Thrill-seekers love this long-haul boat race. Critics say it’s a public nuisance
A growing subculture of boaters is racing to complete the Great Loop, a 4,000-plus-mile network of U.S. rivers, canals and coastline, as fast as possible rather than the leisurely months it traditionally takes. Captains Dustin Kidd and Marc Crutcher recently set a new record of 11 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes aboard a twin-200-horsepower boat with no sleeping quarters, fueled by Publix deli sandwiches and military rations.
Other attempts have gone worse: Robert Youens fell asleep at full throttle and ran aground in South Carolina, then later abandoned a duck-hunting-boat attempt after it started taking on water in the Gulf of Mexico. A Tampa jet-ski racer beat Youens' prior solo record anyway, finishing in just over 18 days.
The New York State Canal Corporation calls racing through its 200-year-old canals illegal and dangerous given the kayakers and paddleboarders sharing the water, comparing it to speeding on roadways. The America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association's director has tracked boats going triple the posted speed limit and says it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured.
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