SDSA offers expertise and assistance to stranded cruisers

Salty Dawg Sailing Association helps hundreds of sailors leaving the Caribbean to head north © Salty Dawg Sailing Association

We are winding down the activities on our Homeward Bound Flotilla, assisting boats and crew to get to the US in a period of extreme uncertainty from COVID-19.

Islands were closed through the Caribbean, including boatyards to get boats hauled and secured for the hurricane season. And, flights were not available to get crew in to assist in an offshore passage.

With so many boats facing challenges of an unplanned offshore passage with shorthanded crew, we decided the Salty Dawg organization had the skills to help. So, we canceled our Spring Rally, set fees for the Flotilla at $0 so no one would be excluded, stood up a large team of volunteers to manage the effort and provide assistance with shoreside coordinators, offered Chris Parker weather and routing services, created an emergency response team with long time sailors and technical experts, formed a government affairs team to establish contacts with US agencies as well as the many island governments where boats would congregate and pass by along the way, and set a location for those who could afford to make a donation to the organization.

Additionally, we were able to arrange safe passage options for boats, approved on a case by case base, through the Bahamas with opportunities for rest stops and fuel - a big help to shorthanded crew and weary sailors.

The full tally of boats participating is 184. That is far larger than any rally we had ever hosted. We have another 45 boats left to get in safely, so our work isn't done. Our team experienced many issues with breakage, minor injury, failed engines, arrival tows, parts shipped in from the US and England, and a particularly rough sailing spring with frequent cold fronts, strong low-pressure systems, gales and, oh yeah, two Tropical Storms (Arthur and Bertha). But I have to give special recognition to our large support team, many of whom devoted a huge number of hours to help fellow sailors.

Thank you from the entire sailing community to: Sheldon, Tim, Rick, Jo Ella, Mindy, Dorothy, Lydia, Howard, Ros, Ken, Joan, Brian, Russ, Linda, Bennet, Lynn, Dave, Bob, Kathy, Nancy, and especially Tatja and Barb.

You'll find more information about the amazing Homeward Bound Flotilla in this issue. As for the balance of the year we are working on adjusting our events to be conducted where possible, in a safe manner with COVID-19 still present. More details will be forthcoming on those plans.

Stay safe,
Hank George, President, SDSA