I have often been asked if it was possible to do the Great Loop in a sailboat. My answer to sailing the Loop was YES. We had actually done it. A true sailor would be cheating himself of an enjoyable experience if he did the Loop only under power. Do the Loop in whatever boat you have. If you have a sailboat on which you can live comfortably for a week at a time, use that. Remember that the Loop has been done in everything from a kayak to a 60' sports fisherman. Probably by next year it will be done by a kid in an inner tube. Basically the Loop is a voyage through the ICW, Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, the Canadian canals to Georgian Bay, the Great Lakes, the Chicago River, the Mississippi River, the Tennessee/Tombege Rivers, the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida and back up the Atlantic coast to the starting point. Or in the other direction if you are a contrarian. With the exception of narrow rivers and canal cuts, about 2/3 of the Loop is in prime sailing areas,? Nearly thirty years ago my wife and I did the Loop in a 23' Westerly Nomad auxiliary sailboat. Power was provided by a 12HP Volvo MB10 engine. Today, of course, a 4 stroke 8 or 9 hp outboard could substitute for the heavy inboard Volvo. In fact any engine capable of punching the craft through a headwind at 5 knots is adequate. There is no advantage to speed. If you can average 20 miles a day, about the speed of a toddler on a tricycle, a full Loop trip will take only 10 months. The Nomad is a cruising sailboat constructed on the English model and emphasizes seaworthiness and interior accommodation rather than a large cockpit. It is large enough for a couple, probably too small for a family. It had adequate creature comforts, a cook stove, a sink, an enclosed head, an ice box, hanging lockers, standing head room and comfortable berths. It was very easy for a couple to handle in canals and locks. The fact that my wife and I still speak to each other is probably due to our resolve to spend at least one night a week in a shore side motel, eating a good meal, and taking lengthy hot showers. We anchored out 90% of the time so that saving paid for our weekly indulgence. With the wisdom of hindsight, I would choose a slightly larger boat today, but not one much bigger than 30'. If you want to know what the Nomad looks like, see: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WesterlyNomadand22? The Nomad's tabernacle mounted mast could be lowered or raised by one person in 20 minutes. This was critical. We could lower the mast for a canal or a low bridge, then raise it for a stretch of open water. I agree that doing the loop in a sailboat with a keel stepped mast would be more inconvenient. Fixed Erie Canal and Champlain Canal bridges require an air height no greater than 15 feet. There is a 17 foot bridge at the entrance to the Chicago River. Most of the bridges on the rivers and ICW can handle much taller masts. Our trip included side excursions of a few weeks of cruising in the Finger Lakes, the Fla. Keys and the Bahamas. The ability to sail was a definite asset. Except for narrow rivers and canals, large, and very enjoyable portions of the trip were made under sail. This includes the Hudson, Lake Champlain, the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes, Georgian Bay, the Gulf Coasts, the Florida Keys, Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, and the Jersey Shore. All are great sailing venues. Sailing much of the Loop reduced our fuel bill considerably. A neighbor who recently returned from a Loop trip spent over $3600 on fuel. Our fuel bill for the entire trip was only a couple of hundred dollars. Of course gas was cheaper then. Two reasonably fit sailors can muscle a modest sized boat in locks and into fuel docks without the assistance of dock attendants. Our basic philosophy as sailors was that the boat should be self contained and not require any marina hookups. Anchoring out is a pleasure, not a chore. I would like to stress that there is nothing illegal or immoral about sailing on a Great Loop trip. The object of the trip is to enjoy the varied experiences that the voyage has to offer. Whether it is done under power or sail is irrelevant. Eventually we had a couple of kids who needed more room than a small sailboat could provide. We moved up to a larger boat, cruised in it for 15 years and then sold it. We kept the Westerly Nomad as a family pet. It is just right for two senior citizens. We are quite familiar with America's Great Loop Association, but we did our trip long before the Stobs did it and the AGLCA existed.? Larry Z