Great Loop Radio Podcast

It's been a tough year for the Tenn-Tom Waterway.  After historic spring floods that left the waterway closed for several weeks earlier this year, more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil spilled in one of the locks on the Tenn-Tom last month.  On this week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast, Mitch Mays, Administrator of The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority, updates us on the Tenn-Tom's recovery.  Spoiler-alert:  They're ready for Loopers to come through!

On this week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast, Tom Hale tells us about different types of marine sanitation devices.  Tom also clears up misconceptions about No Discharge Zones (NDZs), what they are, and where they are located.

On this week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast, Captains Chris and Alyse Caldwell of Captain Chris Yacht Services share some timely advice and information on how to use whistle signals to communicate with other vessels on the waterways.

It's been a challenging season with locks on the inland rivers!  The work on Illinois Waterway locks that has run behind schedule has caused issues for Loopers, and the dates for full closure keep changing.  An oil spill on the Tenn Tom will keep the Whitten Lock closed for a few weeks.  This week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast gives you up-to-date information to avoid delays on the waterways.

On this week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast, we're covering a recent topic of discussion from our forum -- How to handle mail, drivers' licenses, vehicle registration, voting, and banking when you're a full time traveler without a "dirt" home address.  Our guest is Amber Hobert of AGLCA Sponsor, DakotaPost.  She'll share what you need to know to handle these things that are simple at home, but more challenging on the Loop.

We thought this would be a good time to share some storm-related information, so this week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast is a re-broadcast of a previous episode. Captains Chris & Alyse Caldwell of Captain Chris Yacht Services  share how to prepare your boat for a storm.

On this week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast, Scott & Karen Devoll, Gold Loopers and owners of Capable Cruising, talk about various topics related to daily life on the Loop.  The discussion includes information on what clothing to bring, how to get in some exercise, the need for a dinghy, how to fill your prescriptions, and more.

AGLCA's 20th birthday celebration continues this week on the Great Loop Radio podcast with a conversation with former AGLCA Directors, Janice & Steve Kromer.  Janice & Steve talk about their roles in the organization, and how AGLCA has changed over the years.

Ron & Eva Stob, founders of AGLCA, are our guests on this week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast.  Ron & Eva help us celebrate AGLCA's 20th anniversary by sharing the details of why and how they wrote their book, Honey, Let's Get a Boat!, and started America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association.  Join us as we reminisce about the early days of AGLCA and what it was like to do the Great Loop in 1994.

On this week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast, our guest is Michael Walsh, Chief, Illinois Lock & Dam Section, Illinois Waterway Project.  Mike will fill us in on the current partial closures at Marseilles and Starved Rock locks, as well as the full closures happening in September/October of this year at Marseilles, Starved Rock, and Lockport.  We'll hear what acommodations are being made to lock through pleasure craft.  We'll also hear more information on the planned 2020 closures that will impede progress on the Great Loop for four months next year.