A Voyage Around America: Joern Repenning’s Great Loop Adventure
In his presentations to the DMA, Joern Repenning delivered a detailed, firsthand narrative of completing the Great Loop, an almost 6,000-nautical-mile circumnavigation by water of the Eastern United States and Canada. Rather than offering a high-level overview, Repenning focused on the real-world logistics, tactical decision-making, and personal observations from the helm.
A veteran of over 40 years in ocean cargo shipping, Repenning took on the Loop with his wife, Regina, aboard their 43-foot trawler, the Sea Cups. Preparation was rigorous. The couple joined the Great Loop Association, attended conventions, and hired a professional captain to train them on managing the vessel’s mechanical complexity, which included twin 540-horsepower diesels and dual chart plotters. Repenning emphasized that a successful voyage hinges on vessel selection and bridge clearance limits (air draft), particularly through restrictive sections like the Western Erie Canal. Boaters must carefully manage fuel, water, and power consumption while balancing time at remote anchorages against full-service marinas.
Setting off from Longboat Key, Florida, in March 2018, the couple tackled the trip in phases across two summers. A significant portion of the journey involved the physical mechanics of navigating North America’s inland infrastructure. They transited dozens of commercial locks—including one that lifted the boat nearly 100 feet and a mechanical lift that carried the vessel in slings across a road. Repenning shared insights on coordinating with lockmasters over VHF radio, managing turbulence, dodging commercial barge traffic on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and monitoring depth sounders in constantly shifting shoals.
The journey was equal parts adventure and misadventure. Early on, their engine died in five-to-seven-foot seas off the Florida coast, causing a tense 30-minute roll before restarting. Later, a rough Atlantic crossing near Atlantic City sent cabinets flying, prompting Regina to briefly “jump ship” and head home. On the Mississippi, Regina accidentally mixed fresh water into the fuel tank, causing a contamination that took three days to fix. The couple also endured 100-plus-degree heat for 40 straight days and underwent a friendly Coast Guard safety inspection.
Despite the hardships, the highlights were vast, including visiting alligator farms, enjoying potlucks with fellow “Loopers,” and taking side trips to Annapolis. Repenning highlighted the seasonal rhythm necessary for the trip: moving north in the spring to stay ahead of summer heat and heading south ahead of early winter freezes.
The couple completed the Loop in September 2019, crossing their own wake to earn the official “Golden Looper” pennant. Afterward, they sold the Sea Cups to fund a home renovation Regina had negotiated in advance. Repenning closed by answering audience questions, noting that the shared camaraderie among fellow boaters and the kindness of strangers make the long voyage deeply rewarding.
Joern was born in Germany and came to the United States as a young man, settling in Fairfield County, For 40+ years, he specialized in the business of Ocean Transportation Dry cargo movement, including 30 years with his own Company Alpha Chartering Inc in Greenwich CT, which he closed in 2008. The business provided initial brokerage mediating between Ship Owner and Commodity interest as well as Ship Management Ship Investment.
Joern’s hobby also took him on the water, sailing in the Caribbean with family as well as in the Baltic in Europe. He also has enjoyed long distance sailing such as Newport RI to Bermuda, Long Island to St Maarten and small motor boating on the Long Island Sound.
