The Homeward Bound Flotilla has come to a close, and all 184 boats have safely made landfall in the US or Canada. The Flotilla had 473 sailors, multiple countries (31 non-U.S. flagged vessels), 3 tropical storms, and over 240,000 boat miles collectively sailed. Whew! No wonder the Salty Dawg Sailing Association volunteers are exhausted after 11 weeks of planning, plotting, texting, tracking, and rescuing from afar.
With hundreds of cruisers “stuck” in the Caribbean as hurricane season approached the SDSA organized the Homeward Bound flotilla to help get sailors to safety. All sailors were welcome and many were quick to sign up for the assistance. With about a month to set up and implement weather planning, boat tracking, and safety-net assistance the Dawg board and volunteers drew on years of rally planning to create a system to help the short-handed cruisers safely home. Read More