dog on board
- Thread starter Mike8193
- Start date
A longish haired dog like our Springer could be quite heavy when soaking wet. Sailing was the reason we downsized on dogs:Dog PFDs typically have a handle on top. The dog may be a good swimmer, but how are they at climbing a boarding ladder? The handle makes it easier to hoist a wet dog back on board.
Both of my springers spent lots of time with me on my boats.
Mattie, my first springer loved to jump in the water-dog overboard drills are a challenge! I would keep a short leash on her that I could grab if she got too interested in the water.
Walter, my second is the dog in my profile pic, he was a true sailing dog, loved to be in the cockpit with me and only jumped out at the dock, he was the dock dog and greeted everyone when we were in the slip. Great dog-Unfortunately I lost him last year.
Not to be in too a confused state of thinking... sailing often means you downsize your living space,
now I learn dogs,
does that mean you also may have to downsize a spouse and friends?
Seems extreme.
Petite spouses and short skinny friends are much easier to hoist to the mast head. Just sayin'
If I could downsize, I would have headroom and not need a larger boat! It wouldn't be a bad thing if I could downsize like Tom's dogs.
I sail with a 40lb dog - did so on my Catalina 30, now on my Catalina 34. YES, I recommend netting on the life lines -- see Seattle Marine & Fishing Supply ( I ordered NESLIFELINE NET 4" #36 9MD White; 70ft $56.70). Zip ties will work or waxed whipping to fasten the netting. I don't weave it on. YES, I strip plastic off, otherwise it ages, cracks and collects moisture leading to rust. Never like to have anything metal covered - hides problems. Easiest to take off to strip.
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Many years ago I had a cocker spaniel that was quite familiar with my 33' Chris Craft and she would walk around the deck, from stem to stern, port and starboard while the boat was underway.
She'd sit on the bow and let the wind blow her ears back and really enjoyed the experience (of course she couldn't speak, so I am assuming some things here).
The helm was inside and on the port side and she would, during her routine of walking clockwise around the deck, stop at my window for some petting and then move on to the bow.
One time as she came around the stern, she didn't come up to my window, which alarmed me. I looked behind and sure enough, she fell over board and was treading water as we increased the distance between she and the boat. I immediately turned around. There were others on board and they all rushed to the bow of the boat to retrieve the dog, which didn't make any sense as the bow was way to high off the water. I walked to the transom after guiding the boat to her side and pulled her up. It is remarkable how well a dog can swim.
This took place on a river. Of course on the ocean, the dog could become a tasty meal for a shark.
This was really a long time ago and I don't think dog life preservers existed, but it is a good idea to have one now that they now do exist.
Of course, a Chris Craft doesn't heel like a sailboat, so the concerns are fewer, but shit happens.
I know lots of peeps who sail with their dogs and all is well, except when they leave the dog in the boat to endlessly bark while the owners go out to dinner. But, that is another story and I am sorry to say that my cocker would do that too and I am not proud of it.
Anyway just thought I'd share my story. Move on. Bill out.
She'd sit on the bow and let the wind blow her ears back and really enjoyed the experience (of course she couldn't speak, so I am assuming some things here).
The helm was inside and on the port side and she would, during her routine of walking clockwise around the deck, stop at my window for some petting and then move on to the bow.
One time as she came around the stern, she didn't come up to my window, which alarmed me. I looked behind and sure enough, she fell over board and was treading water as we increased the distance between she and the boat. I immediately turned around. There were others on board and they all rushed to the bow of the boat to retrieve the dog, which didn't make any sense as the bow was way to high off the water. I walked to the transom after guiding the boat to her side and pulled her up. It is remarkable how well a dog can swim.
This took place on a river. Of course on the ocean, the dog could become a tasty meal for a shark.
This was really a long time ago and I don't think dog life preservers existed, but it is a good idea to have one now that they now do exist.
Of course, a Chris Craft doesn't heel like a sailboat, so the concerns are fewer, but shit happens.
I know lots of peeps who sail with their dogs and all is well, except when they leave the dog in the boat to endlessly bark while the owners go out to dinner. But, that is another story and I am sorry to say that my cocker would do that too and I am not proud of it.
Anyway just thought I'd share my story. Move on. Bill out.
Theory is dogs enjoy their pack. When the pack is separated they get anxious and try to let the pack know that one of their own is missing.
Used to take my 20 lb little white dog on the boat. Just put a 10 foot leash on him and tied it to the barney post. He would go to the sides and look out at the water for fish. Never wanted to go in. Mostly he snuggled up next to me and snoozed. Occasionally went to the cabin top to get a better look around. He is to old now to walk around on the moving boat. He still gets up over the engine of the mid-engine car and looks at where we are going clinging to the netting in that area of the car. He loves the G's.
had 3 sailing dogs (1 at a time ) over the past 30 years. they wore life preserver jackets w leash attachment loops. (NEVER use a leash to the collar on a boat dog, it can break its neck or be strangled .) i installed top of the line netting from fawcett boat supply in annapolis --2x as expensive as west marine's. follow the directions, it takes a while. i'd never install the bottom of the netting with zip ties-- if a 240 # crew members goes flying across the foredeck in a squall. zip ties are not a recommended attachment method for safety netting.. the netting was a very good safety measure when the weather turns ugly.
I second the safety aspect. In a race some years ago we had a really bad spinnaker take-down. We were broad reaching in a building breeze with shoal ground to leeward and needed to get the A-spinn down. My foredeck (wife) got the sock partway down when we got hit with a gust that pulled her off her feet and when she came down, both feet when through the 6" gap at the bottom of the netting just aft of the pulpit. I saw her drop, feet first, over the side and disappear below my line of sight over the top of the dodger.
When I jumped to my feet I could see that she was caught by the netting with just the edge of her rump on the deck edge with the netting bottom line pinning her there. I hit the AP and ran up to free her but she told me she was fine and to get the her sail down. (She built the star spinnaker in my avatar and was more concerned about it because she was not going anywhere with the netting holding her fast.)
We dumped the tack and hauled the sail down into the forehatch and then I went up to pull her free of the netting which was no simple task.
Yah, you can trust your life to the netting when properly installed.
Yes. Our dogs wear Ruffwear harnesses. I call them "...special forces combat harness..." because they resemble the harnesses you sea on military dogs. They have a SS loop firmly sewed in on the forward top of the harness. Then we have tethers with an elastic section firmly made up to the pedestal. Thankfully we have never needed the strength of these rigs.