It's not impossible that someone could read a bunch of books and successfully sail around the world – and since I haven't done it, what do I know? Still, I mentioned that he might consider getting on-the-water experience under his belt before embarking on a worldwide adventure. Which got me talking about the boating community as "Loopers."
Loopers are members of the 600+ sail and power boats that make the 5,600+ mile voyage around the Great Loop each year, from the Gulf of Mexico up the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), over the Great Lakes and back down the inland rivers.
The benefits of being a Looper are many: the epic adventure (first and foremost), living aboard, the community of fellow Loopers on the same route with endless experience, stories, and advice to share, and the ability to explore America's coast without necessarily going completely out to sea. Looping is safer than an ocean voyage, cheaper than driving cross-country in an RV, and keeps you in touch with America's coastal towns and nature, instead of concrete and chaos of a highway and cities.