FROM THE HELM

By Mike Benjamin, SV Exodus, President SDSA

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE SALTY DAWGS

Greetings.  This month I’ve decided to write about all that is going on with the Salty Dawgs, and there’s a lot!  Some items have been announced, others are new and in the works.  Where available, I have included links for you to learn more or to sign up to help us.

This season, we are taking our mission of “Sailors Helping Sailors” to a higher level.  With a packed calendar of rallies and rendezvous and several new resources, there have never been more benefits available, year-round, to our members.

First off, we have several new and old rallies planned.  In May, we will run our annual Homeward Bound Rally, with two departure points: Sint Maartin and Marsh Harbor, Abaco, with a choice to head either straight for the Chesapeake Bay or to make an optional stop in beautiful Bermuda.  Bermuda will also be the center of activity as we welcome Homeward Bound Rally boats, boats participating in our new-this-year mini rally from Hampton to Bermuda and boats preparing for the first ever Salty Dawg rally to the Azores that departs around June 1, 2025.  We are planning a range of activities for our Bermuda stopover.  

BREAKING NEWS!!

Homeward Bound Rally 

Bermuda Rally 

Bermuda is often the first offshore run for many cruisers and now, for the first time, Salty Dawg is sponsoring a rally to the “Onion Patch”, as some call the island.  In conjunction with our Azores rally, with feeder departures from St Maarten and Hampton, our Bermuda rally with depart and sail “in company” with those participating in the run to the Azores.

Bermuda is a very popular destination with cruisers, and spring is the perfect time to visit.  A run to Bermuda is a great way for skippers and crew to gain valuable blue water experience.  What better way to prepare for the “big” rally, the Salty Dawg Caribbean Rally in November, than to gain experience sailing to this beautiful destination?

Maritime Rally 

Mid-July 2025

The Maritime Rally may be offered in 2025 depending on interest. Please contact [email protected]  if you are interested.

Exumas Rendezvous May 3 - 7

Join us for our Salty Dawg Exumas Rendezvous! 

Participating Dawgs will gather at the beautiful Staniel Cay Yacht Club on May 3rd for a fun-filled opening event.  We then travel and tour the beautiful islands - Thunderball Grotto, The Aquarium, Rachel's Bubble Bath, Swim with the Pigs, and Pipe Creek.   Each evening includes a happy hour on the beach with a chance to win a prize. The last night is a sailors' pot luck at the amazing Warderick Wells Park.  Each Rendezvous  boat will also receive a cool swag bag! 

The cost of this Grande Finale Rendezvous is $75 per person. Please register here. We will send you further details after you register. We look forward to seeing you in the Exumas!

APP UPDATE - NEW LOOK, BETTER PERFORMANCE

Our Salty Dawg App continues to evolve, powered by your feedback and a desire to enhance our ability to share and come together. 

Here’s a sneak preview of our new look and better performance coming this month!

You will notice that the Home Screen is gone when you first log in. Instead, you will go directly into the Social tab where you can see Posts and Messages. Having these two features in the same window makes it easier to alternate between the two–simply click on Posts or Messages to switch. 

STARLINK UPDATE - PLANS ARE CHANGING

Note - Starlink plans are changing constantly - check their website and emails for the most recent updates!

In the last several years, Starlink has become an important part of the cruiser life and was used by most participants in the last Caribbean/Bahamas Fall rally for weather and email communications.  During that time, the quality of Starlink internet access has steadily improved but the service plans have been in constant flux, leaving users to always wonder what changes are next.  Last fall, Starlink announced that offshore access would be eliminated from the popular Roam plan, which was met by many complaints from the boating community.  In reaction, Starlink announced they would delay changing the plans until the spring of 2025, which is now.  So what is going to change?

Starlink recently announced that the Mobility Priority service plan will be split into two plans – Local Priority and Global Priority.  The Local Priority supports only a single country and does not allow for offshore access, which likely limits the interest of the cruiser community.  Global Priority allows for use wherever Starlink is available, including offshore access.  The major change is the elimination of unlimited high speed data. 

2025 DOMINICA RENDEZVOUS - FEBRUARY 2025

Written by Mary Sherrill, SV Sweet Caroline

We just experienced a fantastic week filled with exploration, adventure, cultural and educational activities, and most importantly, social gatherings with fellow cruisers.  I volunteered to coordinate the PAYS 2025 Salty Dawg Dominica Rendezvous in collaboration with the Portsmouth Association for Yacht Security (PAYS).  Two weeks before the rally, I began to worry whether we would have enough participants to make the tours and activities cost-effective for us and the PAYS staff organizing these events.  Then, the list of registered boats grew rapidly, as did my excitement, reaching a total of 23 boats.  Shortly after, the weather forecast predicted unfavorable winds and waves for those traveling north or south to Dominica.  Despite these challenges, the majority of the boats managed to reach Portsmouth at some point during the rendezvous, even if only for a few days.

