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WHEN LIFE CALLS
By Mike Benjamin, SV Exodus, President SDSA
As cruisers, we live a charmed life, with beautiful beaches, exotic islands, clear water, quaint villages, remote locations, and good friends. Sure, there is no Amazon, mostly smaller markets, and the occasional joker valve to replace. Yet even with Starlink, we live somewhat detached from wherever you call “back home” and from the ubiquitous news cycle. But we are also away from our loved ones, our parents, kids, grandkids, and good friends. So, when tragedy strikes, how do we deal?
As I write this, my son-in-law’s father, who has battled cancer for years, is in his final stages. Back home, family is on the dreaded “death watch.” Our kids need a big hug from Mom and Dad, but we are thousands of miles away. We have no marina or mooring ball reservations, and there are no regular daily flights back to Boston from our current location. Moreover, we don’t even know if or when we should go home. Going home is a big deal. You can’t just leave the boat. There are preparations to be made, preparations that are different if our absence is days versus weeks. And, honestly, this dilemma doesn’t even involve the illness of an immediate family member.
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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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2026 EXUMAS RENDEZVOUS
April 22 - 26, 2026
Registration now open!!
The Exuma Rendezvous is the grand finale of the 2026 Caribbean season and a favorite for good reason. Centered around Staniel Cay, this event combines stunning anchorages, world-class snorkeling, and daily beach gatherings with just the right amount of structure. Highlights include Thunderball Grotto, Big Major Cay’s famous pigs, Rachel’s Bubble Bath, and a memorable final night in Warderick Wells, complete with a potluck and a hike to Boo Boo Hill. With beach parties, dinghy races, prizes, and plenty of time to explore, the Exumas deliver pure cruising joy in a spectacular setting.
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HOMEWARD BOUND RALLY
May 14, 2026
Registration now open!!
The rally to the US this May will have departures from Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten and Marsh Harbor, Bahamas in May for points north. The official destination is Hampton, Virginia, but boats will sail directly to various ports on the US East Coast and Canada.
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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 2026 WINTER WEBINAR SERIES NOW AVAILABLE!
SALTY DAWG WINTER 2026 WEBINAR SERIES NOW AVAILABLE!
ICYMI - Recordings of webinars are available free to members. Check them out here.
Thinking of joining a rendezvous? See a recording of our January 7 webinar about the 2026 Dominica, BVI and Exumas rendezvous here.
Coming up:
Monday February 9: Provisioning Alternatives with Paradise Foods, by Shaun Macauldy
Monday February 23: Heavy Weather Sailing, by Hank George
View the complete list of offerings here. |
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SCENES FROM DESHAIES
Written by Katie Bloxham, SV Persephone
 Coming in after a long day bashing into winds on the nose and building seas, Deshaies feels welcoming and calm. We totally nail picking up a mooring. Nobody notices. Someone comes in and takes four attempts to anchor. Everybody notices.
The church bells ring at 6am to welcome you to the day. They ring on the hour and the half hour. Why not on the quarters? They don’t ring at night but we’re never awake late enough to figure out when they stop.
Gusts of wind come sweeping down suddenly from the hills. The mooring lines creak for reasons we can’t figure out. The sail covers flap energetically. Ten minutes later it’s calm again.
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MY FAVORITE ANCHORAGE: LONDON, ENGLAND
Written by Mindy Puik, SV Rockhopper
 We crossed the Atlantic in 2019 with plans to sail Europe for a few years. We spent 3 years in the UK, and now we are sailing Scandinavia, but one thing that remains constant is where we want to be when the long days of summer have come to an end. Once the weather has become blustery and the sun is no longer dominant, we want to travel a few hours up the Thames and grab a slip in St. Katherine Docks beside the Tower Bridge in London.
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HYDROVANE: THE WIND-POWERED CREW MEMBER
Written by Sarah and Will Curry of Hydrovane
 Hi Dawgs! We wanted to introduce ourselves: we’re Sarah & Will Curry, and we’ve been involved with Hydrovane, a family business, for over two decades. Hydrovane itself has been around for more than 50 years and is a tried, tested, and true mechanical self-steering windvane. It’s a second steering system for your boat. Your best crew member! We’re cruisers like you and have been living and breathing this amazing sailing life for many years. We relaunched our boat, Kaia II of Vancouver, in Trinidad last week, and we’re kicking off the Seattle Boat Show this weekend (email us for the Boat Show Special!). We’re also parents to two salty rascals: 6-year-old twin boys. It’s hard to come up for air sometimes in our hectic life, so for this article we’ve turned to the new AI game, with verbatim testimonials, of course. Hope to see you out on the water!
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 MEET THE DAWGS: RENÉ AND CAROLE LUSSER, Third TAC
Boat Type and Length: BENETEAU OCEANIS 48. Third TAC stands for Third Time's a Charm - their first two boats were lost in hurricanes Irma and Ernesto, and they are the third owners of Third TAC. Their first two boats were used for charter, but as they've started to extend their cruising time they don't plan to put this one in charter.
Home Port: Driggs, Idaho.
Where are you now? In Dominica, at the Salty Dawgs Rendezvous.
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