FROM THE HELM

By Mike Benjamin, SV Exodus, President SDSA

2024 CARIBBEAN RALLY - SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

The 2024 Caribbean Rally is now in the logbooks.  I would like to personally congratulate all captains and crew for their big accomplishment.  So, now is the time to reflect on what went right, what went wrong and what we can do to improve for next year and for all future rallies.  

First and foremost, all captains and crew arrived in good health.  Even the boats who unfortunately had to withdraw, made it safely to port or to their eventual destinations.  For the first time, this Rally included 24/7 access to an emergency room physician through GW Medical and, if needed, remote or in person follow up care for all Rally participants.  Thanks to Alex Helfand (SV Compass Rose) for coordinating this benefit.  It was reported to me that GW Medical fielded only three calls for minor issues that were quickly resolved.  Safety is our number one concern, and in that regard this year was a complete success.

BREAKING NEWS!!

Azores Rally

Starts from Hampton, VA and St. Maarten for Bermuda:  May 18, 2025
Start from Bermuda for Horta: June 1, 2025 (weather permitting)

Set sail on an unforgettable adventure across the North Atlantic! Join us for an exhilarating rally to Horta on the island of Faial in the Azores, departing from Bermuda on June 1, 2025. Whether you're sailing from the US East Coast (Hampton, VA) or the Caribbean (St Maarten), our feeder rallies promise an exciting start to this epic journey. Is exploring the Med on your boat for a season or two on your bucket list? Benefit from the expertise of our seasoned members and organizers who have been there.

Learn More

BVI Rendezvous

March 3 - 12, 2025

Nanny Cay wants to win you back and is pulling out all the stops to bring you to the BVI including on-site custom clearance in/out, discounted slips and moorings, and specially priced hotel rooms.  Nanny Cay will host a Welcome Party and a Farewell Dinner Event.  The rendezvous includes a cruise to Virgin Gorda  Sound and The Bitter End for a Beach Day extravaganza.  

Learn more

P.A.Y.S Salty Dawg Rendezvous, Portsmouth, Dominica

February 13 - 20, 2025

Combine exploration of the natural beauty of the island with volunteer efforts to an island project. Usually each night brings social gatherings, cookouts, pot-lucks and other creative evening gatherings on the beach. Get ready for lots of fun! Invite your cruising friends and join us for all or part of the week. 

Learn more 

FREE WEBINAR:  2025 BVI Rendezvous, Dominica Rendezvous and Visiting the Dominican Republic

December 17, 5pm.  Open to all!

Presented by Diane MacDonald-Mackenzie and Mary Sherrill.  

Register here

And don't forget the Ship's Store!

Would someone on your list like a Salty Dawgs Burgee for Christmas?  Check out the Ship's Store for other ideas!

Ship's Store

 AN UPDATE ON THE SALTY DAWGS APP

It’s been several months since we launched the new Salty Dawg App and we now have over 600 members who have logged in.  Like any new development, there have been a few rough spots and we appreciate all member suggestions for improvements. The developer is currently working on making the App more responsive and polishing the user interface. We also will enable more features as we transition to using it for some of the website functions. Planned improvements include the ability to search messages, organize group lists, and show more detail when replying to messages in a thread.

WE HAVE A PROBLEM

Written by John Hagen, SV Ileana

“We have a problem,” said Jeff. I had passed out on my bunk after finishing my shift at 1 a.m. when he awoke me.

What now? I thought.

The boat was gently rocking on the swells and the soft sound of slicing through the seas seemed to indicate the boat was moving well. I quickly slipped on my shorts and shirt and climbed up through the companionway and glanced at the sails. The mainsail had 3 reefs, although the wind felt gentle at about 12 knots. We were still recovering psychologically from the raging seas the night before. We were reluctant to shake out the reefs until at least daylight.

“Look at this,” said Jeff. He pointed the flashlight over the stern of the boat. A long string of fishing buoys dragged behind the boat. “I think it must be stuck on the keel or rudder. It’s slowing us down.”

A WELCOME STOPOVER IN BERMUDA

Written by Ronna Benjamin, Exodus

As we were sitting in the Dawg House in Hampton, surrounded by captains and crew anxiously awaiting Chris Parker’s weather forecast, we knew there was a possibility that the weather gods might not bless us with a straight shot to Antigua.  We are accustomed to the forecast ahead of our expected passage being clear as mud but this year the forecast was unusually clear, but not great.  There was a tropical something, maybe a hurricane, forming in the Yucatan Peninsula, and gale force winds just north of the Caribbean.  It was not advisable to go south anytime soon.  Bermuda, however, was going to be a decent sail and a safe bet to wait for the weather; and it was very unlikely that the tropical depression would be heading that way (phew!). 

Aquamarine Water Solutions

Diane MacDonald-Mackenzie spoke with Doug Smith and Melinda d'Antuono

Doug Smith and Melinda D'Antuono, co-founders of Aquamarine Water Solutions, have turned their passion for boating into a mission to ensure safe and clean drinking water for the cruising community. As avid sailors, they understand the unique challenges of maintaining potable water onboard and have developed innovative solutions tailored to meet these needs.

“Water is the lifeblood of any voyage,” Doug shared. “Without it, adventures turn into challenges. We wanted to ensure that fellow travelers can focus on the joy of their journey, not the stress of water quality.”

THIS MONTH IN PICTURES

Salty Dawgs in Hampton, preparing to sail south

Salty Dawgs in Antigua

Salty Dawgs in Bahamas

MEET THE DAWGS:  Camille and Mark Hill

Boat Name and Type:  Oasis is a 2006 Tayana 48DS  

Home Port:  Oasis is at Herrington Harbor South, North Beach, MD. We show Oasis' home port as Syracuse, NY on our CG documentation as we live just outside Syracuse in Lafayette, NY

Where are you now?:  We are back and forth between MD and Syracuse. We also have a J Boats J28 we keep on a lake near Syracuse that we enjoy sailing and racing while in Syracuse