FROM THE HELM

By Mike Benjamin, SV Exodus, President SDSA

LESSONS LEARNED

The past few months I’ve enjoyed poking fun at hosting guests and at boat repairs and normally, I prefer to keep things light.  However, this month my wife Ronna and I are writing about two events that happened to us just last month in the hope that others can learn and hopefully avoid these disasters.  If you have a story that others can learn from, I encourage you to share.  At the end of this article, I’ll tell you how.

A Broken Mooring (Mike)  

While cruising the BVI we decided to treat ourselves to a high-end resort marina. The facility just reopened and was beautiful. Moreover, they recently installed about a dozen brand new moorings. It was blowing about 15-18 knots, but the mooring field was well protected, so we grabbed the mooring designated to us by the resort, having reserved on Dockwa, and tied off.  The mooring lines were all bright white and new, the ball was shiny, and the splices and thimble looked good. From all appearances we were secure. I then went swimming and, as I usually do when possible if water clarity and depth allow, I dove the mooring.  Again, all was shiny and new right down to the bottom. However, I did notice just the slightest amount of chafe on the line just above the ball. Not enough to worry about except if you are compulsive (guilty), so I added a backup safety line through the ball-top shackle.

BREAKING NEWS!!

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?

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!

 2025 RALLY REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!! 

AN UPDATE ON THE SALTY DAWGS APP

As the popularity of the Salty Dawg app continues to grow, so does the number of questions about its various functions.  To address those questions, I plan to write a monthly article highlighting various features. This month, the focus is on Posts. 

Most members have used the Message feature extensively, but what about Posts? How are they different from Messages and when should you use Posts instead of a Message?

Posts keep information together better than Messages. Whereas Messages are a real-time stream of dialogue, Posts are focused on a topic, which allows others to easily comment and for those comments to be easily seen with the Post. Think of Posts like Facebook and Messages like Messenger or WhatsApp.

MODERN ELECTRONICS AND THE NEW WORLD OF CRUISING

Written by Doug Weibel, SV Frolic

Cruising has been fundamentally transformed by modern electronics, there’s no doubt about that.  While some seasoned sailors lament the ways connectivity has altered the cruising experience—with some even claiming that it compromises safety - I take a different perspective.  Easy access to comprehensive weather data, for instance, enhances my safety at sea.  But I’m not here to weigh in on those debates. Instead, I want to highlight a different benefit of modern connectivity: how it provides context for the unfamiliar wonders you encounter while cruising.  Let me share a personal example.

MARTINIQUE CRUISING NOTES

There have been some changes in logistics for cruising in Martinique. Kate and Bill Jones from SV Carried Away shared their experiences and tips

First note - as we heard from the Capitainerie in St. Pierre and several cruisers - the procedures and rules are always subject to change - so while this is what we experienced in early February 2025, it’s best to always check with the websites, Salty Dawg messages and posts, noonsite.com, Facebook groups etc.

Customs in Martinique :  

Customs clearance in the French islands has gone online - and it’s really easy.   Here’s a link (thanks to several Dawgs who shared) https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/declaration-clearance-antilles 

It provides an overview of the procedures, including a list of customs clearance locations and is the place where you can create a user profile (account) and use it to clear in and out of any of the French Caribbean islands.  All of your documents are kept there so you can login and access them or update them at any time. 

Catching up with Hylas H48 SV Sweet Reach

By Peggy Huang and Kevin Wensley of Hylas Yachts

Hylas has a great reputation for building luxury performance cruisers. Hylas doesn’t build yachts simply to look good—they build them to work hard. These yachts are built to explore distant horizons, eating up bluewater miles safely and comfortably. There have been many Hylas that have sailed with the Salty Dawgs which currently include two prominent vessels H57 SV Exodus and H46 SV Hylander. Another yacht that has been putting some miles in recently is the Hylas H48 SV Sweet Reach. After a few short shakedown cruises Wayne Warrington set off from the Hylas service center in Fort Lauderdale to take the scenic route back to his home in Hawaii. We asked him to share some thoughts about his experience so far. 

How do you find crew? It’s not hard when you have a Hylas, is my short answer. Up until now, I have called on friends and haven’t had to twist anyone’s arm to join me. The only problem with calling on friends is that they usually have a timeline. In reality, with the H48, I can easily single-hand her. Which leads me to your next question.