MEET THE DAWGS:  Diane and Carl Simon, Sonas

Boat Type and Length:  Sonas is a Passport 470CC.  Sonas is Irish for Happiness

Home Port:  Richmond, VA is where our home is, but we keep the boat in Delaville VA when we're home. 

Where are you now?  Today (March 24) we are in St Martin but sailing to St Croix tonight and St Thomas on Friday

When did you join the Salty Dawgs? Joined in 2024 for the Hampton to Antigua Rally

Which rallies or rendezvous have you joined?  Caribbean 2024 and 2025; Dominica Rendezvous 2025; planning for Azores Rally 2026

Most memorable Salty Dawgs moment?  Seeing the green flash with a big group of Dawgs at Enoch's on Barbuda in 2024.  There were several green flash skeptics before the sunset but after a collective gasp, there were no more.

What have you gained from being part of the Salty Dawgs?  Cruising can get a little lonely as we move from port to port but the knowledge that you can reach out to a Salty Dawg in almost any port and have (often brand new) friends over for a cocktail is always a joy.  Just two nights ago we invited John and Lena from "Two Captains" over for sundowners and found two new kindred spirits.

Any major boat projects currently underway?  Nope!  The boat is ready for our Atlantic crossing in a few months.  Our rig is only two years old but we had it inspected in St Martin and had a few critical items addressed that we would not have caught otherwise and could have caused major issues.

What are your sailing plans for the next 6-12 months?  We are going to the Azores with the Dawgs in June and will spend about a month, then sail on to the Med from there.  Tentative plans are to leave the boat in Spain for the winter and return to sail the Mediterranean for the more months next spring.  

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