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What Is Needed for a Salty Dawg Rally?

EXPERIENCE, EQUIPMENT, AND PREPARATION

The Salty Dawg Sailing Association (SDSA) does not inspect vessels for seaworthiness or compliance with US Coast Guard requirements.  Each owner or captain is responsible to ensure that their vessel meets all federal, state, and international requirements, and that the vessel, its captain, and crew are properly equipped and qualified to withstand the rigors of the passage to be undertaken while participating in a Salty Dawg Rally.  Accordingly, the Owner/Captain is the best individual to inspect the vessel and equipment or to make the decisions to engage professional experts where he or she does not have the requisite expertise. The SDSA may provide recommendations and assist with any concerns from participants regarding preparations for an offshore passage.

The SDSA reserves the right to deny acceptance on a rally to any vessel or captain if it is determined that the minimal level of preparation and/or experience for a specific rally has not been achieved.

Rally Categories

The Salty Dawg Sailing Association has three rally categories:

  • Near-Shore – these rallies stay inside the Gulf Stream and have, at most, two overnight passages. These rallies include the Delmarva, Downeast, Maritime, and January Jump rallies.
  • Offshore – these rallies cross the Gulf Stream and include five or more overnight passages. These rallies include the Caribbean ans Homeward Bound rallies.
  • Trans-Atlantic – these rallies venture far offshore. Currently the only rally in this category is the Azores Rally.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

For Near-Shore Rallies:

  • The captain will have knowledge and experience in general boat handling, sail trim, reefing, navigation, vessel-to-vessel communications protocols, and rules of the road when encountering other vessels. In addition, the captain must have at least coastal cruising experience, and should have overnight sailing experience

For Offshore Rallies, additionally:

  • The owner or captain who will be responsible for the operation and safety of the vessel is required to have offshore sailing experience.  Experience can be demonstrated by furnishing a sailing resume documenting at least one passage of three nights or longer or by participating in a previous SDSA offshore rally. 
  • If the owner or captain does not have offshore sailing experience, he or she must acquire crew meeting the offshore experience requirement.

For the Azores Rally, additionally:

  • The owner or captain who will be responsible for the operation and safety of the vessel is required to have extended offshore experience. Experience can be demonstrated by furnishing a sailing resume documenting at least two passages of five nights or longer each. 
  • If the owner or captain does not have extended offshore sailing experience, he or she must acquire crew meeting the extended offshore experience requirement.

REQUIRED and Recommended EQUIPMENT

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

With the underlying philosophy that each captain is responsible for ensuring that his vessel is properly prepared to participate in a rally, the SDSA has minimal equipment requirements.

For All Rallies:

  • VHF radio permanently mounted
  • Handheld VHF radio
  • All safety equipment required to meet USCG regulations

For Offshore Rallies, additionally:

Each vessel must have two offshore communications devices, one of which must be capable of sending the vessel’s position four times daily.    

  • One device must be capable of sending and receiving long form email
  • One device must be capable of sending the vessel’s position to our tracking map at least four times daily. Acceptable tracking devices include only a member of the Garmin inReach family, and the Zoleo Communicator. Each of these devices is also an acceptable communications device, although not for long form email.

For the Azores Rally, additionally:

  • Emergency Position Indicating Beacon (EPIRB) – properly registered and battery in date as of arrival at the destination
  • Ocean-rated emergency life raft sufficient for the crew aboard, with current inspection
  • International MMSI properly programmed into all relevant devices

 STRONGLY RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

The absence of any of these items will be a consideration in deciding whether the vessel qualifies for a rally.

