Does your dog go sailing with you? Does he enjoy a reach in 15 knots of breeze, or does he spend the day spread-eagle on the cabin sole? Does your hound wear a harness, a lifejacket, do you have netting or other safety features just for him? Or is it too much trouble to have your pooch aboard? Rowing him ashore, dealing with the on-deck cleanup, the food bowl, the shedding! Maybe you believe four-legged creatures were designed for land, not cockpits. Share your thoughts here, then vote in the Quick Quiz at the bottom of the home page.
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Always with us
Evo, our miniature Aussie has always been on board when we're aboard. He sailed with us on our Islander 28, lived aboard our Formosa 51, circumnavigated Vancouver Island aboard our Catalina 36, and now sails regularly aboard our current Taswell 43. He's been known to kayak, ride on the back of motorcycles and dinghy sail as well. In fact, our 10' sailing dinghy is his favorite boat of all! I guess you could say he has quite the sailing resume - can you tell we're proud of our furry child? Trevor
Evo, our miniature Aussie has always been on board when we're aboard. He sailed with us on our Islander 28, lived aboard our Formosa 51, circumnavigated Vancouver Island aboard our Catalina 36, and now sails regularly aboard our current Taswell 43. He's been known to kayak, ride on the back of motorcycles and dinghy sail as well. In fact, our 10' sailing dinghy is his favorite boat of all! I guess you could say he has quite the sailing resume - can you tell we're proud of our furry child? Trevor
fair weather friend
Our ratty would prefere that we stay in the marina and feed her junk food and allow her to chase the ducks. She thinks that it is stupid to sail on those cold windy days, why not take a nap in the salon all covered up with Becky. We have and use life jacket and leash all the time we are out of marina. Limit her food as much as possible with out being mean. She is able to go 3 or 4 hours without problem. The only time we limit her movements is either leaving or retuning to the dock. She seems to get excited at these times and is right in the way. Jim
Our ratty would prefere that we stay in the marina and feed her junk food and allow her to chase the ducks. She thinks that it is stupid to sail on those cold windy days, why not take a nap in the salon all covered up with Becky. We have and use life jacket and leash all the time we are out of marina. Limit her food as much as possible with out being mean. She is able to go 3 or 4 hours without problem. The only time we limit her movements is either leaving or retuning to the dock. She seems to get excited at these times and is right in the way. Jim
Rain or Shine
Our dog Saba pretty much always goes with us. She loves it. She used to love the cozy feel of our Catalina 25 when we had it and is trying to warm up to the Hunter 34. She has more of a difficult time getting up and down the stairs without a death-defying leap and she can no longer get into the V-berth since it is too tall - but she will figure it out this summer. With the Catalina she would hang in the cockpit until the rocking made her tired and then she would go to sleep in the V-berth. If it is a rough day, she will stay in the cockpit and crouch down and hang on. Getting wet doesn't bother her too much since we have taken her on a hobie cat as well. She wears a lifejacket since sled dogs aren't known for their swimming prowess. Rowing her ashore in the morning to pee isn't very fun some times, but definitely worth it. I hope to teach her to go on the boat this year (where I want her to...) Bring the dogs! Your dogs would have it no other way, they want to enjoy what you enjoy in life. If not, you will end up not paying enough attention to your dog with all that time you spend on the boat - and then why get a dog in the first place?
Our dog Saba pretty much always goes with us. She loves it. She used to love the cozy feel of our Catalina 25 when we had it and is trying to warm up to the Hunter 34. She has more of a difficult time getting up and down the stairs without a death-defying leap and she can no longer get into the V-berth since it is too tall - but she will figure it out this summer. With the Catalina she would hang in the cockpit until the rocking made her tired and then she would go to sleep in the V-berth. If it is a rough day, she will stay in the cockpit and crouch down and hang on. Getting wet doesn't bother her too much since we have taken her on a hobie cat as well. She wears a lifejacket since sled dogs aren't known for their swimming prowess. Rowing her ashore in the morning to pee isn't very fun some times, but definitely worth it. I hope to teach her to go on the boat this year (where I want her to...) Bring the dogs! Your dogs would have it no other way, they want to enjoy what you enjoy in life. If not, you will end up not paying enough attention to your dog with all that time you spend on the boat - and then why get a dog in the first place?
All that's left. . .
Ginger is the only "child" still at home. She goes most everywhere with us. She is not much of a swimmer but loves the boat. We have a PFD but it seems too warm. We use a harness and a tether. At the dock she is free to roam. There are several sailing pooches in our marina.
Ginger is the only "child" still at home. She goes most everywhere with us. She is not much of a swimmer but loves the boat. We have a PFD but it seems too warm. We use a harness and a tether. At the dock she is free to roam. There are several sailing pooches in our marina.
