It depends on your lifestyle!

It appears from all reports, that the average Looper’s TOTAL COST of cruising America’s Great Loop is between $15,000 and $150,000. (Now that's a big help, isn't it?) We will try to do much better than that.

Of course, those cruising in smaller more fuel-efficient vessels will be on the low end, and those cruising in larger twin engine faster vessels will end up on the high end. While Fuel & Marina fees are among the top 3 expenses, having fun ashore, being a tourist and eating out is fast becoming a major expense, and one that is most often overlooked when planning one's budget for this adventure. The tendency is to spend hours on all your boat and boat related expenses, estimating fuel costs, marina fees, maintenance expenses, canal fees, provisions, food, snacks, beverages & ice on the boat. . . Even cleaning supplies, Marine toilet paper & that Blue Toilet Treatment, is expensive. A One Year BoatUS or Sea/Tow Membership might be the biggest money saver you can buy along with regular maintenance. Unexpected breakdowns, maintenance, emergencies & potential nights in a hotel or trips home, of course should also be considered.

    If you have been spending hours viewing each boat’s total cost of cruising the Loop on the AGLCA database, their expenses range from $10,000 to $200,000. That's more confusing & mind boggling than help! However, we do know of one Looper that ended up spending almost $10,000 for repairs as a result of running hard aground and another $10,000 for a new generator/inverter when his old one gave up the ghost. 

Boat length has a direct impact on marina costs since slip fees.  Canada’s Heritage Canals including the popular Trent Severn Waterway, charge based on the length of the boat. Marina fees on our 2024/25 voyage averaged $2.25 per foot. We normally anchor out 50% of our nights on the Loop and that saves a ton of money. Of course, with a good dinghy, one may seldom or almost never pay to stay in a Marina. Although it is recommended in many locations, it is an optional expense. Anchoring out a lot will be easier, safer & more pleasant if your boat is equipped with the proper anchor and anchoring system, a generator, and dinghy. 

Fuel costs: keep in mind, the moment you select your boat, is the moment you select your fuel cost, as well as your Marina expenses. Your cruising speed can make a shockingly unexpected increase in your fuel usage and expense. While the average "Looper speed" is near 8mph, fact is, if you have more speed available, you will use it. It is almost humanly impossible to bump you speed up to 12 or 20mph if your vessel has a planning hull and more comfortable on plane. Slow boats with full-displacement hulls & small engines such as 'true' trawlers and sailboats, are much more fuel-efficient, and your speed is limited. Loopers reporting fuel consumption rates vary from less than 2-gph in under 36' boats to more than 25-gph on a 46' boat. Aside from your existing lifestyle, your boat choice will be the #1 most important influence affecting your cost of cruising the Loop. AGLCA report costs ranging from about $10,000 to over $125,000. For sure, being a tourist, eating out, and having fun ashore will in fact be a much needed but optional expense. Believe it or not, you will get tired of being behind the helm and even being on your boat. There are two important factors involved here. One is safety. You need to take frequent breaks off your boat. Rest, relaxation, a little exercise & fun are all important to staying alert at the helm. So, stopping, shopping, eating out and being a tourist will not only be extremely & frequently tempting, but it will also be important for your safety as well as influence your cost of cruising the Loop. Choosing a fuel-efficient boat and putting a top priority on anchoring out vs paying to stay in a marina every night you can is a great way to minimize your cruising expenses.

SO, WHAT WILL CRUISING THE LOOP COST YOU?

Truth is that your lifestyle will be the single biggest influence on what this voyage costs you. It will consciously or subconsciously influence your choice of boat, how big it is, how fast it goes, how fast you cruise, the amount of fuel you burn, and the number of times you pay to spend the night in a Marina vs anchoring out and staying at free docks & walls. It will also determine how often you eat out, where you eat out, how much it costs to eat out, as well as the amount of money you spend sight-seeing and being a tourist along the way. 

In addition to all of that, your lifestyle includes your personal habits, likes and “must haves” along the way such as smoking, drinking, and entertainment. It is important to remember, the very moment you select your boat, is the very moment you selected your cost of cruising. 

However, if we had to put a number on it, we would put that number at $45,000 for most cruising couples. That assumes your vessel is 36' or less, a fuel-efficient 'true' Trawler or similar fuel-efficient vessel such as a Sailboat motored around, or trailer-able vessel such as a Ranger Tug. That includes 124 nights in a Marina with fuel & Marina expenses of $18,000. Groceries, snacks, beverages & Provisions 'on the boat' less than $5,000 and Boat Insurance, Sea//Tow Membership, Maintenance/oil & oil & fuel filter changes = $7,000 for a total of $30,000. . . Leaving the couple with $15,000 for eating out & having fun ashore. If that couple only stayed in a Marina on weekends, they would save another $2,000 which could lower their cost of cruising or add to their 'fun money'. 

If another couple in a 42' boat did the same, their Marina expenses would increase $3,640. If that vessel was NOT a 'true' Trawler, but a Fast or Swift Trawler, their fuel costs would increase $6,000. That couple could expect the total cost of cruising the Loop to $54,640 with $15,000 for eating out and going ashore. FYI - $15,000 for a couple spending a year on the Loop averages out to be only $20 a day or $140 a week per person. That is not extravagant at all for this voyage. Among our group of 7-Super Looper couples last year, we spent a low of $17,000 & a high of $22,000 for eating out, being a tourist and having fun ashore. Some couples we know have spent less than $4,000 in fun money ashore.