If this were a romantic comedy, it would be called "Tracy and Stacie’s Big Adventure." If it were a seafaring adventure novel, the title could be "Around the Loop in 125 Days." Whatever you call it, the five-month nautical journey that St. Bernard residents Tracy and Stacie Alfonso recently completed was the trip of a lifetime.
Now the couple is home and their shrimp boat docked once again at Delacroix Island after completing the 6,000 mile Great Loop.
Tracy Alfonso, who grew up in a commercial fishing family and shrimped all of his life, had dreamed of navigating the Great Loop since he heard about it. Called the greatest boat adventure in North America, the journey entails circumnavigating much of the United States and parts of Canada.
The route is in mostly protected waters. It includes the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, New York State canals, Canadian canals, the Great Lakes, inland rivers, and the Gulf. What makes the voyage so special is that "Loopers" take on this adventure using their own boats in their own time. Some have done it in as little as six weeks. Others have taken years to complete it.
Stacie Alfonso, a retired principal from the St. Bernard Parish Public Schools, was intrigued by the challenge, but not as much as her husband.
“I was hesitant to go, but in July 2023, Tracy got sick and went into cardiac arrest. After this life-changing experience, we decided it was time to do this,” she said.
Getting ready for the journey
To prepare, the couple began researching the Great Loop, deciding on the right vessel for the journey. After much deliberation, they chose the boat they know best — the Stacie Lynn, a 41-foot Lafitte Skiff and the family shrimp boat.
Stacie, left, and Tracy Alfonso with the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Stacie Alfonso said it had everything they needed. “We have a nice galley with a large booth to eat at, and we have a bedroom and bathroom downstairs in the V of the boat. The bedroom has two full-size bunks. We used one as a closet for the trip.”
Her husband made improvements beforehand. Working with his son and other family and friends, he cleaned and painted it, installed a new generator, put the dinghy on deck, installed a washer/dryer combo and a small freezer, and put up a larger tarp for shade. A fly bridge was also added so “I could could drive up top, and we could see everything,” he explained.
After fueling up with 750 gallons of diesel, and loading 150 gallons of water and provisions aboard to last several months, (including Louisiana seafood in the freezer), the Alfonsos were ready to embark.
The Stacie Lynn departed Delacroix Island on May 23, 2024. Each day, the couple would witness the sunrise, eat breakfast, and travel for about five hours.
The Stacie Lynn passes the 630-foot-tall Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.
Life on the water
Stacie Alfonso said the usual speed was about 8 knots. “This is our comfort zone, and the most fuel-efficient way for us to travel. The boat can run up to 28 knots, but we would burn 50 gallons an hour. At 8 knots we burn 3 to 4 gallons an hour."
Along the way, she would cook, bake, or grill. “In the evening we either anchor out or dock at a marina, and if we were at a town, we would tour it and usually have dinner there.”
But Tracy Alfonso was on a mission. After reaching a destination his motto was simple: “OK, we’ve seen it. Time to move on to the next spot.”
Along the way, they would always meet new people, many of whom were on the loop as well.
There were a few challenging experiences. “In the Neuse River in North Carolina, a squall came, bringing extremely rough seas and heavy, blinding rain,” Stacie Alfonso recalled. “With limited visibility, Tracy was able to use the GPS and radar to guide us to a safe spot to wait out the weather.”
She also recalled traversing the aptly named Stoney Lake, outside of Ontario, Canada. “When he turned out of the channel toward other boats docked there, our boat ended up on a rock. Tracy went straight to work. He launched the dinghy, which helped the boat to lift up, and then he grabbed the bow rope and pulled the big boat off of the rock with the dinghy. “
Experiencing big moments
Tracy Alfonso said one highlight stands out above the rest — 305 feet in the air to be exact. When they reached the New York Harbor and got a picture of the Stacie Lynn in front of the Statue of Liberty. “We couldn’t believe we made it to the Statue of Liberty on our own shrimp boat, probably the only shrimp boat to ever anchor there.”
By the end of the trip, they had befriended several wealthy boat owners. "We left Louisiana on a shrimp boat, and here we are in Canada eating hors d'oeuvres and drinking Champagne on the back of a yacht," he said.
The experience was life-changing and a reminder of the good in the world, Stacie Alfonso said. “With the hustle and bustle of the world today, we sometimes forget that there are lots of good people out there. We made some of what we feel will be lifelong friendships with some wonderful people.”
And the couple has documented proof of their incredible journey. Recently, they received a certificate of achievement, a BaccaLooperate Degree from America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association honoring them with the title of Gold Looper. It reads, “May the life lessons, friendships and memories gained on this journey last a lifetime.”