An interview with John Wooldridge, on the Greatest Loop from Hoppies Marina near Saint Louis, MO to Fairhope, AL

1- Why did you get involved in the Greatest Loop Adventure and what was your role?

I wanted to participate in the Greatest Loop adventure because it was relevant and interesting for my job as editor-in-chief of PassageMaker Magazine. It provided me with a great opportunity to learn, but also on a personal level, I definitely enjoy cruising whenever I get an opportunity!

Initially, I was going to captain the boat from Fairhope, AL to Key West, FL, but due to schedule conflicts from another crewmember, we needed to make adjustments. I jumped on the chance to join professional Captain Jeremy Hopkins from Hoppies Marina near Saint Louis, MO to Fairhope, AL. Since I had never experienced the inland rivers of our country, it worked out great. I’ll admit though, it was both a professional and personal challenge.

 

2- What were your expectations of cruising the Mississippi? Would you do it again?

Before taking this trip, I read a lot of stories about people who had cruised the Mississippi, so I was looking for a certain number of things. I was expecting swift currents, weir dams and heavy commercial traffic, but I wasn’t prepared for the beauty I saw there. It was totally unexpected. Beautiful landscapes, abundant vegetation, vast wilderness and plenty of agriculture too. Paradoxically, other areas further along would be buzzing with heavy industry, but not that many towns. From fields to power plants, then out of nowhere a rock quarry...it was always something different in a matter of just miles. Overall, it was much bigger than I anticipated. I felt really small and this feeling was quite amazing.

Keep in mind; summer is not the prime season to run this trip so there were not a lot of boats going down towards the Gulf of Mexico. We passed maybe half a dozen other boats going in the opposite direction. At times, it almost felt as through we were decades in the past. Despite the scarcity of recreational boaters on the Mississippi, I never felt lonely. Captain Hopkins and I became friends almost instantly.

I would love doing this trip again because it is a wonderful experience for people who enjoy cruising in general. It changes things up a bit. You can spend the rest of your life cruising on the Chesapeake Bay, but there are so many different things to do. I realized how lucky I was to take part in this trip.

 

3- What are the main differences between cruising down a river and riding on the open water?

Essentially, you have to be highly aware of everything at all times - staying in the channel (something Capt. Hopkins negotiated very well despite missing markers taken out by the current), looking at the chart plotter to keep water depth in check, following the river bed, anticipating currents and watching out for commercial traffic. There was always something to keep in mind. It was my first river cruising experience, so it really presented itself as a challenge to me.

 

4- How was the Greatest Loop running after 180 hours, 2,200 miles and about 2 months into her journey?

For us, the boat ran perfectly. It was just magnificent. The Swift 34 was light, yet strong with a very efficient diesel engine (a Cummins QSB5.9 425HP). We felt really safe with her. Her fuel burn was right where we expected it to be, and it made our planning around fueling stops very predictable – and actually our fuel consumption ended up less than theoretical figures. On the first day of our trip on the Mississippi, at around 11.2 knots, our average fuel consumption was about 5.06 gallon per hour whereas what we would normally expect with the Swift 34 in fair conditions is about 8.2 gallons per hour.

The favorable current on this river (at the headwaters of the Mississippi, the average surface speed of the water is near 1.2 miles per hour - roughly one-third as fast as people walk) together with the actual load of the boat and the wind justify this change in figures. It is actually amazing to see how much those facts impacted the performance of this particular boat.

 

5- According to you, what are the main strengths of the Swift Trawler 34? What feature or equipment did you particularly enjoy?

You know, there were just two of us on the boat, and she is quite simply a very good boat for two people. She would easily accommodate four people – just as long as they get along well!

The captain slept in the second stateroom, and I slept in the roomier forward cabin. Jeremy told me to go there because I’m so tall, you know! Meanwhile, Jeremy fit comfortably in the second stateroom. We had the option of opening up the sofa in the salon, but we preferred not to – one less thing to deal with in the morning, especially since we got underway very early each day.

The fly bridge of the Swift Trawler 34 is remarkably spacious and comfortable. We took turns driving the boat and taking pictures from the upper helm, and that was enjoyable. At one point, we brought a couple guests onboard. On the fly bridge, we never felt crowded. I’d be pressed to find anything wrong with it, except perhaps for the table that’s a bit too large.

Overall, she is a great package for a couple and two kids.

I have to say I really enjoyed the inReach communication device. For hours at a time on the rivers we would lose network through the onboard 4G card, but we’d rely on the satellite-based system to post and receive messages. The SOS feature was just a push of a button away and even though we never got remotely close to a perilous situation, it offered great peace of mind.

 

6- So you mentioned earlier that you’re tall. Exactly how tall are you? Did you encounter any headroom problems on the boat?

Oh, I’m six-foot three inches, and I actually did get a couple bruises. No seriously, the only time I hit my head was when I hurried back to my cabin to grab my camera, and well, I could have used a big sign with flashing lights above the threshold, “John, be careful!” In the cabin and throughout the boat, headroom was more than adequate.

 

7- What is the most memorable aspect of the trip you had not anticipated?

I think it was the unexpected kindness of people. One example, when we arrived on PickWick Marina late on a Sunday afternoon. The marina store was closed, and we got stuck with our 30 AMP power cord and a 50 AMP shore power plug. We sought the help of a security guard named Jim to find someone around who could let us borrow an adapter, but there was nobody at this hour. Jim took it upon himself to fetch the keys to the store and open it for us, so we could buy an adapter. That was really nice. He went out of his way to save us from a miserable night. Air conditioning in these hot and humid conditions was no luxury. It was necessity! Of course, we could have used the generator, but we preferred to keep the hours low on it since the boat will be sold upon its return to Annapolis.

At another marina, we called a nearby restaurant ahead of our arrival. They actually came to pick us up and drove us two miles to the restaurant then dropped us back off after our meal. It does not get any better than that!

 

8- Is there anything missing aboard the boat logistically or technically?

In my boat, I would have also added a handheld radio. Capt. Hopkins did bring one with him along with a handheld GPS. You can’t have too many backups! 

[Note: Beneteau downloaded the Navionics app on the Greatest Loop’s resident iPad which was charged at night or with an inverter as needed]

And also, (I can say this now that my leg is over!) have a 30/50 AMP adapter on board. You might find some marinas in a few of the more commercialized sections of the river not offering 30 AMP shore power. Otherwise, plan on using your generator and save yourself the adapter expense.

 

9- What advice could you give to people who want to make this trip?

I would tell them to read everything they can about the Great Loop! They should also join America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association. It’s the best way to connect with fellow ‘loopers’ who’ve already experienced some if not the entire journey. And, they make great friends too!

Also, it’s critical to bring good charts. A guidebook will also come in handy. I’d recommend the Waterway Guide which really helped us along the way, as did the Skipper Bob cruising guides.