior walkway, allowed them to move all about the boat with little concern for loss of balance. The amount of storage space made provisioning for 5 people easy.” – Robin and Bernadette: Fleming 55-156 “Blessed”
“Locking-through could take up an entire article in itself, however the truth is almost any couple can do it. A third person makes it easier since a hand is needed at both bow and stern. But a spry captain can set the boat against the lock wall and quickly move to the cockpit to handle the stern line. I should note that the cockpit controls are particularly useful to move the stern back to the wall when you miss the arresting cable.”- Curt and Bain: Fleming 65-023 “Aslan”
“My number one tip for cruising these days is Starlink. It replaces numerous systems on the boat such as KVH/DirectTV, Sirius Weather and XM radio. You will always have internet and it truly is a game changer! We removed the KVH domes to lighten the weight of the mast once we integrated Starlink. You will be lowering and raising the mast during this journey, so always make a stop at Burr on your way north and Michael Schoelkopf and the team will see that you are trained and have the skills and tools to feel comfortable and confident.”- Preston and Nina: Fleming 58-008 “45° North”
“We were very surprised as to the beauty of Michigan and how much we enjoyed it. If we were to do it again, we’d plan more time there. So many quaint and beautiful town with so much to offer.”
– Carol and Gary: Fleming 58-030 “Legacy”
“Slow down! If we had to do it again and I hope we do, slow down! Enjoy the little towns. Anchor and listen to nothing. Marvel at sitting on your Fleming you have always dreamed of owning. Oh, and be prepared to be peppered with admirers of your beautiful boat wherever you go.”- Robin and Bernadette: Fleming 55-156 “Blessed”
Mast and clearance adjustments are needed for certain areas of the Great Loop, specifically the canal systems and certain fixed bridges. Most Flemings are outfitted with a custom mast that is easily hinged down by unscrewing 6 bolts and gently lowering the mast onto a cylinder fender. We provide training and refreshers on this operation to ensure you are confident and comfortable with the procedure.
Extra fenders and lines are a must when traversing through the locks.
“Get some big old fenders that you don’t mind beating up and set of good, heavy duty gloves for handling the locks and lines in the Canals. The locks are not the place for your pretty, new custom covered fenders.”
– Robin and Bernadette, Fleming 55-156 “Blessed”
50 amp power can be difficult to find at the approach walls of various locks and even at marinas along the Great Loop. Prepare to use 30 amp power with splitters often, along with your onboard generator.
Wireless headsets can be a vital piece of gear for longer trips. Especially for trips like this with various locks to navigate, along with unique docking and anchoring situations.
Ensure you have charts for the various rivers, waterways, Great Lakes, and Canadian waters. Of course, having physical charts as backups is never a bad idea.
Researching and planning your route and stops ahead of time is important but try to remain flexible with your schedule. Allow for plenty of spare time in your initial plan to allow for weather.
Did you know BYS offers spare parts kits and a complete Fleming Tool Bag stocked with all the commonly needed tools for your Fleming? Contact us for further information.
We love to feature videos and photos from our Fleming owner’s adventures.
With our unrivaled service and a training program which includes comprehensive dock handling lessons, extensive instruction of the onboard systems and hands- on cruising, purchasing a new or previously-cruised Fleming from Burr Yacht Sales gives you the knowledge and confidence to enjoy your new boat to the fullest.