Sailing Poodles
We sail the Chesapeake Bay on our Catalina 28 with 2 standard poodles, now 11 and 12 years old. Both have sailed with us since puppyhood and are excellent sailors. They mostly sleep in the cockpit and are never concerned about the weather or wind or waves. Life jackets are on while underway just in case one should fall overboard. They love the dinghy too!
We sail the Chesapeake Bay on our Catalina 28 with 2 standard poodles, now 11 and 12 years old. Both have sailed with us since puppyhood and are excellent sailors. They mostly sleep in the cockpit and are never concerned about the weather or wind or waves. Life jackets are on while underway just in case one should fall overboard. They love the dinghy too!
2 fer....
got 2 of em that travel with me, and I usually take more picures of them than anything else. We always have fun with them, although the dinghy trips on cold rainy days are not the best memories. Here's Casper the newbe....at one of the 2 locks on the Dismal Swamp Canal. He's a Maltese puppy and enjoys it all. The other is a bichon that is happiest when he's on the boat, especially the dinghy. I think on the boat they know they are going everywhere I do. Amazing that dogs (at least these 2) are like babies, the minute the engine turns on, they fall asleep. When it stops, they wake up.
got 2 of em that travel with me, and I usually take more picures of them than anything else. We always have fun with them, although the dinghy trips on cold rainy days are not the best memories. Here's Casper the newbe....at one of the 2 locks on the Dismal Swamp Canal. He's a Maltese puppy and enjoys it all. The other is a bichon that is happiest when he's on the boat, especially the dinghy. I think on the boat they know they are going everywhere I do. Amazing that dogs (at least these 2) are like babies, the minute the engine turns on, they fall asleep. When it stops, they wake up.
The Skipper!
This is the "skipper". The loves to sail and isn't happy unless we are out on the river!
This is the "skipper". The loves to sail and isn't happy unless we are out on the river!
does your dog sail with you
Yes our dog Maggie loves to go with us. She is a 6 lb. Malteese, and naturally wants to be on whatever lap is available. She wanders the deck whenever one of us is out there. Our friends call her, Maggie, the sailor dog.
Yes our dog Maggie loves to go with us. She is a 6 lb. Malteese, and naturally wants to be on whatever lap is available. She wanders the deck whenever one of us is out there. Our friends call her, Maggie, the sailor dog.
Raghead and Stinkpotter
I'm on my third K-9 Crew member - they seem more durable than the 2 legged kind. Zoe and Sam served onboard at the same time, Abby is the new crew. Zoe, a black lab would sit on the foredeck and spot dolphins and whales in any sea - she liked the engine off and hated the lifejacket. (Endangered hre Labrador Status Card) Sam, the Border Collie, on the otherhand had duties, he brought up the fenders, pulled in the electrical cord, rang the bell and thought a lifejacket was his uniform. He freaked in a heavy breeze but would stand watch 36 hrs one time under motor. Both logged more the 14,000 miles. Abby, the new lab has logged a few hundred miles in The Sea and seems to love it all, although not quite the marine biologist Sam & Zoe were.
I'm on my third K-9 Crew member - they seem more durable than the 2 legged kind. Zoe and Sam served onboard at the same time, Abby is the new crew. Zoe, a black lab would sit on the foredeck and spot dolphins and whales in any sea - she liked the engine off and hated the lifejacket. (Endangered hre Labrador Status Card) Sam, the Border Collie, on the otherhand had duties, he brought up the fenders, pulled in the electrical cord, rang the bell and thought a lifejacket was his uniform. He freaked in a heavy breeze but would stand watch 36 hrs one time under motor. Both logged more the 14,000 miles. Abby, the new lab has logged a few hundred miles in The Sea and seems to love it all, although not quite the marine biologist Sam & Zoe were.
But of course!
Our Boxer, Buster Brown, and Autralian Shepherd, Chloe, are both wonderful "sailor dogs" They love to go, and know what it means when we ask if they want to "Go sailing"! They love to bark at the dolphins, and seem to thoroughly enjoy themselves. I added lifeline netting all around the boat, and they always wear their life jackets, except in this picture, of course! This photo was actually taken on our old MacGregor on the Great Salt Lake. Now we're sailing a Hunter 376 in Coastal North Carolina.
Our Boxer, Buster Brown, and Autralian Shepherd, Chloe, are both wonderful "sailor dogs" They love to go, and know what it means when we ask if they want to "Go sailing"! They love to bark at the dolphins, and seem to thoroughly enjoy themselves. I added lifeline netting all around the boat, and they always wear their life jackets, except in this picture, of course! This photo was actually taken on our old MacGregor on the Great Salt Lake. Now we're sailing a Hunter 376 in Coastal North Carolina.
