For many Central New Yorkers, the Gulf of Mexico is a world away. But for some boaters in the area this week, it's an upcoming and important part of their journey. Members of America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association stopped at Winter Harbor Marina in Brewerton Wednesday. As our Kat De Maria tells us, they shared their concerns about the future of their voyage.

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Brian and Jean Orr, from the United Kingdom, launched "The Spirit of Whitby" two years ago. And as members of America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association, they've started the circuit from the Atlantic and Gulf waterways to the Great Lakes, canals and inland rivers.

"You can get to the heart of American society. You can touch, not the big cities we go to as tourists, but you touch the villages, a boat yard and a handful of people. But it's the warmth and generosity of the people you meet," Orr said.

"You just learn so much from whomever you meet. They have different experiences. And you give as much as you take," said Bill Peters, of Florida, who owns "Monkey Girl."

Members of the AGLCA stopped for a gathering at Winter Harbor Marina in Brewerton Wednesday. And they're not leaving just yet.

"We'll spend three or four days, maybe longer if we get comfortable. It's a nice place," Orr said.

"We have some new season maintenance issues, as a boat will. So we'll probably be here realistically until Monday," said Mike Frazier, of Iowa, who owns "Tortuga."

"There's so much revenue that they bring in to this area. It's very exciting," said Winter Harbor Marina Owner Thomas Pirro.

When some of the boaters do leave Brewerton, they'll continue counter-clockwise around the loop. Normally, that would put them in and through the Gulf of Mexico. But because of the oil spill there, they say they don't think they'll be able to complete the journey.

"We can't go through the Gulf if we have to go through oil. The reason for that is the oil is going to get into the water pumps, which cool the engine, it's going to coat that. The engines are going to heat up," Peters said.

The boaters say they hope the oil will be cleaned up by the time they get to the Gulf. If not...

"We're going to have to beach the boat somewhere in Tennessee and take an airplane back to Florida. Or what we'll do is reverse our course and maybe come back here," Peters said.

"I guess we could come back here for next winter," Frazier said.

If the boaters do come back, Winter Harbor's owner says that would mean even more revenue for the area, until the Gulf clears up and the boats and their owners can go full circle once again.

To learn more about America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association, log on to greatloop.org.