The Prequel

Or, How we got here.

Tim started the journey early in life teaching himself to sail at the age of 11. From there he moved up thru a range of trailerable sailboats. From a Sunfish, to a Jet 14, to 16′ G-Cat catamaran. Learning to windsurf in high-school, then a Catalina 27 soon after college. The dream deferred for a while with the arrival of marriage and children. After many years of canoeing and kayaking when the kids were old enough, a return to sailing as the kids left for college. A Weta trimaran expanded the boating learning with an entry in sailboat racing in 2013.

As the Stages of life progressed with the kids all gone to college and beyond Martha joined the dream of a boating journey. We concluded a Great Loop trip would be a good place to start.

JULY 2019 – The journey began with a search for a capable boat, suitable for the year long trip. The search started with a slant towards a boat with a working / blue collar styling. The search for a trawler style boat led us to Trawlers Great Lakes (TGL) in Traverse City, MI, a Nordic Tug Dealer. One of the offering of TGL is Trawler School that provides not only book learning and hands on training but a chance live on a Nordic Tug 32 for the duration of the class. This allowed us to advance our knowledge of boating, our skills in boat handling and to gain a grasp of what we liked and disliked in a boat as a “home”.

October 2019 – A trip to Rogersville, AL to attend the AGLCA Fall Rendzevous expanded our knowledge in many areas and meeting all the current and future loopers generated an excitement to continue the path to doing our Loop.

February 2020 – A Taste Of The Loop Cruise with Scott and Karen DeVoll answered many more questions and unleashed the search for a Nordic Tug 37.

February 2020 – On our way back from the time with Scott and Karen we looked at two NT37’s in Florida. The first boat we looked at would have been a project boat, but gave a baseline to compare the others too. The second was well maintained and well equipped but showed her age.

March 2020 – A trip set up by Jay at TGL allowed us to look at two more 37’s in the New York area. These both showed many signs of their life in saltwater, and deferred maintenance.

May 2020 – Early May brought a phone call from Jay telling us he had found our boat! A rare(-ish) Single cabin NT37 came on the market. It was a boat Jay had sold originally and new it had been well maintained. We looked at the provided photos in the listing then with Jay’s help we submitted an offer contingent on survey results. Based on an agreeable counter offer Jay and Tim headed south to Savanah, GA to see the boat and have the survey done. The next week the boat was on a truck and delivered to Traverse City, MI

Summer 2020 – We spent the summer learning the boat. We practiced maneuvering, docking, anchoring and living aboard. We made lists of things we needed to fix and upgrade and worked our way thru the lists. Day trips around Grand Traverse Bay, swimming at Marion Island, and visits to Suttons Bay and Elk Rapids built our knowledge and confidence.

Summer 2021 – 2021 started slow with some fiberglass work and health issues. Then finally launch and more projects, upgrades and personalization between more practice.

Tim also signed on as crew to deliver a NT32 from St. Charles, MO to St. Petersburg, FL. This was a great 3 week education in boat handling, trip planning, locks, currents and commercial traffic.

Fall/Winter 2021- Margin is currently in storage for the 21-22 Michigan winter. A few more upgrades in the works this winter. Launch in the spring and the plan is to be thru Chicago before the lock shut down in Mid August.