Embrace your Pivots

  • The Best Marine Weather Apps for Boating
    The Best Marine Weather Apps for Boating

    After spending two years living on the water aboard our trawler, PIVOT, we quickly learned the best marine weather apps for boating. Since our lives were driven by the weather, it was important for us to learn and understand the weather because it was crucial to our comfort and success on the water. Understanding how…

  • Giving Tuesday Guide to Boating Nonprofits on the Great Loop Waterways
    Giving Tuesday Guide to Boating Nonprofits on the Great Loop Waterways

    Post summary: Giving Tuesday Boating Organizations: Great Loop Waterways and Boating Nonprofits. Throughout the two years we lived aboard our boat, PIVOT, we encountered many organizations committed to doing good in our communities. Whether you want to donate to an environmental organization from one of the many waterways on the Great Loop or support organizations…

  • Boating Florida’s Gulf Crossing vs. Big Bend
    Boating Florida’s Gulf Crossing vs. Big Bend

    Post Summary: Boating Florida’s Gulf Crossing or Big Bend The Gulf Crossing is an open water section of the Great Loop that all boaters must complete. The Great Loop is known for being a boating adventure that goes around the Eastern portion of the United States in protected waterways, with a few exceptions of open…

  • 101 Gift Ideas for Boaters and Loopers 2024
    101 Gift Ideas for Boaters and Loopers 2024

    Post Summary: Best Gift ideas For Boaters Under $25, Under $50, Under $100, luxury, budget-friendly, and more! We lived onboard our boat for almost 3 years and these items were either critical to our enjoyment, or ones we wanted! This gift ideas for boaters guide features the 101 best gifts for boat lovers. This list has…

  • The Ultimate Guide for Boating the Tennessee River (Chattanooga Side Trip)
    The Ultimate Guide for Boating the Tennessee River (Chattanooga Side Trip)

    The Tennessee River (Chattanooga side trip of America’s Great Loop) is a must-see. There are dramatic landscapes, cute small towns, and some of the most beautiful scenery on the mid-west rivers! In this post, we’ve compiled all of the tips and tricks we learned during our trip on the Tennessee River, including tips we received…

  • Dinghy Essentials – Everything You Need to Keep In Your Dinghy
    Dinghy Essentials – Everything You Need to Keep In Your Dinghy

    After living aboard our 34-foot trawler for two years, anchoring most of the time, and using our dinghy daily to take our dog to shore multiple times a day, we learned what crucial items to keep in our dinghy. In this guide, we go over the must-have dinghy essentials to keep in your dinghy! Short…

  • Everything you need to know for Boating the Cumberland River (Nashville Side Trip)
    Everything you need to know for Boating the Cumberland River (Nashville Side Trip)

    Discover scenic landscapes, charming small towns, and one of the best big cities while experiencing the beauty of the Cumberland River on a side trip to Nashville, Tennessee! One of the pieces of advice we received from a Gold Looper was to take all of the side trips along the Great Loop. We took that…

  • Travel Guide to Clarksville, Tennessee by Boat
    Travel Guide to Clarksville, Tennessee by Boat

    Clarksville, Tennessee, is a cute town located on the Cumberland River side trip on the way to Nashville. It’s a great, affordable stop for a night with a lot of fun things to do. The walkable Downtown is conveniently located near the city boat dock, making visiting Clarksville, Tennessee easily accessible by boat. About Clarksville,…

  • How Much it Costs To Do  America’s Great Loop in One Year
    How Much it Costs To Do America’s Great Loop in One Year

    In this blog post, we share our total expenses as we traveled around America’s Great Loop in one year. After sharing detailed, month-by-month expenses, we have totaled up the past 12 months in this post. By sharing our monthly Great Loop expenses, it will inspire prospective loopers that you don’t need to be retired or…

  • How to Lock a Boat (Our Step-By-Step Process)
    How to Lock a Boat (Our Step-By-Step Process)

    A large part of cruising on America’s Great Loop includes traveling on waterways with locks. In this post, we discuss how to lock a boat and all of the tips and tricks we’ve learned along the way. We go over locking gear, the Five Steps to Locking, locking agencies, unique locks on the Great Loop,…