Crossing the Wake: One Woman's Great Loop Adventure

by Tanya Binford

Crossing the One Woman’s Great Loop Adventure follows the waterlogged travels and travails of a woman willing to risk it all in a quest to bring some adventure to her life. A beautifully honest account of riding the waves of a journey, both physically and emotionally grueling, author Tanya Binford recounts her arduous six months with amazing detail. After leaving behind her work as a psychiatric nurse practitioner and saying goodbye to her grown children, Tanya Binford was ready to cast off. With an itch for sailing that had taken root decades before, she was finally ready to put her dreams into action—not even a lack of any real sailing experience could stop her! -- “Bittersweet, yet triumphant. The story that must be experienced.” --Sean O’Boyle AM, Australian composer and conductor Tanya Binford grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She got married in her second year of college and dropped out when she was pregnant with her daughter at 19. Her son was born two years later. When her children were young she lived in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. After a difficult ten year marriage, she got divorced and went to nursing school to earn her associates degree in nursing. After becoming a nurse, she moved to Tucson, Arizona, where she lived for the next 14 yrs. During that time, she obtained her advanced degree and became a psychiatric nurse practitioner, working in public mental health. For ten years, she practiced as a nurse practitioner in Nogales, AZ, the later years through tele-psychiatry, out of her home in North Carolina. At 51, she took a year off work and accomplished her goal of circumnavigating the Eastern United States in a 25 foot boat.

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 11, 2016

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interested in this book because the Great Loop is on my bucket list. I did find some useful and helpful tidbits about the journey and what it is like to travel the route. The book itself could have used a good editor. It was not particularly well-written and reading it was more like reading journal entries. I did not find the author very likable. When she shared her emotions it often came off as just angry without really explaining the root. When she shared specifics about the boating, the locks, the weather, and the journey, it was typically written in a very fact-based style, instead of as engaging prose. The author was continually tooting her own horn "I'm doing this on my own" and then the next page cajoling fellow boaters to help her. Though I slogged through it, and it was indeed an impressive undertaking and accomplishment to do the loop alone, it could have been a much better book.

[william j. burbage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admiration for a Lady Captain

I really enjoyed doing the Loop as an armchair sailor with Lady Captain Tanya. I have done about 100 Locks on the Erie & Champlain Canals and can truly appreciate the mental anguish they can cause boat operators. But my experiences with the Lock Masters was always pleasant and professional. Once you got the hang of what was needed to pass through a Lock without incident, it became a pleasant experience and memory. It took great courage to set out alone on this trip of a lifetime and I applaud you Tanya. What made our trips very special was the people you meet along the way. People would go above a d beyond to be helpful in time of need.Thanks for sharing the memories. Bill Burbage N.Y.S. Retired Boater

[Amy Hawley Alvarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book at a cool bookstore in Annapolis last fall and was so eager to read it. I loved the first half. It was really inspirational, but the second half started reading more like a diary of what was accomplished each day. There were lots of places where more details and depth would have added a lot. Still, it is a good--and fast--read for any boaters, especially solo boaters, women, and people wanting to do the Great Loop.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who’s recently completed the Loop with my husband, I found it very accurate. I get her reasons for doing it solo but I certainly wouldn’t want to. Most people take 10-12 months (or more) to do the Loop so I think she missed out on a lot by doing it in seven. It’s a good read for anyone considering undertaking this challenge so you aren’t thinking it’s all rainbows & roses and a LOT of maintenance and fixing things.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good travelogue of a woman sailing the Great Loop solo...from Southport, NC up the Atlantic Coast into the Hudson River, through all the locks on the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi River to the Gulf and back up the Atlantic until she "crossed her wake" in Southport again. Sounds like a great trip to take...but with a partner that has mechanical skills!!

[Sandy Saunders · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading books about the Great American Loop. It is something I would love to do but as an Australian it is very unlikely it will happen so I do it through books.
I found this one was more like a journal than a journey so I lost interest and starting skipping pages. I do thin Tanya was incredible for doing The Loop on her own though. It wouldn’t have been easy.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boat dreams

As a fellow female boater, I loved that Tanya shared her story. A courageous trip for anyone to take by themselves. The difficulty of locking is real even when there are two onboard.

[Yaoyao Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The solo trip was cool, but so lonely. I would never do that by myself. I lover her courage, and honesty. This book reminded me of a Chinese aunt who is still traveling by herself after finishing her "wife/mom/grandma" duties (she is still on her way now). I am hoping to do a train travel soon.

[Judy Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what an adventure

This woman is amazing. She gave me a real idea of what it would be like when I finally get to do the loop. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to do the great loop, or just needs a great read.

[Michael OBrien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

Easy to read and very interesting for anyone interested in the Loop. You will get a feel for the hard work and beauty of this trip.

[Jen Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this and it makes me eager to complete the Great Loop someday! Could have used one more proof reader - but it was so much fun to read and well paced.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great boat story about taking a chance to do something adventurous alone.

[Lori Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Inspiring Adventure

Such a great read! Just started planning our own adventure on the Great Loop - reading as many books as possible. This story is an inspiration - although I won't be doing the loop as a solo woman. Sometimes we need to just take that leap into the fog, not knowing what we will find in order to move forward to see clearly in our lives. Thank you for sharing your adventure!