Fall Rendezvous 2025

Tsali & Jacque Bentley

Platinum Loopers

Crossing their wake in 2022 and again in 2024, Platinum Loopers Tsali and Jacque Bentley have cruised over 15,000 nautical miles around the Great Loop.  As lifelong sailors, Tsali sailed across the North Atlantic Ocean aboard a Hylas 49 in 1997.  Leaving sailing behind, they attended their first Rendezvous in 2019 where the Looper Crawl provided the perfect showcase in determining the best Looper boat to fit their needs – a Mainship 400 trawler named COMPASS ROSE.  Tsali and Jacque continue to maintain their dirt home in the Appalachian Mountains of north Georgia.  COMPASS ROSE makes her home port in north Alabama on the Tennessee River at Goose Pond Colony Resort & Marina where Tsali and Jacque serve as AGLCA Harbor Hosts.  Veteran AGLCA speakers, they present route sessions on the North Channel, New Jersey coastline, New York City Harbor, Hudson River, Florida Panhandle, Florida’s west coast, and the Florida Keys.  They also present Looping 101 sessions titled Locking around the Loop and A Day in the Life of a Looper.  Tsali writes the daily weather publication of You Make the Call which supplements weather information for captains deciding to cross the Gulf.  He has also written for Great Loop Link e-Magazine.  The Bentley's can be found on several AGLCA podcasts from Women on the Loop to Looper Lore.  Tsali and Jacque were recognized by the AGLCA as the 2022 True North Harbor Host of the Year and the 2024 Ron & Eva Stob Volunteer of the Year award winners.

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Brent Bowlin

Gold Looper, Great Loop Yacht Sales

Brent grew up on the Tennessee River and spent much of his life dreaming of completing the Great Loop. After traveling to all 50 states with his wife and 2 kids, Brent got the green light to begin searching for their Loop boat. In 2019, Brent joined the AGLCA, met a man by the name of Michael Martin…and the rest, as they say, is history.

Brent and his family completed the Loop in 2021 and shortly after Brent left his corporate career of 20-years to become a yacht broker. His passion for helping other boaters, first-hand Loop experience and commitment to providing the very best customer experience, gives Brent a strong foundation as a broker.

As a founder of Great Loop Yacht Sales, Brent ensures that each client is provided an exceptional experience. Brent’s background in insurance has been invaluable in navigating the ever-changing market. With over 10,000 miles traveled on Loop waters, Brent is able to provide his clients with valuable insight and first-hand experience.

When he’s not working, Brent enjoys coaching his son’s baseball team; searching for the best ice cream on the Loop; sailing with his daughter; and cheering on the Tennessee Vols. Brent shares his Loop journey on the website MomWithaMap.com

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Rio & April DeGennaro

Gold Loopers

April & Rio DeGennaro live in Chocowinity, NC. They lived in Peachtree City, GA for 23 years, and that is where they first learned about AGLCA. When April retired after 30 years of teaching and Rio retired as a pilot for Delta Airlines after flying for the Navy and as a civilian pilot before that, they moved to NC near where Rio grew up. They built a small home overlooking the Cypress Landing Marina where they keep their 37' Nordic Tug, named Ti Amo. Chocowinity is near Washington, NC, 25 miles up the Pamlico River, and just off the AICW. April & Rio had Ti Amo for a little over a year before doing the Loop. During that time they enjoyed cruising with friends in the Cypress Landing Yacht Club while they learned about Ti Amo and sharpened their boating abilities. Rio, April, and their precious pup Juno completed the Loop on May 16, 2025, after leaving Chocowinity in April of 2024 for the Spring Rendezvous in Norfolk. They love the Looper lifestyle and have attended many AGLCA events. Rio, April and Juno plan to start the Loop again in April of 2026.

