When people think about boating dangers, they usually focus on storms, breakdowns, or navigation mistakes. Those risks are real — but there’s a quieter danger that causes more trouble than most people realize.
A schedule.
A schedule creates pressure. It pushes captains to leave anchorages early, run longer days, ignore fatigue, and convince themselves that “it’ll probably be fine.” Planning is smart — but locking yourself into dates on the water is where problems start.
On the Great Loop and during coastal cruising, I’ve learned that flexibility is a safety skill. Weather doesn’t care about marina reservations. Your boat doesn’t care about your calendar. And the water will always win.
I once found myself near Marco Island, pushing to stay on schedule while the weather deteriorated. Nothing forced me to go — except a plan I didn’t want to break. That moment changed how I approach every trip.
The Great Loop isn’t a race. Neither is boating in general. The best captains know when to wait, slow down, or stop altogether.
If you take one thing away from this:
Don’t let a schedule make decisions for you.
