Great Loop Flagship Guide
Great Loop Fuel Stop Planning Guide
Fuel planning is less about the perfect spreadsheet and more about avoiding fragile assumptions. A fuel plan should survive a closed dock, more current than expected, or a slower day.
Quick decision map
Use conservative range
Calculate with usable fuel, a reserve, and real burn at realistic speed. If the plan only works at best-case burn, it is not a pla...
Confirm the dock
Hours, fuel type, depth, pump location, payment, seasonal operation, and transient access can matter as much as the dot on the map...
Respect sparse stretches
Longer gaps deserve earlier refueling, not heroic tank-stretching. Fuel anxiety ruins decision quality....
Track burn over time
Keep a simple log of engine hours, gallons added, speed, current, and conditions. Your own history becomes better than generic adv...
Use conservative range
Calculate with usable fuel, a reserve, and real burn at realistic speed. If the plan only works at best-case burn, it is not a plan yet.
Confirm the dock
Hours, fuel type, depth, pump location, payment, seasonal operation, and transient access can matter as much as the dot on the map.
Respect sparse stretches
Longer gaps deserve earlier refueling, not heroic tank-stretching. Fuel anxiety ruins decision quality.
Track burn over time
Keep a simple log of engine hours, gallons added, speed, current, and conditions. Your own history becomes better than generic advice.
Useful next step
Turn this page into a boat-specific note. Write down the current assumption, the proof you have, and the next verification step. The best Great Loop planning habit is making vague confidence visible before it becomes expensive.
Related tools: Great Loop Tools, Fuel Range Calculator, Trip Pace Planner.