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John Fitzgerald

Saunders Yachtworks

John joined Saunders Engine Company in 1999 and is the third-generation member of the Saunders/Fitzgerald family to lead the company. As president and CEO, John has full responsibility for the financial performance and daily operations of the company. He has also served on industry boards such as ABBRA and the US Superyacht Association. Outside of work, he volunteers with many community organizations including L’Arche Mobile, KAIROS, and Fairhope Unite/Hope Community. He has followed his children into coaching youth sports teams and participating in community theater. He and his wife, Andolyn, also run the Carolyn Williams Saunders Foundation.

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Jenna Ginsberg

Timeless Yacht

Jenna Ginsberg holds a 100 Ton Masters Near Coast license, with towing endorsement and has piloted all manner of crafts up and down the east coast of the U.S., the Gulf Coast, the Florida Keys and the Caribbean, but she can never get enough of her favorite cruising grounds: the coast of New England, especially Maine.  

While she didn’t grow up on the water boating, from a very young age she loved the ocean and swimming.  Boating became part of her soul in 1997 when, with her wife Darlene, they rented a 14 ft Maine-built Corsin runabout and explored nearly all of Moosehead Lake. Less than 2 weeks later they bought their first boat, and as they say, the rest is history.

Darlene and Jenna learned to navigate with a compass, chart, pencil, dividers, and a pair of binoculars and off they went exploring, nearly always ending up where they expected.  They have owned countless boats over the years from their restored and beloved 1977 9 ft Boston Whaler Squall to their current fleet consisting of a 62' Offshore flush deck motor yacht, its 13 ft Boston Whaler tender and a 23 ft Boston Whaler dual console they tow behind to the islands.

Jenna has experience on nearly every type of power and self-propelled boat from 9 ft to 72 ft, with the majority of her nearly 20,000 nautical miles logged on dozens of vessels from 42 ft to 62 ft.  She has kayaked from New Hampshire to Canada, and from Key Largo to Key West, exploring and island hopping along the way.  She guides owners on their boats (or hers) as well as kayaking groups through the lobster pot-laden, fog-filled waters up and down the coast of Maine.

Jenna is a registered Maine Sea Kayaking Guide and a certified advanced, open-water scuba diver. When she isn’t on the water, she may be officiating an alpine World Cup Ski Race as an international level official or race directing a triathlon as a certified race director.  Jenna obviously loves the outdoors with her list of diverse endeavors, but her heart belongs on the water.

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Eddy & Linda Johnsen

Platinum Loopers

Eddy and Linda Johnsen have been members of AGLCA since 2007. They have shared a passion for boating since meeting in high school and have been owners of three different sailboats over their years together. In Hawaii, Linda became a USYRU sailing instructor, teaching women how to sail through an on-island group known as The Wet Hens. When deciding to do The Great Loop, they switched to “the dark side”, buying their beloved Grand Banks 36 trawler, Spiritus. After earning their Gold Looper status in 2013, they joined the AGLCA Advisory Board and started delivering a range of presentations at our rendezvous events.  Eddy provided daily weather summaries, known as “Eddy’s Weather Wag,” helping hundreds of Loopers cross the Gulf safely for years. Earning their Platinum burgee in 2018, they continued to volunteer their time to AGLCA by leading on-line discussions for Loopers during the 2019-20 covid-pandemic. Spiritus mainly operates in the northwest Gulf coast and spends winters on Florida’s west coast.

