5 Best Small Boats for Great Loop — Under 35 Feet That Actually Work

In this video, we rank the 5 best small boats for Great Loop — boats under or around 35 feet with real miles on them and owners willing to say what it actually felt like. Ranger Tug R-29. Nordic Tug 32. American Tug 365 and 395. Mainship 34 Trawler. Real fuel numbers, real marina costs, the honest case for small-boat looping that the conventional wisdom consistently undervalues. A couple from Washington bought a 29-foot boat, transited 88 locks, crossed Lake Michigan in 4-to-6-foot seas, and used 80+ marinas over 6,000 miles — without a single turned-away reservation. When the Mississippi River flooded and closed, they loaded the boat on a trailer and relaunched 200 miles downstream. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 — The 29-foot boat that did the full Great Loop 1:28 — The real case for a small Great Loop boat 3:31 — Boat 5: Mainship 34 Trawler — the proven community choice 5:05 — Boat 4: American Tug 365 — built like a workboat 8:09 — Boat 3: Nordic Tug 32 — the enclosed pilothouse case 10:36 — Boat 2: American Tug 395 — when the 365 isn't enough 13:01 — Boat 1: Ranger Tug 29 — the one that proves small works 16:21 — Which small boat is actually right for you? 💬 What size boat are you planning to do the Loop on — and are you going bigger or smaller than the standard advice says? If you've done the Loop on a boat under 35 feet, drop the model and your honest verdict below. 🔔 Subscribe to Boat Hunter — real boats, real costs, the honest side of retirement on the water. New video every week. 📌 RELATED VIDEOS → [This $180K Boat Is Why Retirees Are Selling Everything to Do the Great Loop]    • This $180K Boat Is Why Retirees Are Sellin...   → [Nordic Tug 32 vs Mainship 34: Which Retirement Boat Actually Wins the Great Loop?]    • Nordic Tug 32 vs Mainship 34 Trawler: Whic...   → [5 Retirement Boats Retirees Almost Bought — And Why They're Glad They Didn't]    • 5 Retirement Boats Retirees Almost Bought ...   #GreatLoop #SmallBoat #RangerTug #TrawlerLife #RetirementBoats