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FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
By Mike Benjamin, SV Exodus, President SDSA
Ronna and I recently arrived at a Caribbean island where there weren’t very many Salty Dawgs around. That isn’t unusual, especially early in the season. Our community is widespread, and we don’t always arrive in packs. Still, after 8 years of live-aboard cruising, we have grown accustomed to eventually spotting the familiar blue burgee, or a boat we’ve seen at another anchorage. This time, not so much. We didn’t know anyone and no one knew us, which occasionally is ok and even desirable.
However, we had also arrived at a place with an established cruising community, and we realized, fairly quickly, that we were on the outside.
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DON'T MISS OUR 2026 RENDEZVOUS WEBINAR ON JANUARY 7, COVERING THE DOMINICA AND BVI RENDEZVOUS!
Register for this FREE Webinar here.
2026 DOMINICA RENDEZVOUS
February 2 - 6, 2026
Our 2026 Dominica Rendezvous, based in Portsmouth Harbour, in partnership with the Portsmouth Association of Yacht Security (P.A.Y.S.) celebrates over two decades of their friendship, cultural exchange, and unforgettable experiences with cruisers. P.A.Y.S. provides 24/7 cruiser support and brings deep knowledge of Dominica's history, culture and natural beauty. This five-day event blends guided island tours, snorkeling, waterfalls and community service with signature social events, including beach barbecues and farewell celebrations. From Kalinago heritage experiences to Nature Island adventures, this rendezvous offers a rare opportunity to connect meaningfully with both fellow Dawgs and the local community.
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2026 BVI RENDEZVOUS
March 3-10, 2026
The British Virgin Islands Rendezvous offers a relaxed, social cruising experience through one of the Caribbean’s most iconic sailing grounds. Beginning at Nanny Cay Marina, participants enjoy welcome events, island tours, and discounted dockage before island-hopping through Jost Van Dyke, Trellis Bay, Anegada, and Virgin Gorda. Highlights include beach picnics, joint events with the West End Yacht Club, the Dark and Stormy Regatta, and a lobster dinner and beach party in Anegada. With no cost to register and flexible participation options, this rendezvous is ideal for both seasoned cruisers and those newer to group cruising.
Activities planned include a departure dinner, a Pot Luck Beach Party at Great Harbor Cay, and a Dinghy Float at Highbourne Cay.
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JANUARY JUMP TO THE BAHAMAS, 2026
Depart West Palm Beach, FL January 14, 2026 (weather permitting)
Join us for the Salty Dawg January Jump Rally from West Palm Beach, Florida to Great Harbour Cay in the Berries, Bahamas. This rally allows cruisers to stay home for the holidays and still enjoy a warm winter in the Bahamas.
Activities planned include a pre-departure departure dinner, a Pot Luck Beach Party at Great Harbor Cay, and a Dinghy Float at Highbourne Cay.
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2026 AZORES RALLY
Departing from Bermuda June 1, 2026
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, 2026. 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.
The SDSA Azores Rally will be limited to 25 boats. Secure your place in this extraordinary event and discover the magic of the Azores with us!
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SALTY DAWG APP UPDATE - Changes are on the way!
The Salty Dawg App continues to evolve as we add new features. For the Caribbean rally, the message system was used extensively and was the primary means of communication with the fleet. For future rallies, we will rely more and more on the app for rally communications.
Our vision is for the App to replace the current web browser system which is using a database called “Memberclicks”. The portal to our new system will be both the phone app and the web based saltydawgsailing.app interface. The next step in this transition is to close down the current Forums on the website and move that functionality to the App. This will include the matching of crew and boats which will have a dedicated “Crew” functionality. That transition is planned for release in the first week of January.
The crew finder module in the App will allow either captains or crew to post availability for specific rallies or passage dates and then view postings that match their listings. Just a reminder, that crew matching is completely between crew and captains, we only provide the platform, we do not screen any postings.
Coming next we will switch to the App for membership registration and renewals and for rally and event registration. This next transition is anticipated for later this quarter.
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SALTY DAWG 2026 WINTER WEBINAR SERIES NOW AVAILABLE!
Our 2026 Winter Webinar Series is now available for registration. Get smarter with events including:
Wednesday January 7: FREE Webinar: 2026 Winter Rendezvous: Dominica, BVI and Exumas. Presented by Mike Benjamin and the SDSA team
Tuesday January 13: Making your boat a home. Presented by Bob Osborn
Tuesday January 27: So you want to upgrade to Lithium? Presented by Hank George
Tuesday February 3: Diesel Mechanics for Non-Diesel Mechanics, by a Non-Diesel Mechanic. Presented by Bill Cullen
View the complete list of offerings, and register here. |
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THE VOYAGE SOUTH: A SAILOR'S TRIAL BY WIND, STEEL AND MEMORY
Written by Jeff Roth, SV Calypso
 A Promise Carried Forward
I never expected my retirement to look like this—at the helm of a 45‑foot catamaran named Calypso, chasing the horizon toward Antigua. Years ago, my late wife Minnie and I dreamed of this kind of freedom: blue water, empty sky, and the slow rhythm of a long ocean passage. But life had other plans. Ovarian cancer took her in 2019, and the dream went quiet for a time.
Several years later, it returned—unexpectedly—through Shannon.
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ODYSSEY'S ENCOUNTER WITH TICONDEROGA
Written by Catherine McCabe, crew on SV Odyssey
 Ticonderoga is a legend. I've been aware of her existence for as long as I can remember. She's been just out of sight, on the horizon, fast, then gone. I knew nothing of her really, except that a glimpse was a special thing out on the water, but the horizon eats up every vessel, monstrous 1000' Maersk container ships, along with human sized Odysseys. Our eyes can only see a few miles then poof, out of sight. The ocean leaves you feeling quite alone, but never really, since just over the horizon, there's always another.
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MY FAVORITE ANCHORAGE: THE POOL, GEORGIAN BAY
Written by Linda Boynton, SV Tiger Lily
 Favorite anchorage? That's so hard! I will write about our FIRST favorite anchorage way back in 2019 when we moved out of our house in the Chicago suburbs onto SV Tiger Lily. We decided to explore Lake Huron (Georgian Bay and the North Channel) before we headed out the Erie Canal to the Atlantic. One of the blogged-about spots is The Pool (46 02.693'N, 81 28.683'W) on the north shore of Georgian Bay. It is reached by going through a long narrow fjord at the east end for Baie Fine. The passage through the fjord took an hour of careful attention, especially with our seven-foot draft and some very shallow spots along the way. Thanks in part to unusually high water levels that year, we slipped through without a single “bump." Normally this anchorage is bustling with boats, but arriving in early September we were late in the season so we were sharing the Pool with just one other boat.
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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: MARK BUCKLEY
Boat Name and Type: Irish Rover is a 2012 Fontaine Pagot Lipari that Mark and Margee have been sailing since her delivery from the factory in France
Home Port: Sea Girt, New Jersey
This fall, I delivered Irish Rover to Great Exuma, Bahamas, as a participant in the 2025 Salty Dawg Caribbean / Bahamas Rally, Returned home to NJ in late November to enjoy the holidays with my big family.
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