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Mike Bell & Marilou Zachary

Gold Loopers

Mike Bell retired after a career working for the U.S. Navy and Lockheed-Martin in military aircraft systems engineering.  His wife, Marilou Zachary, also retired from a career as a hospice social worker and airline flight attendant.  Both are graduates of Columbia University in New York.  They have lived aboard their boat Inshallah, a DeFever 48 since 2017.  Mike holds ABYC certification for marine electrical systems and a 100-ton USCG Masters license for near coastal areas.  Mike and Marilou became lifetime members of AGLCA after completing the Great Loop in 2019/2020, and they actively cruise the east coast from the Chesapeake to the Keys and the Bahamas.  Together with their ferocious dog Sinbad they have cruised over 30,000 miles.  Mike is a volunteer “surveyor” for Bob Sherer (bob423) collecting depth data on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway to assist Bob in developing tracks for safe passage.  He is also the engineering director for Marine Trawler Owners Association (MTOA) and contributes articles to the MTOA magazine, Turtle Times, and the DeFever Cruisers magazine.  Marilou manages the pin and award programs for MTOA.  Mike and Marilou are also active participants in the Boaters’ Rights Advocacy Coalition, a joint effort of AGLCA, MTOA, Seven Seas Cruising Association and DeFever Cruisers, advocating for boating and anchoring rights.

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Michael Martin

Platinum Looper, Great Loop Yacht Sales

When Michael Martin became a yacht broker in 2013, he set his sights on a particular niche of the boating industry, the America’s Great Loop Cruisers' Association. After assisting hundreds of boaters in finding, buying and selling their dream Loop boat, Michael was ready for an adventure of his own. He completed his first Loop in 2016-2017. Upon completion, he re-homeported his boat to Charleston, SC and continued living aboard. In 2022, he completed his second Loop.

Michael’s first-hand knowledge of the Loop waters gives him a unique advantage as a broker. He’s able to offer valuable insight, support and an insider’s perspective to his buyers and sellers. Michael prides himself on having sold many Loop boats multiple times. He considers it the ultimate compliment when a client completes the Loop and turn to him when they’re ready to find the next owner for their boat.

As a founder of Great Loop Yacht Sales, Michael ensures that each client is provided an exceptional experience. Prior to becoming a yacht broker, Michael had an international business career that set the foundation for him to manage all aspects of the yacht buying and selling business. Michael also proudly served in the U.S. Navy as an Electronic Technician. 

When he’s not working, Michael’s love of the water and boating continues below the surface as he is a certified scuba diver, diving primarily in Mexico and Florida. Additionally, Michael holds a Private Pilot’s license.

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Charlie & Robin McVey

Platinum Loopers

The McVey’s joined the AGLCA in October 2014, bought their 1986 Jefferson Loop boat in January 2015, departed on 10/23/2016 and crossed their wake on 10/2/2017 at Aqua Yacht Harbor, Iuka, MS. Before the first Loop, they cruised from Midway Marina, Fulton, MS to Chattanooga, TN in August 2015. And after the first Loop, they cruised from Aqua Yacht Harbor to Ft. Myers, FL from February–June 2018. After a summer & fall of fun on Pickwick Lake, they departed on 11/1/2018 to winter in the Florida Keys. Due to spring flooding and closures on the Tenn-Tom Waterway, they decided to go home “on the back roads”. Their second Loop adventure was born and on September 14, 2019 they achieved Platinum status! Following the 2020 Virtual Fall Rendezvous, The Lower Place departed once again on November 12, 2020 heading south. Six weeks later, The Lower Place was listed for sale with the intention of boating in a trailerable fashion. The Lower Place sold ten weeks later and Charlie and Robin soon realized trailerable was not their style. So, ten more weeks passed before their next purchase. They now cruise on their 1991 Carver 4207 aptly named The Lower Place.

Charlie and Robin have a dirt home in Counce, TN minutes from Grand Harbor and Safe Harbor Aqua Yacht Marinas!  They also serve as your Harbor Hosts for the Pickwick Lake and surrounding areas.

 

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Scott Miller

Miller Marine Consulting

Scott Miller and his wife, Teri, cruised and lived full-time aboard their Kadey Krogen 58, Miller Time, for six years cruising the east coast from Newport to the Keys and Bahamas.  Seeing that their three granddaughters were growing up very quickly, they realized it was time to find a land base again and spend time with the girls while they were young so they sold Miller Time in 2022.  They now live full-time in Cape Charles, Virginia.

