THE CARIBBEAN RALLY - IS THIS THE NEW NORMAL?

By Mike Benjamin, SV Exodus, President SDSA

The 2025 Salty Dawg Caribbean Rally has officially concluded, with the final rally boat arriving safely in Antigua.  Our Bahamas-bound vessels are in port or moving south, while others have reached their destinations in St. Martin, the BVI’s, and across the Caribbean chain.  I am personally breathing a huge sigh of relief.  With just a few boats still coastal-hopping or undergoing repairs in Bermuda, for all intents and purposes, the 2025 Caribbean rally is now in the books.

This year will certainly be one for the record books.  We witnessed a staggered start across multiple weather windows and departure points, high winds and big seas, days of frustrating calms, a record number of equipment failures, and for the second year in a row, a significant number of vessels unexpectedly stopping in Bermuda.  Nonetheless, what matters most is that all captains and crew arrived safely in port, without, to my knowledge, any major injuries or medical emergencies.  That is, by far, the most important news.  The November rite of passage is a true challenge as increased weather volatility year after year tests our members’ skills.  It seems each season brings its own unique set of challenges; the perfect passage remains but a dream.

PHOTO COMPETITION

Thank you for sharing your photos, whether by email or in the app!  Here are the winners from our competition

PETS ON PASSAGE:  Darby on Watch, by Sarah Ahern

THE NIGHT WATCH:  Atlas, by Nauti Gypsy

ACTION SHOTS:  Crew of Pilar takes a swim mid-ocean

We are always looking for great photos to use in our newsletter and social media.  If you have some you'd like to share. please send them to [email protected].  Thank you!

2026 DOMINICA RENDEZVOUS

2026 AZORES RALLY

JANUARY JUMP TO THE BAHAMAS, 2026

Learn More

2025 CARIBBEAN RALLY

This year's Caribbean Rally provided plenty of variety.  Boats heading south encountered gale-force winds, near calms, squalls, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and good fishing for some!  37 boats put into Bermuda on the way down for repairs, rest and extra fuel.  Others persevered straight to the Caribbean, motor sailing at economy speeds and trying the avoid the Giant Blue Calm of Doom.  

Read on for tales of adventures, and see this month's Dawg Pix for more fun!

A creative solution to a broken alternator belt

Gale conditions on the passage south

Odyssey is in a Bad Position

A Creative Solution to a Broken Alternator Belt

Written by Pim Van Hemmen, crew on SV Critical Path

Five days into Critical Path’s crossing from Hampton to Antigua, while motorsailing, the engine overheated.  Upon investigation, we discovered that the pulley on the Balmar alternator had begun to wiggle, causing the drive belt to come off.  The alternator had been replaced in June of this year.  Possibly, the washer or bearing behind the pulley had failed, or was never installed.  The aluminum pulley was rubbing into the alternator’s metal housing and spewing metal shavings inside the engine compartment.  A spare alternator had been on backorder.  We didn’t have one aboard, so replacing the alternator was not an option. 

GALE CONDITIONS ON PASSAGE SOUTH

Tim Noble, SV Liana

 Liahona crossed the Gulf Stream in light winds of 5 8 knots on November 5.    Throughout the day the winds built 10-12 knots, 11-15 for most of the day moving Liahona at her most favorite pace of about 6.5 to 9 knots through the water.  As the afternoon began to set in winds continued to build and so did the seas.  By nightfall the winds had grown to 30-35 knots and seas had built to 8-11 foot at 8 seconds.

While on watch about 2:00 AM the seas reached their peak and with Liahona under reduced sail and experiencing 25-35 knots winds with 8-12 ft seas the waves became steep and cresting.  Finally at 2:00 AM a cresting wave broke over the stern and filled the cockpit with water 2ft deep.

With the companionway closed the breaking wave was confined to the cockpit only.  The water drained in 45 seconds but was followed by a thunderous squall that was also from the stern.  Fortunately the crew member on watch was tethered in and wearing all their foul weather gear.

ODYSSEY IS IN A BAD POSITION

Ahead of the storms, Chris Parker called out Odyssey as being in a "Bad Position".  Fortunately Sandy Gray and Crew came through wild conditions, including 50 knot gusts, unscathed.  Rapid crew-work and an intact sense of humor on reaching English Harbour resulted in these shirts!

MY FAVORITE ANCHORAGE:  HAMAMOENOA BAY, MARQUESAS

Written by Carole Brisson, SV Carosy

When I was asked to share my favorite anchorage in French Polynesia, I happily agreed, eager to give back to the Salty Dawgs community.  Picking one spot wasn’t easy, though—French Polynesia spans more than 100 islands over 2,000km (1,240 miles).

We left Panama in late March and, after 35 days at sea, finally arrived in April 2025.  Ours isn’t the fastest boat, and light winds made our crossing slow.  Still, the gentle conditions minimized wear on the boat, though the crew’s excitement to finally spot land grew day by day!

SAILORS HELPING OTHERS

Written by Captains Mark and Sharon Noneman of Calypso Sailing Life, and Commodores of the Ocean Reach division of Hope Fleet

Are you heading to the Bahamas this season?  Maybe you’re joining the Salty Dawg’s January Jump Rally. As cruisers, we enjoy a unique way of life that takes us directly to people and communities in need.  If you’re heading there anyway, why not give them a little help?  Read on to see how Hope Fleet can help you help communities in the Bahamas and beyond.

In June, 2019, Sharon and I took ownership of our first boat, a Leopard 39 catamaran in Rhode Island we renamed Calypso.  While we were making our way south on the ICW, Dorian, a category 5 hurricane, smashed into Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas on September 1st with 185mph sustained winds, gusting over 220mph, slowly grinding out destruction and homelessness to thousands of people across the Abacos and Grand Bahama.

MEET THE DAWGS:  NEW WINGS:  Larry, Terry, Diane and Patti New

Boat Type and Length:  New Wings, Leopard 50 - Our wings used to be Air Force fighters, our new wings are a Leopard catamaran. We're both retired Air Force fighter pilots, Larry F-15, Terry F-16.

Home Port:  Lubbock, TX, we know it's landlocked but it's where the four of us met. Diane and Patti were coeds at Texas Tech University and Terry and Larry were in Air Force pilot training at Lubbock, TX. 

Tell us a little about how you came to own the boat:  We have been chartering catamarans for over 15 years in the Caribbean. Larry owned a Leopard 48 before but we had too much competition from young grandkids and other travels to keep it. We went to the Annapolis Boat Show last year and ended up ordering the Leopard 50 as co-owners as of June 2025.

Where are you now?  After joining the SDSA Caribbean Rally 2025, terminating in Antigua, we plan to continue cruising the Caribbean indefinitely.