The geese are beginning to wing their way south, so it must be time to get ready for this year’s Salty Dawg Sailing Association’s Fall Caribbean Rally and all the events leading up to the November 1 departure from Hampton, VA and Newport, RI. With two rally destinations, Antigua and The Bahamas, skippers have a choice of a long offshore passage or a shorter near-coastal run. As of this week, 90 boats have signed up, with 71 heading to Antigua and 19 to The Bahamas. Although late in the preparation cycle for this fall’s rally, there is still time to sign up to join these fleets, particularly if your boat is already equipped for offshore sailing and crewed by experienced sailors. The Annapolis Sailboat Show kicks off the fall events. Check out the SDSA booth at the show and you can also join the Dawgs at the annual Annapolis Rendezvous dinner. None other than Gary Jobson is this year’s guest speaker. You don’t have to be a member to attend, and you’ll be able to share sundowners and dinner with a gang of real Salty Dawgs. If you are looking to gain offshore experience before taking your own boat offshore, you can sign up to crew on boats in the rally through the SDSA Crew Service. This is the best way to get some salt water in your sea boots. And, if you want to build skills through the excellent SDSA webinars, they are free to members and archived on the SDSA website. The geese are flying south, and the Salty Dawgs are chasing them. You can sail with them, too.
Check out the Caribbean Rally here.
Sign up for the Annapolis Rendezvous here.
Sign up for the Crew Service here.
Become a Salty Dawg here.