Hampton, Virginia, USA — What began as a small group of friends sailing south together in the fall, a little more than three years ago, has grown to become the dominant cruising rally – The Salty Dawg Rally – on the U.S. East Coast, according to co-founders Bill and Linda Knowles. With more than 100 boats registered this year to depart from East Coast ports in early November, the 2013 Salty Dawg Rally broke the ‘century mark’ of 100 boats shortly after this year’s Newport International Boat Show, where the Knowles had a booth.
“The first fall, in 2011, we had 32 boats join; last fall we had 59 boats, and so far this year we have more than 100 boats, and more may join before we depart,” Linda Knowles relates. “As one friend, Capt. Bob Philburn noted, there are enough boats in the rally that if they were lined up end to end, the line would be close to a mile in length.”
The Salty Dawg Rally is free for all participants, founded by cruising enthusiasts Bill & Linda Knowles of Bristol, Rhode Island, with their Jeanneau 54DS, Sapphire, and their Jack Russell terrier, Brie, the original ‘Salty Dawg’. The rally leaves Hampton, Virginia and other U.S. East Coast ports in the fall, headed for the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and other ports in the Caribbean, and returns to the participants’ various home ports in the spring. Members of the Rally receive sponsor-supplied products and services. The Salty Dawg Rally is comprised of blue water sailors who have completed at least one blue water passage. There is no formal inspection of each boat, since it is the responsibility of each skipper to have proper safety equipment and to ensure that the vessel is prepared for the passage.
Why has the rally become so popular, and so quickly? Camaraderie and benefits, according to Bill Knowles. “Our Rally improves constantly due to an increasing number of sponsors, and the benefits that they bring to participants not merely in gifts and merchandise, but in sponsored educational programs and seminars that we hold. Participation in the rally is free, but more importantly, due to the length of time spent together in the fall, friendships are developed that last forever. Our Dawgs are always running into each other in other ports up and down the Caribbean!” he adds.
This year’s rally includes events, seminars, dinners, and entertainment prior to departure. For more information and updates, visit www.saltydawgrally.com, or visit the Salty Dawg Rally Facebook page.