The Salty Dawg Rally has started! 70+ boats with the majority heading to Antigua – but Toodle-oo! is still in Hampton, VA with about a dozen other rally boats – waiting on weather. The majority of the fleet left on Thursday (November 2nd), but with a very light air forecast and lots of motoring in their future… Toodle-oo! and the others have decided to wait a little bit in the hopes that the wind will cooperate and take us down to the Caribbean with a little less noise!

Meanwhile, we’ve been busy! The Centenary United Methodist Church have sponsored Toodle-oo! with a great donation – such that we were able to go out and buy some much needed items for the folks on Dominica. George and Francis Sadler on Kittiwake, cruisers we met last year on the Salty Dawg, also sponsored us and we’ve amassed some products that I think will be very much appreciated in Dominica.

Relief Supplies for Dominica

Relief Supplies begin the trip to Dominica

Items we’re bringing: Tarps, nails, hammers and crow bar, solar lights, water treatment pills, cans of Tuna (in case I fail!), Band-Aids, bug spray, lots of extra tools from Toodle-oo! and lots of rope out of the boat’s collection. They’ll be getting quite a haul.

George also drove us around the various shops to buy the items – and also helped me spend some money on Fishing gear – ‘cos you just know the islanders must surely be in need of some fresh Tuna!!! He also threw in one of his own lures – with the biggest fish hook I’ve seen – I think he wants me to land a Great White!!!

Whoa!! That’s a big lure!!!
Thanks George!!

We plan to depart Hampton now on Monday morning and if the weather forecast holds, it looks like we’ll be able to sail nearly the whole way down! 10 – 14 days to cover the 1,700NM or so.