For All Rallies 

  • Location and MMSI properly programmed into all relevant devices
  • Emergency VHF antenna
  • Handheld GPS
  • AIS transponder
  • Radar
  • Inflatable Life Jackets/Safety Harness with tether for all crew with whistle and strobe light
  • Jacklines on deck and in the cockpit
  • Paper charts or electronic charts on a backup device such as iPad or smart phone
  • All safety equipment required by the destination country
  • Lifesling and/or MOB device such as a MOM module or pole, life ring and floating light combination
  • Throw rope
  • Emergency Plugs correctly sized to fit, and attached to, each thru hull fitting

For Offshore Rallies, additionally:

  • Emergency Position Indicating Beacon (EPIRB) – properly registered and battery in date as of arrival at the destination
  • Ocean-rated emergency life raft sufficient for the crew aboard, with current inspection
  • International MMSI properly programmed into relevant devices
  • Emergency steering system
  • Ditch bag with necessary survival and medical stores for ten days (e.g., GPS, handheld VHF, binoculars, flares, copies of crew passports, crew medication)

 RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

 For All Rallies:

  • Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) and/or AIS or DSC MOB devices.
  • High-powered spotlight
  • High-capacity bilge pumps, both automatic and manual

 For Offshore Rallies, additionally:

  • Mainsail with three Reef Points unless you have in mast or in boom furling or carry a separate storm trysail to replace the mainsail
  • Fuel sufficient to motor at least twenty-five percent of the passage.
  • Drinking water sufficient for one half gallon per person per day for twenty days
  • Food on board for 1½ times the expected length of the passage
  • Comprehensive first aid kit (with motion sickness prevention meds)
  • Storm headsail
  • Storm drogue or parachute sea anchor
  • SOLAS Flares
  • Offshore planning chart (NOAA Chart 108)
  • Spare parts for all key equipment on board including engine belts, water pump impellers, motor brushes, freshwater pump, fuel and oil filters, electrical fuses, oil, and coolant.
  • Emergency repair tape (self-amalgamating for hoses and pipes), epoxy, hose clamps, assorted screws, nuts, and washers
  • All tools necessary to effect emergency repairs

For the Azores Rally, additionally:

  • Fuel sufficient to motor at least 700 nautical miles
  • FCC radio license (Marine Radio Operator Permit)
  • Proof of “Competency” such as an International Certificate of Competency (ICC Certificate), AYA or RYA classes
  • Pasarelle for Med Mooring

REQUIRED and Recommended Preparation

 REQUIRED PREPARATION

  • Test offshore email capability with Rally Communication Team
  • Test VHF
  • Confirm position reporting posting on Rally Tracking Map
  • Test/confirm receipt of Chris Parker weather forecasts on offshore email address
  • Test SMS capability (if equipped) with Rally Communication Team
  • Test SSB radio (if equipped) transmit and receive capability

Strongly RECOMMENDED PREPARATION

  • Sail your boat in heavy weather and practice reefing so that each crew member can reef the sails
  • Ensure that all fuel containers, water containers or other gear stored on deck are well lashed down
  • Ensure that you have removed or secured the anchor to the bow roller
  • Have rigging professionally checked and tuned
  • Have sails checked
  • Have engine serviced
  • If not done recently, have fuel tanks professionally cleaned
  • Have steering system and autopilot thoroughly checked and serviced
  • Update all paper and electronic charts
  • Meet with doctor to prepare ship’s medical kit
  • Understand the medical requirements of your crew
  • Ensure that navigation electronics software and electronic charts are up to date
  • Confirm the proper operation of all navigation electronics
  • Practice and become proficient with all equipment on board such as: radar, chart plotters,  AIS, SSB, sat phone
  • Check keel bolts and keel attachment thoroughly
  • Practice man-overboard maneuvers
  • Practice using emergency steering, spare rudder systems
  • Check engine manufacturer recommendations on minimum operating rpm, and recommended compensating actions for long term low rpm operation in order to conserve fuel

Insurance

Well in advance of any rally, each Owner/Skipper should ensure that the vessel is properly insured for the particular passage and destination.  This has become increasingly difficult for the Caribbean and European destinations. Advance planning is essential.

For additional useful information on preparing for a rally, including articles from experts and checklists, see the section Preparing for Offshore.