Lolligag Background

From the moment we first learned of The Great Loop or America’s Great Circle http://www.greatloop.com, Mark and I knew instantly that we had to make this journey. As we starting talking about the trip, friends and family thought we were joshing and/or doing some serious wishful thinking. Little by little they came to notice how we were formulating a plan to arrange our life so that we could make this “wishful thought” come true. We had always been so cautious and so conservative in our actions that a trip like this seemed to be outside the realm of our previous lifestyle and inconceivable to most of our friends and family. Our children called us flighty as we sold our downtown Chicago condo to purchase a home in rural southern Indiana. Mark gave a year’s termination notice to his employer and serious plans were underway to make this dream a reality.

We knew that we needed a different boat from the boat we had when we started to seriously think about making the trip.






For me it was love at first sight when I saw my first Nordic Tug http://www.nordictugs.com. I did not know a thing about the engine or any of the mechanical systems; I just knew that the Nordics were the cutest boats ever. We needed a boat that was seaworthy and could handle the open seas during rough weather but also be comfortable to actually live aboard for the next three to four years. We also needed a boat that would allow us to travel in the most cost efficient manner possible with a range of at least 600-800 miles per tank of fuel. As we investigated and studied the Nordic Tugs, we found that not only are they the cutest boats ever made, but they are without a doubt exactly the boat in which we would feel most comfortable upon the open seas. It was during our process of looking for a used Nordic Tug that we found the boat that would become the new Lolligag. We never dreamed that we would be able to afford a new boat but somehow, and I am still not sure exactly how, we were able to purchase a brand new 2006 Nordic Tug. The Lolligag is officially known as NT32-277, which means that she is the 277th 32 foot Nordic Tug to have been made. The minute that we both boarded her for the first time, we knew that she would be our home for at least the next three years.

With the sale of the condo, the remodeling of the Indiana home, both of our retirements, and the new boat, everything fell into place almost frighteningly well. As we made each of these major life decisions, it felt good. We both knew that these were the correct choices for our new life. We hope that you will follow and join us as we travel aboard The Lolligag in search of adventure.