Cruising America’s Great Loop: Guides, Courses & Essential Gear
Great Loop Cruising Resources
America’s Great Loop is a bucket-list adventure—roughly 6,000 miles of waterways stretching around the eastern half of the U.S., with optional routes into Canada and the Bahamas. Whether you're planning your route, organizing essential documents, or learning key onboard skills, this collection provides the guides, courses, and references to help you cruise with confidence.
Smooth Sailing on America’s Great Loop
A successful Great Loop journey doesn’t just happen—you need the right knowledge, tools, and resources to plan your route, manage life aboard, and stay organized along the way. This collection brings together practical guides, courses, and references to help you cruise with confidence.
Cruising Guides – Navigate with ease using detailed guides for key sections of the Loop, including the Florida Guld, Keys, Bahamas, Atlantic ICW, and Chesapeake Bay. Find anchorages, fuel stops, other services, and more without having to wade through pages of text.
Onboard Skills & Education – Plenty of places teach boat handling and navigation, but what about the everyday skills of living on a boat? Our courses cover the real-world, often-overlooked essentials—from provisioning and storing food to organizing limited space, the basics of daily life, and even cruising with a dog. Our All-Access Pass gives you lifetime access to every course we offer.
Navigation & Documentation – Keep essential records organized with the Ship’s Log and Boat Documents Organizer. Plus, the VHF Quick Reference ensures you always know exactly what to do when you pick up the microphone.
A well-prepared Great Loop cruiser is a happier, safer cruiser. These resources will help you plan ahead, stay organized, and make the most of your adventure.
Cruising Guides for the Great Loop: Quick, Reliable Info at a Glance
Cruising America’s Great Loop means constantly moving through new waters—but finding fuel, marinas, anchorages, and essential services shouldn’t slow you down. Our guides are designed for fast, stress-free access to the information you need, with clear, organized tables that put your priorities first.
Whether you're looking for a safe anchorage, a haulout, or a grocery store, these guides help you cruise efficiently—so you can spend less time searching and more time enjoying the journey.
Go down the columns to find the features you want
Know the best and nearest place to head for everything you need
Location, name, height, tide, schedule, and how to call
Location, restrictions including max. beam, and how to contact
Find convenient spots to tie up without the cost
Navigate confidently, knowing what to expect at each one
Identify trouble spots and key areas to watch for safe cruising
Dredging markers and horn signals
Need it now? Or don't have a shipping address? No problem! All our guides are available as PDF downloads, in addition to the print copies. Order the PDF to get it instantly without the worry of where to have it sent.
Courses to Prepare You for the Great Loop
Cruising America’s Great Loop isn’t just about navigating waterways—it’s about mastering the day-to-day realities of life aboard. Our courses focus on the essential, often-overlooked skills that make long-term cruising easier, from provisioning in unfamiliar places to securing your boat in a storm.
Whether you're planning your Loop adventure or already underway, these courses help you cruise with confidence. Choose the course that fits your needs—or get the All Access Pass for unlimited learning!
$199.00
-$421.00
Get lifetime access to all courses and master every challenge of living on a boat
Flatten the learning curve and step into life aboard with confidence. Learn daily routines, essential skills, and what to expect for a smooth transition to full-time boat life.
Confidently create your provisioning list, shop smarter, and store food aboard with a step-by-step action plan
Essential References & Organizers for a Smooth Great Loop Journey
Staying organized on America’s Great Loop makes life aboard easier—and these tools were designed by experienced cruisers to help. The Ship’s Log keeps trip notes, maintenance, and repairs clearly documented. The Boat Documents Organizer ensures your registration, insurance, and other essential documents are secure and accessible. The VHF Radio Reference puts key info in hand when you need it. And The Boat Galley Cookbook helps you cook aboard with ease, even in remote anchorages.
Practical, real-world-tested resources to help you stay prepared, efficient, and stress-free on your adventure.
Five logs in one! Track daily trips, maintenance by system, and routine checks to spot problems early and stay organized effortlessly.
$29.63
-$32.92
Keep your boat paperwork secure, organized, and instantly accessible with space for up to 400 pages. Includes a checklist of essential documents to have aboard.
$14.29
Essential guide for basic and emergency VHF calls, phonetic alphabet, channel usage, and best practices for clear communication. Durable, waterproof.
$46.38
-$50.00
Over 800 boat-friendly recipes plus tips for cooking aboard, smart substitutions, and creative solutions for every galley challenge.
Where You've Seen Us
Meet The Boat Galley Team
At The Boat Galley, we’re all cruisers. We know the joys—and the challenges—of boat life. The steep learning curve, costly mistakes, and hours spent searching for answers can be overwhelming. We’ve been there. That’s why we’ve created practical tools, trusted resources, and real-world guides to help you skip the frustrations and focus on enjoying your cruising life.
- Founder of The Boat Galley
- 17 years liveaboard cruiser
- US, Mexico, Bahamas, Central America, Virgin Islands, Turkey
- Cruisers University instructor
- Cruising Guide creator
- 6 years living aboard and cruising
- US East Coast from Florida Keys to Maine and Bahamas
- Ex-Air Force; singlehander
- Provisioning guru; podcaster
- On & off living aboard since 1992
- Atlantic crossing; US, Caribbean, and Bahamas
- Years of cruising with kids
- VHF pro and frugal cruiser
- Cruiser and delivery captain
- US East Coast, Bahamas, Haiti, and Caribbean
- Cruisers University instructor
- Creator of Cruising With Your Dog
- 7 years cruising with Honey
- US East Coast and ICW
- Part of the Go Pet Friendly team
- 15+ years writing about dogs
- Graphics designer
- 8 years living aboard
- US East Coast to SE Caribbean
- Design and layout for all printed products
- Social media coordinator
- Pacific Ocean: Seattle, WA to New Zealand, incl. French Polynesia
- Complete newbie to sailing prior to her 11,000 nm voyage
- Boatshow booth "mom"
- Sabbatical and part-year cruiser
- US, Bahamas, Caribbean
- Family cruising New England to southern Caribbean
Curious about our story and what drives us? Learn more about us here.