Skipper Jack & Migal

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

🌊⚡ WHEN THE STRAIGHT LINE BECOMES A ZIGZAG… YOU KNOW THE LAKE HAD OTHER PLANS‼️ ⚓

Thursday, September 3, 2026

🍂 Falling Down the Central U.S. — Day 6
🛥️ Travel Day 5
🇺🇸 Day 157 since departing Jacksonville, Florida

This morning M/V Galian departed Ludington with what appeared to be a very favorable Lake Michigan forecast and a plan to cruise approximately 56.2 miles / 7 hours south to an anchorage in Muskegon Lake.

As always, however, we had already identified several bailout harbors along the route should the weather change.

And change it did.

We began with seas of perhaps ½ foot, some intermittent drizzle and generally manageable conditions. Major thunderstorms were developing both behind us to the north and ahead of us to the south. Amazingly, Galian managed to travel through a relatively quiet corridor between them and never actually encountered the thunderstorms themselves.

⚡ The lightning map tells quite a story, though — at one point strikes were occurring only about 6 miles away.

While we missed the thunderstorms, Lake Michigan apparently received the memo! 🌊

The seas continued building until our comfortable southbound ride was gone. Eventually the waves were large enough on Galian’s beam that continuing straight south was no longer the prudent choice.

That is where the crazy-looking blue line on our Nebo track comes from.

For roughly the final hour, instead of fighting the seas broadside, we repeatedly altered course — turning southwest to take the waves at a safer angle, then southeast to recover some of the southing we needed. Back and forth we went, essentially tacking our way toward the next safe harbor.

At that point, Muskegon was no longer the goal.

Getting Galian and her crew safely off Lake Michigan was.

Fortunately, White Lake was one of the bailout locations we had identified before leaving Ludington. After approximately 49 miles and 6 hours 45 minutes underway, we reached the White Lake inlet and turned for shelter.

What a transformation!

We went from wrestling with Lake Michigan to water that was practically glass. We continued into White Lake, found our spot, dropped the hook, and Galian settled comfortably at anchor. ⚓❤️

And suddenly the day that had demanded our full attention gave us one heck of an evening.

🌅 A gorgeous sunset over White Lake…

🥩 Followed by a wonderful steak dinner aboard Galian, prepared with a little teamwork from the gas grill, air fryer, microwave and hot plate…

🍷 And then feet up for the evening with a Polish film about an extraordinary surgeon in the late 1800s.

Quite a contrast from the afternoon!

There is a reason we identify bailout harbors before casting off. A destination is a plan — not a promise. When conditions change, the plan changes with them.

Tonight Galian is safely anchored on calm White Lake, and tomorrow’s intended destination is Holland Harbor, approximately 47 miles / 6 hours south — weather permitting, of course! 😉⚓

Skipper Jack & Migal aboard M/V Galian 👋😍😎🤙

09/02/2026

⚓❣️ WE FINALLY GOT TO MEET ROBERT, CAPTAIN OF M/V KNOT TOO LATE‼️

Robert has been following the adventures of Skipper Jack & Migal for years, and after all this time our wakes finally crossed in person!

What a joy it was to finally meet, shake hands, and spend some time swapping boating and Great Loop stories with this lifetime boater who is also out living his own Great American Loop adventure. 🛥️⚓

One of the greatest treasures of this journey continues to be the people we meet along the way. Friendships can begin from hundreds of miles away, and then one day you look down the dock and finally get to say, “Great to meet you in person!” ❤️

Fair winds and safe travels to Captain Robert and M/V Knot Too Late as our Loop adventures continue! 👋😍😎🤙

08/29/2026

🍂⚓ SPRING NORTH ✅ SUMMER ACROSS ✅ NOW WE FALL SOUTH! 🍁

Friday, 28 August 2026

Yesterday marked another MAJOR milestone in our Great American Loop Adventure aboard M/V Galian! 🇺🇸🛥️

We cast off from Mackinac Island and cruised 62.7 statute miles in 8 hours and 1 minute, crossing from the island to Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

But yesterday was about much more than simply getting from one port to another.

It was the day our 2026 journey changed direction! 🧭

Since leaving Jacksonville, Florida, at the end of March, we have been SPRINGING NORTH 🌷—working our way up the East Coast until eventually reaching our Home Port at the Schenectady Yacht Club in New York.

Then came SUMMERING ACROSS ☀️—traveling west across the historic Erie Canal, north through the Oswego Canal, across Lake Ontario into Canada 🇨🇦, through the Trent-Severn Waterway, Georgian Bay and the North Channel, and eventually back into the United States and across the Straits of Mackinac.

Yesterday, we finished that chapter.

As M/V Galian rounded the green buoy pictured here, months of generally traveling NORTH and WEST came to an end.

Our compass swung SOUTH. 🧭⬇️

🍂 WE ARE NOW FALLING DOWN THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES! 🍂

📊 A LOOK AT OUR 2026 ADVENTURE SO FAR:

🌷 SPRINGING NORTH
1,504.73 statute miles

☀️ SUMMERING ACROSS NEW YORK & CANADA
973.81 statute miles

🛥️ TOTAL ACTUAL CRUISING DISTANCE
2,478.54 statute miles

⚙️ Main engines: 459.72 hours
⚡ Generator: 327 hours, 47 minutes
🇺🇸 11 states
🇺🇸🇨🇦 2 countries
📍 106 stops at locations that were new to us
🪖 16 military installations visited, including 7 where M/V Galian actually docked at military marinas

Behind every mile are memories that no statistic could ever measure—locks, canals, rivers, enormous lakes, anchorages, marinas, military bases, storms, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, history around seemingly every bend and, most importantly, the wonderful people we have met along the way. ❤️

And we're nowhere near finished!

Tomorrow will be our first FULL cruising day of FALLING SOUTH 🍁 as we begin making our way down the eastern shoreline of Lake Michigan and toward the inland river systems that will eventually carry us south toward the Gulf.

🌷 SPRING NORTH.
☀️ SUMMER ACROSS.
🍂 FALL SOUTH.

Three seasons.
One incredible adventure.
And M/V Galian just keeps cruising! ⚓🛥️

We remain thankful to the good Lord for allowing us this opportunity and thankful for all of our family, friends, fellow Loopers and followers who continue to travel along with us. 🙏❤️

The adventure continues...

Skipper Jack & Migal
Aboard M/V Galian 👋😍😎🤙

08/28/2026

🦋❣️ BUTTERFLIES, BUTTERFLIES… EVERYWHERE! 🦋

Another wonderful experience during our visit to Mackinac Island, Michigan was stepping inside the Original Mackinac Island Butterfly House, tucked away behind historic St. Anne's Church.

And within moments of walking through the door, we were surrounded! 🦋🦋🦋

More than 1,000 butterflies can be freely flying throughout this beautiful 1,800-square-foot tropical garden, representing approximately 60 to 80 different species at any given time.

Everywhere we looked there were butterflies — tiny ones, enormous ones, and seemingly every color imaginable — fluttering between tropical flowers, resting on leaves, sipping nectar, and occasionally deciding that one of the visitors looked like a pretty good landing pad!

Migal apparently looked especially inviting. 😍🦋

Several butterflies landed on her hat and shoulders, giving us some wonderful up-close encounters and making for some pretty special photographs.

What we found especially fascinating was learning where all these butterflies come from.

Approximately 350 chrysalises arrive each week from butterfly farms around the world, including Asia, Africa, and North, Central and South America. They are carefully inspected and placed in an emergence chamber, where the butterflies eventually emerge, allow their wings to expand and dry, and then begin their lives flying freely throughout the tropical garden.

The Butterfly House has been part of Mackinac Island since 1991. It was the first butterfly house in Michigan and is now the third-oldest live butterfly exhibit in the United States.

There is something remarkably peaceful about simply standing still while hundreds of butterflies flutter all around you.

And when one decides to land on you…

DON'T MOVE! 😂🦋📸

We hope you enjoy these photographs from another fun and memorable experience during our time exploring Mackinac Island on our Great American Loop adventure.

Skipper Jack & Migal
Aboard M/V Galian 👋😍😎🤙