George Hospodar - Reflection on Americas Great Loop: A Baby Boomer Couples Year-Long Boating Odyssey

Reflection on Americas Great Loop

A Baby Boomer Couples Year-Long Boating Odyssey

By George and Patricia Hospodar

With Foreword by Gary Jobson, Jobson Sailing, Inc.

A few years back we lost our beloved pet dog Bear, who was not only our best and dearest friend but also the Vice President of Sunshine here at Atlantic Publishing. He did not receive a salary but worked tirelessly 24 hours a day to please his parents.

Bear was a rescue dog who turned around and showered myself, my wife, Sherri, his grandparents Jean, Bob, and Nancy, and every person and animal he met (well, maybe not rabbits) with friendship and love. He made a lot of people smile every day.

We wanted you to know a portion of the profits of this book will be donated in Bears memory to local animal shelters, parks, conservation organizations, and other individuals and nonprofit organizations in need of assistance.

Douglas and Sherri Brown

PS: We have since adopted two more rescue dogs: first Scout, and the following year, Ginger. They were both mixed golden retrievers who needed a home.

Want to help animals and the world? Here are a dozen easy suggestions you and your family can implement today:

• Adopt and rescue a pet from a local shelter.
• Support local and no-kill animal shelters.
• Plant a tree to honor someone you love.
• Be a developer put up some birdhouses.
• Buy live, potted Christmas trees and replant them.
• Make sure you spend time with your animals each day.
• Save natural resources by recycling and buying recycled products.
• Drink tap water, or filter your own water at home.
• Whenever possible, limit your use of or do not use pesticides.
• If you eat seafood, make sustainable choices.
• Support your local farmers market.
• Get outside. Visit a park, volunteer, walk your dog, or ride your bike.

Five years ago, Atlantic Publishing signed the Green Press Initiative. These guidelines promote environmentally friendly practices, such as using recycled stock and vegetable-based inks, avoiding waste, choosing energy-efficient resources, and promoting a no-pulping policy. We now use 100-percent recycled stock on all our books. The results: in one year, switching to post-consumer recycled stock saved 24 mature trees, 5,000 gallons of water, the equivalent of the total energy used for one home in a year, and the equivalent of the greenhouse gases from one car driven for a year.

Disclaimer

This book is designed to entertain and provide information about cruising Americas Great Loop. It is not intended to be a complete guidebook. Although every effort has been made to provide accurate information, the authors do not take any responsibility for errors, incorrect information, or omissions. Conditions at marinas, anchorages, and on waterways are constantly changing. It is the captains responsibility to verify all information found in this book to ensure accuracy. The authors and publisher have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book. The purpose of this book is to tell the story of a personal adventure and to give the reader some guidance.

Throughout the book there are notes pertaining to certain subjects in each chapter. The notes are marked with numbers and the corresponding number and information can be found at the end of each book.

Authors Dedication

To our parents who are forever in our hearts, to our family members who are also our friends, and to our friends who are also like family: Thank you always for your prayers, love, and support.