Scott retired in 2021 from a long career at Microsoft and quickly figured out fishing, golfing and boating were not enough for him.  Having a desire to stay involved with the marine industry, Scott is now a Marine Surveyor (SAMS and NAMS member) and focuses his surveying in the Mid-Atlantic region (around the Chesapeake Bay area) to help owners and buyers better understand their boat (or the one they are selling/buying) and ensure it's safe and reliable for their cruising needs.

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Kim Russo

Gold Looper, AGLCA Director

Kim Russo has been involved with AGLCA for over 15 years and has been the Association’s Director for 10 years. She has presented on the Great Loop at many of the nation’s largest boat shows, including Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and New England, as well as TrawlerFest and Cruisers’ University. Kim’s Great Loop adventure was finally realized!  She officially began her Loop in late February of 2022 from Fort Myers, Florida aboard The Perch and she crossed her wake there in February of 2024.

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Boyd Siegel

Saunders Yachtworks

Boyd joined Saunders in 2014. While his professional background is in advertising and business, he grew up along the Gulf Coast, and his passion for repairing and rebuilding locally produced boats led him to pursue a career move to the marine industry. In his time at Saunders, he has worked in our crafts, special projects, customer service, and operations departments. As general manager, Boyd oversees the customer service and sales department, in addition to all operational activities. In his role as vice president, Siegel contributes to the overall direction of the company and has executive leadership responsibilities as a member of the board of directors.

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Laura Stein

Gold Looper

Laura has boated for over 19 years, first on Lake Michigan, then on the Great Loop 1.5 times, and now in SW Florida. The Stein family started their first Great Loop from Chicago in August of 2016 and finished in October of 2017. They started again in July of 2018 and landed in Ft. Myers in March of 2019. Ben and Laura traveled with daughters Molly and Madelyn. Prior to the Loop, they explored nearly all of Lake Michigan by boat. Currently Laura, Ben and the girls spend every chance they get exploring the waters around the SW Gulf coast of Florida. Laura serves as an AGLCA Family Ambassador and Harbor Host. The Steins reside in Ft. Myers and are happy to help when you come through the area. 

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Ed Tillett

Waterway Guide

Ed Tillett is Editor-in-Chief of Waterway Guide Media where he works with a team of editors, writers, marketing and IT experts dedicated to producing the company’s 21 publications, mobile apps, digital platforms and data resources. A lifelong resident of Virginia and a former radio and television news anchor, Ed is an award-winning multimedia producer who has been honored with five Tellys and seven Communicator of the Year awards for his work in instructional design, media production, scripting and directing. Before joining Waterway Guide, Ed was part of a diverse team of IT engineers and instructional designers at Northrop Grumman Corp. 

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Tim & Diane Vandersall

Gold Loopers

Tim and Diane Vandersall hale from Northeast Ohio where they lived most of their lives and raised their eight children.  Discovering the Great Loop in 2014, they slowly began to turn the dream into reality.  They bought their Loop boat, Wilma May, in Alabama in 2020, retired, sold nearly everything they owned including their home, cars and possessions in 2022, and moved their remaining things to Wilma May in August of that year. They set sail on the Great Loop on the Tennessee River on November 1, 2022 and finished 366 days later.  They currently live aboard while cruising the east coast and beyond.

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Kevin & Edie Williams

Gold Loopers

Kevin and Edie Joy Williams became full-time live aboards on their Mainship 400 in January of 2023.  They departed Bradenton, FL in February of 2024 and completed their Loop in March of 2025.  They’ve decided to keep cruising as a lifestyle with the possibility of Platinum sometime in the future.  They cruise with their Hahns Macaw “Olive” and their Black Mouth Cur “Willow”.  Kevin enjoys helping Loopers achieve increased fitness so they can enjoy the Loop more while Edie enjoys painting rocks and bringing joy to those who find them in marinas and towns along the way.

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