Bob and Linda Boynton

Boat name and type: 

SV Tiger Lily, Hallberg Rassy 46 

When did you join the Salty Dawgs? 

In the spring of 2022 we were in the Bahamas and had decided the next step for our cruising life would be to head to the Caribbean.  While stuck waiting for a weather window we had dinner on another boat in the anchorage where they sang the praises of the Salty Dawgs and the rallies. We had done a passage as crew from New Zealand to Tahiti, but loved the idea of having the guidance and support of the Salty Dawgs on our first major passage on our own boat. We signed up for the Caribbean rally the very next day!

What events did you participate in as a Salty Dawg? 

The first event was the dinner after the first day of the 2022 boat show.  Soon after that we were in Hampton again waiting for a weather window to head to Antigua with the Caribbean Rally.  Once in the Caribbean we joined both formal and informal rendezvous in Dominica, Bequia and Martinique.  It was fantastic to have people you know in these ports to share the adventure. We also joined the Homewardbound Rally in the spring of 2023 to get back to Hampton, VA.

Have you been a Dawg volunteer?  

We have done small volunteer jobs to help out with the boat show dinner and since we will be on land this fall, Linda has volunteered to be a shore side coordinator for the Caribbean Rally.  We have gotten so much from this organization that we will definitely try to give back moving forward. 

Where have you been for the past few months?

We spent the last few months cruising up the East Coast to all the places we had heard about but have never been.  The highlights were: Block Island, Cuttyhunk, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Cape Cod, Marblehead, Maine, etc. By the way, all the places we stopped were at the advice of our Salty Dawg cruising friends. One of our highlights was a lobster dinner with Salty Dawg friends, SV Persephone, in Marblehead, where they took us through all their favorite Maine anchorages. 

Where are you now? 

After being on the boat for a year (7000 nautical miles) we thought we might want a break so we have plans to head to Colorado for a winter of skiing.  Don't worry, we will be back on the boat next fall and plan to cruise for two plus years at that time, including rallies and rendezvous for sure!

What is the most important thing you learned as a Salty Dawg? 

People always ask us where our favorite place was and we always say it's not the places, but the people that make a place special.  The Salty Dawg organization is filled with amazing people that we have met and then continued to cross paths with throughout the year.  So what we learned is that it's the people that make this cruising lifestyle so special and there are a bunch of wonderful people in the Salty Dawg organization! 

What is your most memorable Salty Dawg moment?  

One great moment was the huge hug Linda got across the lifelines from Sue on SV Evening Star after we finally Med moored (it took 3 attempts) next to them in Nelson's Dockyard after completing the passage to Antigua.  Another fond memory is the rum shack tour in Bequia that Island Time organized.  We had about 20 people in a 12 person van to take us up a hill so we could walk for 15 minutes through the woods to a tree fort/rum shack.  Running from Hurricane Lee with several Salty Dawg boats made a scary situation much more fun. Again, it's all about the amazing Dawgs. 

If you had NOT joined the Salty Dawgs, what would you have missed in your sailing life? 

Wow, a ton.  I'm sure we would have made it to the Caribbean and I'm sure we would have had fun but having the built-in network of people makes a huge difference.  Not only for all the social activities but for all the information about where to go after Antigua, how to get things fixed, things to do, etc, etc.  The list goes on and on! 

What is the greatest gift your Salty Dawg membership has given you?

Lifelong friendships! We are excited to join some of them in the Caribbean this winter on their boats since we are on the hard.  Maybe we don't need a boat anymore. Just kidding:)

What would you say to someone who is considering becoming a member? 

Join - one of the best decisions we ever made  :)