New Great Loop Speed Record Set Using 16-Foot Jon Boat in 19 Days, 13 Hours, 1 Minute
- Scott Way
- Aug 6
- 3 min read
An ambitious boater in a 16-foot Jon boat has set the new Great Loop speed record at 19 days, 13 hours, and 1 minute.
Robert Youens, aboard his 16-foot Jon boat Ageless Wanderer, crossed his wake in Pensacola, Florida a full 6 hours and 49 minutes faster than ever before, giving the 71-year-old Texan the ultimate record in recreational boating.
The previous speed record was set in 2024 by Florida captain Red Flowers who circumnavigated the eastern half of North America in 19 Days, 19 Hours, and 50 minutes. Flowers ran a 28-foot center console.
The 6,000 mile (9700 km) 'Loop' takes boaters through the eastern half of North America along a circular route through the Great Lakes, the Illinois River, the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay, and the Eastern Seaboard. Boaters can start at any point along the route, but upon 'crossing their wake' can lay claim to completing one of boating's most demanding accomplishments.
Most recreational boaters doing 'The Loop' take between 10-16 months if running it continuously, while others complete the route in sections over time. The trip is typically completed with a cruiser, yacht, or similar overnighting vessel, although adventurers have done it in everything from a pontoon boat to a stock 1994 Polaris PWC.
Youens' choice of boat makes the feat even more remarkable considering the vastly undersized 16-foot Weldbilt Jon boat had only a 7' beam and a single tiller-controlled MF60 hp Tohatsu outboard. A walkthrough of the boat by Youens himself shows just how small the boat was for such a large trip.
The entirety of the available floor space was covered with spare fuel cans and storage bins while a small bimini overhead gave modest protection from the sun.
Youens left on his journey on July 12th.
Youens posted a video on Facebook around 9 pm on July 31st as he came into Pensacola. Boaters followed his progress through his Garmin tracking page and were awaiting his arrival. The Texan overcame a long final day to beat the record, beginning at 5:30 am in Columbus Mississippi and having to reach Pensacola by nightfall. He cruised at about 33 mph for most of the day and passed through the final lock around 2:30 pm, giving him a clear path to the finish line.
“Hey guys, it’s Robert. I finished the Loop,” he says in a Facebook reel. “It was, uh, an amazing thing. It started with me and my wife, and Jack and Quinton. I left this pass, right here, heading to Fort Myers, not knowing any of this stuff was going to happen. And then one thing led to another, and all of a sudden – joy. Unbelievable joy as the crowd grew."
Then he cemented the record by 'crossing his wake,' stating: “I think we brought joy to the world when the world needed joy. So, guys, thank you so much for following along, and I’ve crossed my wake."
Youens reached Mobile, Alabama around 7: 45 pm, leaving him with plenty of time to enjoy the last section with fellow boaters and fans waiting for him at the ramp. "It's just amazing, all I've seen," Youens said. "It's amazing that days ago I was in Canada, sleeping in Lake Erie."
"It just freaks me out that my little Jon boat that can, did. A lot of people thought it was silly and thought it was impossible. Every now and then, you've just got to do silly."
As he entered the final stretch into Pensacola, boats gathered on the water to guide him in. Youens slowed long enough to change out his Loop burgee, a small flag flown by those who've completed the trip, and hung it on the bow. Boaters completing the Loop fly a white burgee, while those who have crossed their wake fly a gold one. Youens now proudly sports a gold burgee.
The YouTube channel The Big Dan Show captured the final stretch of Youens journey including having him mic'd up as he crossed his wake.
You can watch Youens final approach and beating the record in the video below:
