We’ve Gone Gold

We did it!!! On July 9th, 2017 at 1:05pm Jeff and I officially crossed our wake at Great Kills Yacht Club (GKYC) in Staten Island, New York and became gold loopers. 375 days after starting out last June from GKYC and over 7,000 miles we are officially done with the loop. We left Manasquan, New Jersey around 8a.m. for our last ever cruise of the great loop. We were both giddy, excited and a little nostalgic for the upcoming event. It was sunny and breezy and the cruise was easy effortless. We passed the famed Jersey shore and cruised through loads of fishing boats. As we saw New York in the distance we both couldn’t believe it. How in the hell did we make it back here a year later?! While the scenery was familiar the route was new. We had never come into Staten Island only left from it. As we got closer things got more familiar and Jeff made several phone calls to John at GKYC to let him know our progress and our arrival time. Last year before we started out John was instrumental in helping us ready the boat for the loop. He provided guidance as a gold looper and lots of helpful information as a Staten Island local. As we approached GKYC we saw him staring on the dock waving us in. Our welcome wagon party of 1. I was happy to see his familiar face and felt a little chocked up as Jeff eased us into the face dock. John tied us up and immediately asked, “where is your gold flag?” After we were secure Jeff and I took a moment to congratulate one another for job well done and helping each other so much throughout the entire loop. John told us he has something for us and returned with a bottle of champaign. We couldn’t believe it. How sweet. After we got things tied up on the boat we walked down to John’s boat and cracked the bottle of champaign with him and his wife. Our big hurrah!!! Hey at least we had them. Most people return to their home dock where all of their friends and family are waiting with signs and cheering. We were happy for anything being so far from home. What a day and what an accomplishment. John walked back to the boat with us and took several picture commemorating our special day.

As the day went on more and more people knew we had completed our loop and were calling and texting to check in. My parents called and congratulated us. Our good friends Scott and Karen called us from Canada where they are still looping to say congrats and soon to be loopers Randal and Michelle texted and cheers’d us from California. We felt very special and very elated. Later that day we walked down to Cole’s Seafood Restaurant where we had dinner last June the night before starting the loop and had another bottle of champaign and dinner to celebrate and reminisce. We did it!!