A few years ago, we docked near Michael Benjamin in Portland. He is the president of the Salty Dawgs Sailing Association. This is a group of like-minded sailors that offers education, social networking and rallies… flotilla cruises where boats cruise more or less together, providing each other support during passages, and group activities at various destinations. The experiment was a success. Each crew remains independent, but there are plenty of options for group activities. We found it to be a nice change from our usual independent cruising for a few weeks. The members range from year-round liveaboards to seasonal cruisers.
This cruise, called the “Down East Rally”, departed from Hampton, Virginia, and sailed to Rockland, Maine. I became known as “Wrong-Way Dan” because we had to sail down from Maine in order to intercept the group in Rhode Island, then sail back to Maine again. We were able to help the group with our local knowledge of sailing in New England, recomending anchorages, restaurants, and techniques to avoid entangling lobster traps..
Besides sailing, the group often met up for social and touristic activities, such as visiting historical landmarks and museums, meeting up for meals, or taking hikes together.
The members are very nice. We’ll definitely do it again.
One Response
Looks like you met a fun, like-minded group to explore the north east seas with! I am sure yours and Sandy‘s experiences and skills were extremely helpful and appreciated.