The Captain’s Corner

On our first Great Loop Journey in May 2019, we sent a weekly travel update, calling it a newsletter. It shared details of our adventures so friends and family could follow our experiences on the water. As we gained more knowledge, our newsletter evolved into a twice-monthly educational publication for our second Great Loop Journey.

Sam earned his Captain’s License and started sharing boating tips in a segment called The Captain’s Corner. We celebrated our 100th Captain’s Corner in August 2025, featuring reflections from many who finished the loop. Over the years, several Guest Writers have contributed, and soon, we will have reprints of Captain Corner’s portions available to our online course customers.

2021

  • May 5th Lyle’s Law of Certitude
  • May 20th 2019 Recreational Boat Statistics – Why Boats Crash
  • May 5th Blasts of the Horn – Sound Signals
  • Jun 20th 2019 Recreational Boat Statistics – Skin Care
  • Jul 5th Getting A Captain’s License
  • Jul 20th Boat Construction Terminology
  • Aug 5th Appeal for Topics
  • Aug 20th Fog and Restricted Visibility
  • Sep 5th Wing Dams – Say What
  • Sep 20th Coast Pilot
  • Oct 5th Mornings of a Trip
  • Oct 20th Unexpected Fog on the Tennessee River
  • Nov 5th My Grounding – Stupid Captain Tricks
  • Nov 20th Guest Writer – Dave G – Aground in the Mississippi
  • Dec 5th Guest Writer – Susan Day – Grounding Lessons
  • Dec 20th Communication

2022

  • Jan 20th 2020 Recreational Boat Statistics
  • Feb 5th Weather and Wind Apps
  • Feb 20th The Float Plan
  • Mar 5th USCG Safety Inspections
  • Mar 20th Electronic Chart Updates
  • Apr 5th Our Process for Looping
  • Apr 20th Guest Writer – Capt Bruce – The Road to a Captain’s License
  • May 5th A Bob423 Surprise and Lions, Tigers and Bears!
  • May 20th Know When to Go – When to Do, Who to Trust
  • Jun 5th Sam’s Six “W”s for Planning
  • Jun 20th Our Reflections on Two Loops
  • Jul 5th What it Takes to Become a Crew
  • Jul 20th Electronic Charting
  • Aug 5th Guest Writer – Warren Cochrane – Emergencies – They Happen
  • Aug 20th Which is Easier – Flying or Boating?
  • Sep 5th Labor Day on the Erie Canal
  • Sep 20th Addressing Recent Questions on the Captain License
  • Oct 5th Guest Writer – Capt Paul Harmina – Training to Train
  • Oct 20th Guest Writer – Capt Scott Nowak – More About Training – Specifically Reciprocity
  • Nov 5th Back to Basics – Rules of the Road
  • Nov 20th Guest Writer – Rus Davies – A Special Visitor on the Inland Rivers
  • Dec 5th  What Direction? – Magnetic versus True
  • Dec 20th Special Christmas Message and Playlist

2023

  • Jan 5th Boat Cards as an Important Resource
  • Jan 20th Planning One Trip at a Time
  • Feb 5th How to Help a Reluctant First Mate
  • Feb 20th What to Know when the North Wind Blows!
  • Mar 5th Wind and Wave Apps Trends
  • Mar 20th How to Update Navionics and Waterway Guide Reviews
  • Apr 5th Red Right Returning, Say What
  • Apr 20th 2021 Recreational Boat Statistics
  • May 5th More on Communication
  • May 20th Communication Tools
  • Jun 5th  Locking – Science Meets Art – Procedure Welcomes Techniques
  • Jun 20th Trained but Paranoid
  • Jul 5th Marinas – Using Resources and Local Knowledge
  • Jul 20th Let’s Help out Other Boaters with Quality Reviews
  • Aug 5th Welland Canal Upbound to Lake Erie
  • Aug 20th Boating Lingo and a Berkey
  • Sep 5th Wind and Waves Predictions and Goodbye Boat
  • Sep 20th Planning Strategy
  • Oct 5th 2022 Recreational Boat Statistics & Locking
  • Oct 20th Do You Know How to Lock?
  • Nov 5th What Not to Do
  • Nov 20th Can Pleasure Craft and Delivery Captains Coexist – Peacefully, that is?
  • Dec 5th Have an Alternate – For Songs, Too!
  • Dec 20th Guest Writer – Capt Noah Eckhouse – A Captain’s Story   

