How one family decided to sell their home, buy a boat and embark on the Great Loop.
by Jordan Bohonek
“Honey, let’s sell it all and move to a private island!”
It’s something that has likely been said in one way or another in most households — sometimes when everything seems to be going wrong, and other times when you are enjoying your favorite beverage with your significant other imagining what things could be like in a different phase of life.
I can tell you, for our family, the idea of selling our home, buying a boat and embarking on the Great Loop wasn’t quite this simple.
As a very busy family of four (and a very spoiled dog) with careers, school, sporting events and a family farm, the idea of launching into the live-aboard lifestyle seemed far-fetched.
OK, it seemed nearly impossible.
From the outside looking in, we had a life that one could have looked at with envy: New cars, beautiful homes, the list goes on. But in reality, from the inside out, it often felt as if we were riding “the crazy train.”
Let’s face it, as a culture, most of us live at or beyond our income, and as 40-somethings we feel invincible — until we aren’t — then what?
After some events with my health, it was time to pull back the throttles and take a hard look at what was important — not stuff, but family. You see, as cliché as it may sound, you can always make more money but with all the money in the world, you simply cannot buy life’s most precious commodity — time.
Where it all began
We are the Bohoneks: Jordan, Emily, Lauren (11), Reed (9) and Sherman, the golden-doodle. In 2023, we bought a boat, sold almost everything, and went to a weekend conference to learn about something called the Great Loop. I still chuckle to myself thinking about day one of the conference and showing up to the first speaker seeing myself as a self-proclaimed riverboat captain, only to find out I’m more of a weekend river warrior who had more knowledge of making mimosas and bloody marys aboard than navigating coastal waters and figuring out tide charts.
This, my friends, is where it all began. The idea of stepping out of the norm of life is possible and, quite honestly, it has changed our lives. I hope the tales I could (and will) tell you about our experience along this epic adventure throughout the next several columns will not only make you smile but will help you know that the dream can be real for you as well. It has allowed our family to understand that at the end of the day, “stuff” clutters our lives, but people and experiences are what enrich it!
Helpful planning tips
Looking back on our time on the water, it’s easy to now make hindsight adjustments to our planning and packing that went into this grand adventure! For us, a big missed step was not hiring a broker. We took on the burden of finding and chasing boats and missed some steps with mechanicals and legalities along the way. I highly recommend reading that line again as you prepare to set sail. There are many options available for financing should you choose to go that route, and insurance is a key factor in the trip based on location and past boating experience. Brokers are well-versed on helping lead you to these resources that can make planning your adventure much more stress-free.
Another tip is to engulf yourself in America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association (AGLCA). The association’s resources are incredible, from podcasts, virtual meetings and new/present Looper gatherings. This is where you will first experience the sense of family that the Great Loop has to offer because, as I said before, it’s truly the people you will meet who will make this trip incredible!
For the past several years, our family has also RVed, so for us the idea of “small living” isn’t new; however, keep in mind we never want to feel like we are camping, it is much more “glamping.” Many Loopers choose to live simply with just the bare necessities, and some (like us) prefer to have near-gourmet kitchens with all the comforts of home — or “dirt life,” as you will learn to call it.
In my next several articles, we will touch on many topics like creature comforts while cruising, cooking on the boat, daily maintenance, what’s in your toolbox, navigation and even taking breaks.
I look forward to spending time with you each month. If you have questions regarding topics covered in my articles — or even just about preparing for your Great Loop journey — I would love to chat with you! I can be reached at JORDAN@GREATLOOPYACHTSALES.COM.
JORDAN BOHONEK Originally from southern Minnesota, Jordan now lives on a boat with his family. He combines his love for the water with his passion for helping others find vessels as a yacht broker, enabling them to live their dream on America’s Great Loop. Follow along the Bohonek’s Great Loop journey at their Facebook page “Live the Dash | Traveling America’s Great Loop.”
