November 2025: WEEK 1 – “Casting Off”
This post is a free preview from the Great Loop Dreamers Book Club Membership.
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Book of the Month: Honey, Let’s Get a Boat!
by Ron and Eva Stob
👉 Buy it on Amazon (Kindle and limited print options)
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You can also buy this book on the AGLCA website! Check it out here.
Welcome to our very first book club selection! This month, we’re reading Honey, Let’s Get a Boat!, the story that inspired countless people to take on the Great Loop.
If you’ve never read it before, you’re in for a treat. It’s funny, relatable, and so honest about what happens when two regular people chase an extraordinary dream. The Stobs aren’t seasoned sailors or yachties; they’re a middle-aged couple from Minnesota who decide to buy a trawler and cruise the Great Loop... learning everything as they go.
Sound familiar?
That’s part of what makes this such a perfect launch point for the Dreamers Book Club. It’s not about perfection. It’s about saying yes to the idea, even before you have it all figured out.
🧭 This Week’s Reading
Read the Introduction through Chapter 4... just enough to get to know Ron and Eva, their decision to “get a boat,” and the first hints of what’s ahead.
💭 Reflection
The Stobs wrote this book in the 1990s, but the emotions are timeless. The excitement, the nerves, the long nights of research and second-guessing... every Looper I know can relate to that stage of dreaming.
When we first decided to do the Loop, I had a similar mix of butterflies and spreadsheets. We had kids, jobs, and a sailboat that wasn’t exactly built for a canal trip... this story from the Stobs reminded me that it’s okay to start where you are and learn along the way.
💬 Discussion Questions
You can answer one or all, whatever speaks to you.
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What drew you to the idea of the Great Loop in the first place?
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When you think about “getting a boat,” what’s the biggest question or fear that pops into your mind?
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If you had to describe your dream cruising life in one sentence, what would it look like?
Drop your thoughts in the comments, and if you’re still waiting for your copy to arrive, introduce yourself below! Tell us where you are in your Great Loop journey (dreaming, planning, halfway through, or done but still dreaming).
⚓️ Coming Up Next Week
Next week, we’ll get into the reality of starting the adventure: the good, the bad, and the “what did we just do?” moments.
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Until then: keep dreaming, keep reading, and keep believing it’s possible.
Alison