We just spent two weeks sludging our way down the rivers. We'd heard tell of many boat nightmares in these parts: propellers and anchor chains snagged on submerged branches, hulls torn up by wingdams (man made rock walls in the river to push the current to the middle), Asian Carp jumping into your boat then …
Some of you may be aware that we learned about the Great Loop from my parents, Mike & Fran Moran. When Craig started dreaming about buying a boat, they handed him the book "Honey, Let's Get A Boat", written by Ron & Eva Stob, founders of America's Great Loop Crusing Association. Craig is not usually …
We are back in Wisconsin now after steaming up and around the tip of Michigan. We cruised a few long days to make up time, since we'd already seen many of the sights and our focus is now on getting down to Chicago. We had one of our roughest days ever while traveling to Port …
Wow, we just finished up a fantastic week! We traveled down Lake Huron, on the east side of Michigan and past Detroit, which, with all due respect, is not the touristy side of Michigan, but the more industrial. Not super exciting towns and, frankly, well...a little redneck. We were serenaded by horrible rock bands, surrounded …
Well, we completed our jaunt into Lake Superior and survived to tell the tale. Whew! We cruised over to Whitefish Point, where the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in 1975. We planned to continue to Munising but discovered their marina has the new power pedestals that Joy Girl trips, so we turned back. (Niki - Yay! Craig …
Yes, I have a song for every occasion. It's just the way my brain works. Drives Craig crazy since I hum each tune as it pops into my head. Today it is... It never rains in Northern Michigan, but girl, don't they warn ya? It pours, man, it pours. If you don't know this great …
When we first arrived in Grand Haven I often found myself humming this old Temptations tune... I've got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May. We'll, I guess you'd say what can make me feel this way... Joy Girl, talkin' 'bout Joy Girl. Yes, she is a …
Ahoy, mateys! We hope all is well with our friends around the world! Winter has passed and spring is here. Hallelujah. It was a strange winter for us. We were lost in retirement transition pains without our full and active life on Joy Girl. And it was difficult to watch my mother suffer as she …
During our 9 months living aboard and 7 months of travel from May to October we docked or anchored Joy Girl in 86 different locations. We cruised 3,100 nautical miles (3,584 statute miles) in 10 states and 2 countries. Naturally, people ask us "What were your favorite places?" We asked the same question of other …
Since we talked last the Team Joy Girl trajectory was modified. After weeks of discussion and prayer we decided to return home to Colorado for the winter! What?! Why? Primarily, we both have parents in their 80's (two are holding their own at 88) who we want to spend time with and provide assistance to. …
Team Joy Girl Adventures 