Getting Dog Aboard

[Rob Rich]

I am a new 1979 C-27 owner, and I look forward to many overnighters on my boat when it cools down a bit this fall. My wife and I will need to take our dog along with us. For the life of me, I can't figure a way to get the dog out of the water and up into the boat unless we are at a dock. We will be anchoring in a lake most of the time, nowhere near a marina. She is a 65 lb black labrador.Anyone have a solution to this?

 

[Mike Elmore]

block/tackle

You should attach block and tackle to the end of the boom with the complexity of it depending on the purchase you need.At one end of the line, tie a bowline and attach a carbiner. Then...attach the carbiner to the ring on your dog's life vest. Swing the boom out over the water and pull.Don't hesitate to use the winch to make this easier.Mike ElmoreWindward HullC28 - Hull #7

 

[Bob]

Water to Dinghy to Boat

If you have an inflatable dinghy, you should be able to pull the dog into the dinghy and then help him jump into the boat. Our dog is about 55 lbs and although we haven't yet had to pull her into the dinghy since she hasn't swam to the boat in deep water, she has no problem with the dinghy to the boat. I drape a carpet-type floor mat over the rail of the boat to give her some traction. With me in the dinghy, she stands in the dinghy, putting her paws on the boat rail and as she jumps I push and she's over the rail into the boat with no problems. She's used to jumping into the boat from the dock so this isn't too much more difficult. I have a C-30, so the C-27 should be a little easier. A real agile dog could probably train himself to do this all by himself. Water to dinghy would be the toughest but I bet a Lab could do it (carpet would help here as well).

 

[Mike]

Laughing at this

I couldn't help but laugh at this because we have been going through this with our Chocolate lab. She dove off the pier a few weeks ago and I had no idea how to get her out. The piers are about 4 ft. above the water with no way up. I finally got in with her and swam her down to a nearby powerboat with a swim platform and got her out.I think though that if she had a harness on she could be lifted out. Petco has dog harnesses for around twenty bucks or westmarine sells doggie life vests that are also harnesses.Hope that helps. You aren't alone.

 

[Dick Keenan]

Dogs Need Harnesses Around Water

I am a firm believer that all dogs on boats or docks should be equipped with harnesses -- the kind that go across the chest, around the neck and under the front legs. If necessary, you just grab the harness and lift, without threat of injury to the animal (watch your back, though). Even heavy animals are still fairly easy to lift as their buoyancy helps considerably. And if you find yourself having to lift an animal that is panicking or otherwise combative or difficult to hold onto, the harness helps make it much safer and easier.We had an incident a few weeks ago where a medium-sized boxer went into the water at night and panicked and was grabbed just as he was about to paddle under the dock. The harness made his recovery a simple matter. Without one it could have been a very dangerous situation for all involved.

 

[Rob Rich]

THANK YOU ALL!

Hey All, I went out on Labor Day weekend and rafted with another C-27 and an O'Day 28. We all had dogs aboard, and the block and tackle worked great. I took it off of my Prindle 16 Catamaran. The Prindle uses a block and tackle for the main sheet. I also got a life vest for the dog, and used a carbiner to attach the dog to the block and tackle. Worked like a charm! Everyone got a good laugh too. I think the dog likes the boat now. But the hair! Ugh! Oh well. Thanks again for the help!Rob