Robert Youens Begins Latest Attempt to Break Great Loop Speed Record
- Scott Way
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 21
Less than a year after setting the unofficial Great Loop speed record, Robert Youens has launched a new attempt to break his own mark - this time with a larger purpose-built boat, a co-captain, and an even more ambitious target.
Youens departed from the Brooks Park Boat Launch in Elberta, Alabama, earlier this week aboard his custom-built aluminum vessel.
In August 2025, Youens completed The Great Loop - a 6,000 mile circumnavigation of eastern North America - in 19 days, 13 hours and 1 minute, breaking the previous record set in 2024 by Captain Red Flowers by nearly seven hours.
The accomplishment established the fastest known solo and single-engine time around the route. He accomplished the feat in a small 16-foot Jon boat powered by a tiller-operated 60-horsepower outboard. Most boaters attempting 'The Loop' make the journey using a large cruiser or yacht and typically take 8-12 months.
Co-captain Steve Hernden Robert Youens 'Ageless Wandered' and its 140 hp Tohatsu outboard
For his latest attempt, Youens will be running the trip aboard a new custom-built 23-foot Weldbilt Jon boat with a single 140 horsepower Tohatsu outboard. He will also be making the trip with a co-captain, Steve Hernden, also known as "Tortuga Steve," allowing the team to keep moving for the duration of the journey. Without having to stop to rest, both men will switch off time at the helm, stopping only for provisions and maintenance on the engine. Hernden has also completed the Great Loop before.
Their new Weldbilt boat features several creature comforts Youens had to forego on his first trip. The new design features additional structural reinforcement for battling waves, an oversized transom assembly, a litany of onboard fuel tanks, and a reinforced center keel designed to withstand collisions with floating debris encountered on the Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Tennessee-Tombigbee waterways. Some perks include hydraulic steering (rather than tiller steering), trim tabs, upgraded electronics, and night-vision capability. Thanks to its design as a flat-bottomed Jon boat, the men will also enjoy a tiny sleeping cabin, allowing one person to rest without exposure to the elements while the other drives.
Youens and Hernden left from Elberta on July 13th, where local Alabama television station WKRG, along with family, supporters, and fellow boaters gathered to see them off.
Speaking before his departure, Youens told WKRG that the journey is about more than simply chasing another record.
"It's about adventure," Youens said. "It's about proving what can be done."
In another interview with FOX 7 Austin, Youens said he believes the larger boat, additional horsepower, and two-person crew could dramatically reduce his overall time. He told the station his goal is to surpass the current overall unlimited-speed benchmark, with the aim of completing the route in under 10 days.
There's also the connection to nature.
"It's not a highway with lines. It's a choice of what you want to see, and we want to go see the ocean," he told FOX 7.
"It releases you from the internet and the tribalism that we see. It gets you in front of nature, and there's nothing like feeling the pulse of the world in the water, and I love that."
During preparations throughout the winter and spring, Youens developed a large social media following as fans watched the construction and development of his boat on Facebook and YouTube, where he's known as The Ageless Wanderer, which also happens to be the name of his boat. Youens brought viewers along for regular updates about the boat's fabrication, structural modifications, fuel system installation, electronics integration, and its sea trials before leaving for Alabama for the start of the attempt.
Although there are variations to the Great Loop route, and it can be run in any direction, it entails a continuous trip around the eastern United States and portions of Canada, connecting the Great Lakes, the Illinois River, the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay, and the Eastern Seaboard
Completing 'The Loop' is considered one of North America's most treasured boating adventures, with those finishing it receiving a gold burgee to hang atop their vessel. Any boater who completes the trip twice is awarded a platinum burgee, of which Youens may earn one next week. The America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association is the most well-known organization in support of ‘Loopers,’ offering resources, seminars, and a community for those looking to accomplish the feat. While the Loop is typically done with a yacht or cruiser, it's also been completed in a variety of unusual vessels including in a pontoon boat in 34 days and in a $300 PWC purchased off Craigslist.
Photo - Robert Youens Facebook Photo - Robert Youens Facebook
Supporters can follow Youens' progress through the Argo online GPS tracking app, through his Garmin GPS tracker, and via his social media pages.
At the time of publishing, Youens is currently three days into his trip and currently traveling along the coast of North Carolina heading north along the Eastern seaboard. He’ll soon turn west into the inland waterway and lock system, through the Great Lakes, and begin heading south towards the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast. To break the record within 10 days, he should arrive back in Alabama around July 22nd.
You can watch Youens' and Hernden's send-off in Alabama in the video below:
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