Looping on Serenity

Welcome Aboard Serenity!

Captain Mike and I, Donna (aka Mrs. Padilly), began cruising into our newest adventure when we started America’s Great Loop (AGL) on June 7, 2024.

So much planning and work has gone into realizing this dream, and I can’t believe it is finally happening! As a result, this site has been quiet for a long time.

Not anymore! We purchased our Looper boat, Serenity, in January 2024. In June 2024, the Captain cruised her from her home port, Kemah, Texas, to Mobile Bay, Alabama.

Serenity is a 2005 Grand Banks 42 Europa. She is a beautiful twin-engine diesel trawler with a full walk-around deck.

On June 7, 2024, we placed our AGLCA Looper flag on the bow flagstaff and began the first segment of our cruise to Lake Barkley, Kentucky.

Looping on Serenity – In Segments

We will not be “traditional Loopers” in regard to doing the loop all at once, counter-clockwise.

As I already mentioned, we officially started the loop on June 7, 2024 when we cruised Serenity for two weeks from Mobile Bay, Alabama, to her new home port at Green Turtle Bay Marina in Kentucky.

The next segments of Loop cruises will take place when we do the Loop’s river side trips: Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee. We may even do a cruise to Louisville, KY.

It may be 2027 before we begin to complete the full loop, be it backwards (clockwise) or traditional (counter clockwise). Time will tell. That’s the nice thing about curising the loop, there is no right or wrong way to do it, what matters is just doing it.

That being said, we hope to cross our wake in 2028, or if we want to spend an extra season in the waters around Michigan, 2029.

Our First Segment – Mobile, AL to Green Turtle Bay Marina, KY 2024

Cruising Serenity to her new home port took a few weeks and was my first real experience at long-distance cruising. While the Captain is a seasoned boater who began his boating career racing sailboats with his dad, this First Mate has enjoyed boating with her Captain and family for leisure.

Not anymore! Preparing to do America’s Great Loop is happening! The first thing I learned as we cruised Serenity up the rivers to Kentucky is that cruising in your boat over long distances is NOT a vacation but an adventure.

My rose-colored glasses quickly fell into the water as I quickly realized there was so much to learn! I could never imagined there was so much to learn and experience in just two weeks!

In just thirteen days, this “mini” cruise taught me a lot about cruising. I will be sharing these experiences, from the highs to the lows of our trip, in my upcoming travel memoir to be released late 2025 or early 2026. I’ll update subscribers as the release date draws near.

The reasons I travel are simple: To learn, grow, and seek new adventures. I blog because, as a former educator, I still desire to share what I have learned with others. My hope is that you become one of our subscribers and share in our adventures as we cruise America’s Great Loop ~ Looping on Serenity.

Happy Trails, Fair Winds,
and Following Seas.
Mrs. Padilly