The Salty Dog Rallies

The Salty Dawg Sailing Association has announced registration is open for all the 2024 Salty Dawg rallies. Each rally offers sailors the opportunity to cruise-in-company, fostering safety, camaraderie, and passage-preparation assistance at minimal costs and requirements. It’s a chance to forge new friendships and reconnect with old ones, with both kids and pets warmly welcomed aboard.

Homeward Bound Rally: Departing from Nanny Cay, BVI or Marsh Harbor, Bahamas on May 10 (weather permitting), heads for Hampton, VA and various ports along the US East Coast.

DelMarVa Rally: Designed to help cruisers become comfortable with longer distance runs, Cruise with fellow Salty Dawgs and experience overnight offshore sailing in the Atlantic by completing a counterclockwise sail around the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia (DelMarVa) peninsula. Departure from Hampton, VA on June 1st. (weather permitting)

Downeast Rally: With three legs, this rally sets sail from Hampton, VA July 5, then progresses to Newport, RI and concludes in Rockland, ME around July 16. Cruisers can join at any port, with meetings, socials, and rendezvous held along the way. It’s the perfect opportunity to gain ocean sailing experience in the company of fellow Salty Dawg boats and experienced shoreside staff support. This rally is often used as a qualifying passage for those wishing to participate in our fall Caribbean Rally.

Caribbean Rally: Departing from Hampton, VA and Newport, RI around November 1, this cornerstone rally offers a choice of destinations: the Bahamas or Antigua. Late October meetings, seminars, and Q&A sessions prepare cruisers for the journey ahead. Antigua typically takes 10-14 days to reach, while the Bahamas crossing is around 7-8 days. Upon arrival, anticipate a wealth of social and educational activities, making it the most enjoyable transition from the US East Coast to the Caribbean.

The January Jump to the Bahamas: The Salty Dawgs are planning to host the first ever “January Jump” from Florida to the Bahamas in mid January, 2025. This rally is perfect for those who want to stay in the states for the holiday season or will be crossing the Gulf Stream for the first time.

Each rally will benefit from weather support and routing by Chris Parker and the Marine Weather Center, along with shoreside support and an emergency response team comprising experienced cruisers to ensure a safe and well-run rally for all participants. New for the 2024 Caribbean rally, all boats will have around the clock comprehensive “concierge” style 24/7 emergency medical support from GW Maritime Medical Service from George Washington University, included in the rally fee.

For rally registration and further details, visit www.saltydawgsailing.org/rallies.

The Salty Dawg Sailing Association is a non-profit educational and charitable sailing organization made possible through Volunteers, Members, Sponsors and Contributors.