![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/11-23-17a-041.jpg\")
So, the “awards”…<\/p>\nAs I mentioned in my last post, all the participants in this year’s Salty Dawg Rally arrived safely to their port of choice.\u00a0 With over 80 boats participating and distances traveled of between 1,000 and 1,500 miles, there was ample opportunity for stuff to break and as a result, have great stories to tell.<\/p>\n
And, as port captain to Antigua, and a competitive one at that, I wanted to be sure that there was plenty going on and lots of fun stuff to do over the ten day period, during which, the fleet trickled into port.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, there was a variety of activities to keep the Dawgs happy including dinners, cocktail parties, cookouts on the beach and ladies lunches.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the most important thing was to be sure that crews on the last boats to arrive would have at least one party to attend.\u00a0 After perhaps nearly two weeks at sea, it would be a total let down to arrive and learn that all the parties were over and that everyone had gone on their way leaving them to say “hello, hello, is anybody here?”.<\/p>\n
So, what’s a port captain to do?\u00a0 Well, these are after all sailors and what do sailors like better than a cocktail party?\u00a0 Here’s an idea.\u00a0 How about a “Tail of the Dawg” cocktail party to recognize the boats that “brought up the rear” or “wagged the dawg”, of the fleet to torture the pun just a bit more?\u00a0 And, on top of that, how about telling some “tales of the Dawg”.\u00a0 Get it, TALE of the Dawg and TAIL of the Dawg?\u00a0 \u00a0“Just Shut Up Bob, we get it and it’s completely lame.”<\/p>\n
Ok, so we had a party and I gave out awards.\u00a0 Yes, I know that it is a bit pedantic to go through all of them but it was fun and I found some local businesses to donate items and they do deserve credit.\u00a0 Besides, I thought that the “awards” were fairly clever.\u00a0 Well, to me anyway so humor me on this and read on.<\/p>\n
We held a number of these events at the Admiral’s Inn in historic Nelson’s Dockyard.\u00a0 It’s a really beautiful spot for the Dawgs to spend time together.\u00a0So, the “awards”…<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/11-23-17a-046.jpg\")
Of course, when you take upwards of 100 boats out on the ocean for long passages, stuff breaks.\u00a0 So, how about prizes for the worst luck?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/11-23-17a-054.jpg\")
But wait, it gets worse… or better, depending on how competitive you are I suppose.\u00a0 It’s up to you to decide which of the two couples won this round.\u00a0 \u00a0 From my perspective, it seems to me that they are both real winners.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/11-23-17a-062.jpg\")
Another very strong contender in the “really terrible luck” category were Mike and Daniella on ZigZag, who in spite of “zigzagging” on their way south, trying to stay out of trouble, somehow managed to get struck by lightening, loosing nearly all of their electronic systems, hundreds of miles from shore… That’s terrible luck in my book and certainly worthy of recognition.\u00a0 How about a bottle of wine from Covent Gardens Grocery.\u00a0\u00a0![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/11-23-17a-067.jpg\")
And, the whole point of the “tail of the Dawg” party was to recognize the last boat to arrive, the one that missed nearly all of the events.\u00a0 And that distinction want to Pete and Irene on Destiny.\u00a0 \u00a0They missed nearly all of the parties.\u00a0 Their prize?A $200EC gift certificate to Club Sushi. Not a bad deal.\u00a0 Heck, they can have their own party.\u00a0![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/11-23-17a-075.jpg\")
Oh yeah, one more.\u00a0 \u00a0How could I forget all the wonderful support I received from Suzanne on Suzi Too who pitched in with the morning net and saved me on the night of the arrival party, checking in over 100 Dawgs and making sure that everybody paid.\u00a0 And, that doesn’t even count the Ladies Lunch, cookouts on the beach and numerous other fun things she cooked up.\u00a0 \u00a0Thanks Suzanne.\u00a0 Her prize?\u00a0 A one-of-a-kind hand made Salty Dawg Mug from the BVIs commissioned by Bill and Linda, founders of the rally.![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/11-23-17a-080.jpg\")
So, there you have it, Tales FROM and the Tail OF the Dawgs.\u00a0 Perhaps not one of my most scintillating posts but hey, I think that the prizes made the Dawgs wag their tails.<\/p>\n