The End of the Adventure

 It has been a year since I purchased the Dorothy Scott and set out to do The Great Loop. Unfortunately, sometimes we are not successful in the endeavors we set out to do. After spending a year and a great deal of money and effort, I have decided it is time to end the adventure for now and refocus back in Austin. I have put the boat up for sale in St Petersburg, FL and am preparing to move all my stuff back to Austin.

This trip has been filled with some great moments and some very low points that challenged my character and my resolve. In the end, I think the boat is just too old to reliably go on a year long trip around the loop. She is much better suited to live in a marina somewhere and give her owner many great memories in local bodies of water.

I thought I would share some highlights and lowlights from the trip. Pretty much everything I shared on social media was highlights. I tended to hide many of the lowlights as I was trying to stay focused on the positive.

Highlights

I have met so many great people on this trip. Every place I spent more than a day, I have met someone that I intend to keep in contact with. I have seen many museums, historical landmarks, the Miami Open, miles of beaches, dolphins, manatees, sunrises, sunsets and more. I have traveled with friends from the Potomac to Delray Beach and Boynton Beach to Key West. I've eaten at dives and fancy restaurants, and the food has been amazing at both. I have also caught my dinner and eaten fresh sashimi on the boat. Some of the coolest experiences have been just looking at the stars at night with no other boats around. I was able to complete about 25% of the loop.

Lowlights

There have been more of these than I care to admit. I can't even count the number of times I said to myself, "screw this stupid boat, I am done!" Probably the funniest lowlight was coming back in the little boat to the big boat while anchored out in Miami Beach at 2:30am, only to find that the big boat was not where I left it. Make sure your anchor is set solid and then throw out a 2nd one if you dont want your boat to float away! I have had engines fail, the generator fail, A/C units go out, electrical failures, multiple leaks, fiberglass break, the seat on the tender tear off, strainers fall into the ocean, hoses leak, oil leak, seals fail, broken bones, countless cuts and bruises, funky smells I couldnt track down, cushions blow away, and more. The financial side has been difficult too. I have spent more than three times the initial budget (which I intentionally inflated) on repairs and upgrades.

Where from here?

Although I have given up on this trip, I have not given up on completing the loop. I will make another attempt at this adventure at some point in the future, but will choose a much newer boat! I will also wait until I have someone who is able to join me on this adventure. It has been difficult to do this by myself. 

I plan to re-establish my home base back in Austin and focus on my business and my family and friends for the next few years. One thing I have learned is that I really do need a home base. When I set out on this trip, I thought I could be a nomad the rest of my life, whether that be traveling on a boat or AirBnB-ing around the world. I do plan on doing a lot of traveling, but keep that home base for my own mental stability.

I would like to thank everyone who has supported me on this adventure. Everyone said I was crazy to do this, especially by myself, but you kept me encouraged the entire way. I wouldnt have made it this far without all of your support.

Off to the next adventure!