Meet the Yooper Loopers

Many people have heard of the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian Trail, but very few know of the grand adventure that is the Great Loop. 

But one semi-retired couple from the Upper Peninsula is about to know it intimately. This fall marks the start of the nautical expedition for a pair of loopers, Capt. Brian Helminen and his wife Margaret are embarking on their first full loop together. They will leave from their home port in the Upper Peninsula’s Keweenaw Peninsula to head down the Great Lakes, through the Mississippi River to the Tenn-Tom waterway, out and around the Florida bend, up the Atlantic, into the Great Dismal swamp, through the Hudson River, and then back home through the Great Lakes. These brave two are not just loopers (as they’re called by the community), they’re Yooper Loopers. 

The Great Loop is a roughly 6,000-mile circle of interlocking waterways that weave through the U.S., out to the Atlantic Ocean and back again. It can take you anywhere from six weeks to several years to complete depending on your cruising speed. Most take a full year going counterclockwise to head through favorable climates and currents. There are a few options to choose from when charting your route, such as taking the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway instead of taking the Mississippi the entire way south, or taking the Hudson River to the Erie Canal instead of the St. Lawrence Waterway through Canada. But every variation goes through the Great Lakes.  

Capt. Brian is at the helm of this quest, a seasoned boat captain who still charters fishing and lighthouse tours through his company Sand Point Charters. He discovered the Great Loop from a guest on one of his charters, who mentioned the book, “Honey, Let’s Get a Boat.” The book is a diary of an inexperienced married couple venturing through their first Great Loop. 

While it’s the Helminens first loop together, Capt. Brian took on the challenge last year for the first time, mostly on his own, while his wife kept their print shop running at home. After deciding to try it solo, he purchased his first trawler, a 38-foot Marine Trader. He went to work rebuilding and refinishing most of the boat and christened it the Yooper Looper. Supplied with some viili (a sort of sour Finnish milk) and other staples, he set off to cruise through the winter into a new unknown. 

When I asked Brian if he ever had any thoughts of turning back when he was out there all that time, he chuckled and then said, “No, I never had any thoughts of turning around.” A Michigan man through and through.

Margaret, a retired teacher, recently sold the family print shop to take on the Loop. She and Brian published a book together on successful childrearing. They’re both from large families and have a full family of their own, and the prints of their happy home can be found all around them. As I walked onto the docks of Lake Michigan to hear their story, Brian mentioned humbly in volume, and proudly in tone, that his son had just visited them during his break as an Army Ranger. 

Their boat is a delightful sight, with classically muted colors and a traditional structure that feels nostalgic. I stepped inside to see a picture of generations of family members smiling together, hanging on the wall. As I looked at the photo, I heard the excitement in Brian’s voice while he checked on his bow thrusters. This Loop is more than just another grand adventure: It’s a victory lap.

The pair is now following the changing leaves down to Chicago to beat the incoming weather. Then they will slowly make their way through the rivers, down to Florida for the winter, and will head back up the East Coast to their home port the next summer. You can stay up to date with the Yooper Loopers on their travels and read some of Capt. Brian’s poetry as well. 

The new adventure calls for a new vessel. Capt. Brian sold his old trawler for a Nordic Tug boat. With the new boat comes a new name: the Yooper Looper has been replaced by the Yooper Too. 

The logo on the boat was expertly designed by Margaret herself, and I told Brian if they put it on a shirt, I’d order two. 

Bon voyage!

Devinn Dakohta is a contributing writer for Michigan Enjoyer. Follow her on Instagram @Devinn.Dakohta and X @DevinnDakohta.