The Great Loop • Boat Life • Retirement Adventures

After 35 years in public education, I'm trading school calendars, HR meetings, and Ohio winters for something I've dreamed about for years.

I'm Jeff Schlade, and Chasing Horizons is my 1999 Mainship 430 trawler. Beginning with retirement in October 2026, I'll be living aboard in Marathon, Florida, learning to operate her efficiently, and begin cruising America's waterways -- ultimately taking the long way home via America's Great Loop beginning in March of 2027.

Follow along for the places, people, boating lessons, occasional mistakes, and adventures that happen along the way.