TAKING THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

Written by Ernest and Lilly Peek, SV Aventura

We all tend to follow the advice and tracks of other sailors and the cruising guides, but occasionally we go off the beaten path and discover new adventures and pleasant surprises. 

We recently had such an experience in St. Lucia.  It started in Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.  Checking in, SailClear wanted to know our next port of call, and not having done my planning, I just picked the nearest check in port in St. Lucia, which was Vieux Fort.  Then later we read mixed reviews in Active Captain that gave us some concern, but we decided to stop there at least for one night to check in.  PredictWind routed us around the East side of St. Vincent and the winds were not too strong the day we set sail, so we motored the first 2 hours to charge our batteries and to get around the south end of St. Vincent and get on a close reach due north to Vieux Fort. 

Upon entering the bay just before sunset a longboat appeared out of nowhere with a local captain and a passenger, who yelled to us to follow him to the anchorage.  Approaching the anchorage, we noticed 3 super yachts and one small sailboat in the area.  Our guide took us to a spot past the behemoths nearer to shore and pointed to a spot of sand and instructed us to anchor here. 

EXPLORE THE THRILL OF WATER BOARD SPORTS WHILE CRUISING

Written by Doug Weibel, SV Frolic

Cruising offers a wonderful lifestyle packed with endless possibilities.  While we relish discovering new places and sights, there are times when staying put is equally rewarding.  However, for those like me who become restless lounging on the boat, no matter how stunning the anchorage, having options to stay active is essential.  You might have seen other cruisers gliding around on boards in the anchorage, powered by kites or sails.  Many cruisers have shared with me, “That looks like fun but I couldn’t do that!”  I believe many of you could enjoy these sports if you're willing to give them a try.  

What am I talking about?  First is kiteboarding, originating in the 1970s and gaining traction in the late '90s with brands like Naish and Neal Pryde.  A kite is used for propulsion, attached to a control bar and harness with three, four or five lines.  The rider can both steer the kite and sheet in/out to power up or depower the kite.  Kite surfing generally refers to a style using a single-directional board, meaning one end of the board is “the front” and the rider usually stands free-footed on the board.  Kite boarding generally refers to styles using a bi-directional board with footstraps.  A major innovation that made these sports more accessible was the production of inflated bladder kites, offering support and flotation for easier relaunching from the water when the kite crashes.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW SPONSOR:  PARADISE FOODS

Diane MacDonald Mackenzie had a conversation with Justine Kot and Shane Macauldy to learn more about the company.

Who started the company?  Paradise Foods was founded by Zoe Adamovicz and Moritz Bratzke - entrepreneurs and passionate sailors who share a love for the Caribbean and a drive for innovation.  With backgrounds in global tech ventures, they decided to bring their expertise to the world of provisioning.

What was the motivation behind starting the company?  The idea came from a common sailor’s frustration - how difficult it can be to find reliable, fresh groceries while cruising the Caribbean.  From inconsistent stock to missed deliveries, provisioning often meant wasting precious time ashore.  Zoe and Moritz decided to change that by building a service that’s easy, fast, and actually fun to use - so sailors can focus on the adventure, not the shopping list.

DINGHY DOCKS - HOW MANY OF THESE DO YOU RECOGNIZE?

Return to Newsletter Landing Page

MEET THE DAWGS:  STEPHEN AND DAWN BELL, PILAR

Boat name, length, type: Leopard 48 Catamaran Sailboat

Home Port: Marco Island FL and Charleston SC

Where are you now?   Winter 2025 is all about the Bahamas.  We are trying to hit as many Islands and anchorages as possible!  Snorkel as many reefs as possible.  And walk as many beaches as possible!   And while we are here,  we are finding as many Spaceship Heat Tiles as possible.  So far, we found about 10 of them.  LOL.

INTRODUCING THE NEW SDSA APP!

Written by Michael Benjamin and Allen Roberts

• Messaging your fellow Dawgs (similar to WhatsApp),
• Posting information and photos (similar to Facebook),
• Membership directory, 
• Member and rally tracking maps and
• Library of Zoom education recordings,