2024

  • Jan 5th The Great Loop Planning Calendar
  • Jan 20th The Learning Triangle
  • Feb 5th Guest Writer – Susan Day – Special Love Edition
  • Feb 20th Guest Writer –  Capt Paul Whelan – Moving from One Boat to the Next!
  • Mar 5th Shemanship – An Old Book Resurfaces
  • Mar 20th SPRING UP the East Coast and What to Wear
  • Apr 5th Goodbye Paper Charts and Maps – Marriage Savers Care
  • Apr 20th Boat Buying Guide and Your Marriage (or Relationship)
  • May 5th Guest Writer – Rus Davies – Drydock for the LST
  • May 20th Canal, Canals and More Canals
  • Jun 5th Guest Writer – Capt Nevin – A Captain’s Account of His Grounding
  • Jun 20th Guest Writers – Bob and Kathy – JUST DO IT!
  • Jul 5th 2023 Recreational Boat Statistics
  • Jul 20th Autopilot on the Loop
  • Aug 5th Autopilot Best Practices
  • Aug 20th  Winter Storage – Plan Ahead
  • Sep 5th  Where Do You Start the Loop and How Can You Leave Home for a Year?
  • Sep 20th  Guest Writer – Chris Quale – Building Experience on the Erie Canal
  • Oct 20th What’s this about a Green Nun?
  • Nov 5th  Solving Problems While Boating
  • Nov 20th Holiday Edition – Pumpkin Spice to Alternative Tunes
  • Dec 20th  Space Force Anniversary

2025

  • Jan 5th  What’s On Your Boat?
  • Jan 20th  Getting the Last Stuff off our Boat – For Good
  • Feb 5th  Getting Hazard Notices and Alerts
  • Feb 20th Guest Writer – Capt Paul Whelan – A Digital Skeptic’s Journey
  • Mar 5th Building Blocks of Effective and Efficient Training
  • Mar 20th Guest Writer – Capt Joe Oster – Can You Rescue Someone?
  • Apr 5th Spring Up the East Coast 2.0
  • Apr 20th Guest Writer  – Frank Santiago – Marine Insurance: Evolution or Revolution?
  • May 5th Decisions, Decisions – “Wind The Clock”
  • May 20th Guest Writer – Capt Paul Whelan – Loop Reflections, Lessons Learned, and Commentary
  • Jun 5th Guest Writer – Capt Joe Oster- What’s this about Boat Shoes?
  • Jun 20th Guest Writer – Capt Duane Ritter – What do I do with my Captain’s License?
  • Jul 5th Guest Writer – Capt Joe Oster – Flag Etiquette – Don’t be THAT Boat!
  • Jul 20th Guest Writer – Dave Fuller – 2024 Recreational Boat Statistics – A Closer Look
  • Aug 5th Our 100th Captain’s Corner Celebration – The One Thing about the Great Loop is…
  • Aug 20th Our One Thing and Guest Writer – Capt Joe Oster – New Rules for the Bahamas
  • Sept 5th Fall Down the Rivers – Part 1 Chicago, IL to Paducah, KY
  • Sept 20th Fall Down the Rivers – Part 2 Paducah, KY to Mobile, AL
  • Oct 5th Winterization Choices
  • Oct 20th Sam’s Favorite Boating Apps
  • Nov 5th Guest Writer – Joann Shuff – Loop Life Lessons — Little Things That Make a Big Difference
  • Nov 20th Do You Need an Inverter on your Boat?
  • Dec 5th An App that Could Save your Life or Help you Save Others!
  • Dec 20th Guest Writer – Captain Pete Traver – Get a Taste of Cruising!

2026

Now a once a month publication.