Bichon on board
We are new to sailing and have a Catalina 320. Chadwick, our Bichon, loves to be on board. Friends have told us to gently push him in the water once over the edge (on a tether and with his life jacket on) and we'll never have a problem in the future. However, so far we're chicken to do it. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
We are new to sailing and have a Catalina 320. Chadwick, our Bichon, loves to be on board. Friends have told us to gently push him in the water once over the edge (on a tether and with his life jacket on) and we'll never have a problem in the future. However, so far we're chicken to do it. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
Adopt a Boat Dog - Save a Life!
I bet we have the fastest boat doggie - from 40 Miles an Hour to 4 Knots in 4 Months: Sassy, a five year old rescued racing greyhound from Birmingham, Alabama, samples the spring air aboard her weekend home, SV "Eau Rouge", Steve Thorogood and Cheryl Carter's Hunter 29.5 on Watauga Lake, Butler, TN. Save a life, and get information on adopting these delightful sailing companions at www.greyhoundpets.org
I bet we have the fastest boat doggie - from 40 Miles an Hour to 4 Knots in 4 Months: Sassy, a five year old rescued racing greyhound from Birmingham, Alabama, samples the spring air aboard her weekend home, SV "Eau Rouge", Steve Thorogood and Cheryl Carter's Hunter 29.5 on Watauga Lake, Butler, TN. Save a life, and get information on adopting these delightful sailing companions at www.greyhoundpets.org
well..
We have a long haired shepherd and she has been sailing since a little pup when she once went 10 hours without peeing! She is still only 10 months old but now 60 lbs so is more in the way. She does love being in the cockpit and close to the captain... we plan to do some longer cruising this summer and I am not sure of it will be as easy as all that, but we will sure try. Gotta try and techer her to pee on the boat, tho'... maybe in a kitty litter box?? Or astroturf??
We have a long haired shepherd and she has been sailing since a little pup when she once went 10 hours without peeing! She is still only 10 months old but now 60 lbs so is more in the way. She does love being in the cockpit and close to the captain... we plan to do some longer cruising this summer and I am not sure of it will be as easy as all that, but we will sure try. Gotta try and techer her to pee on the boat, tho'... maybe in a kitty litter box?? Or astroturf??
Sailor Dogs
Coco the Golden Retriever knows no fear when sailing, Bogie the Border Collie is less bold, but both are great travellers and fun to have aboard. They do crowd the cabin of our 28' Hunter at night though.
Coco the Golden Retriever knows no fear when sailing, Bogie the Border Collie is less bold, but both are great travellers and fun to have aboard. They do crowd the cabin of our 28' Hunter at night though.
She loves sailing
She is 80 lb's and sometimes in the way but we enjoy taking her out. She was raised from a puppy on boats and in the water.
She is 80 lb's and sometimes in the way but we enjoy taking her out. She was raised from a puppy on boats and in the water.
Salty
Our last dog died just before we went out into the Pacific. We used to cruise with our Newfoundland, Salty, a 200+ lb companion. He hated the boat, but hated being left in kennels worse. If we said the word "boat", he went to the door and waited for us. He was a wonderful mate. He loved the places we went. The companionship came with a price. He took up the room that a human would, and we could not keep him out of the water. We carried several towels to dry him off (the water never got to his skin due to the oil in his fur) but he smelled like "wet dog" most of the time. You had to love dogs. We had to keep the passages under six hours because we could not convince him that "potty" was OK on the vessel. Mats meant nothing to him. After being under way for few hours he would stare balefully at passing land; fortunately he never learned to dive from the boat. His usual position was at the helmsman's feet - which was OK until he stuck his head through the spokes. Getting him to and from shore was usually by dinghy, an 8' Sportyak. I'd rig a collapsing ladder on one side and pull the dinghy alonside. Then I would hold his leash firmly, while I was in the dinghy, and then hold up on the leash as he jumped into the dinghy. (Someone always had to restrain him while I got into the dinghy.) When we returned to the vessel (a C&C-38)I would pull alonside and brace the ladder as he stood and placed his forepaws on the deck. Then I would hook an arm behind him and push a little as he climbed the ladder. We never did fall. I have to restrain myself any time I meet puppies, but times have changed. The street we live on now has a house on almost every lot, instead of just three. Any animal we buy will not have the freedom that Salty had. We like big dogs, but not everyone else does.
Our last dog died just before we went out into the Pacific. We used to cruise with our Newfoundland, Salty, a 200+ lb companion. He hated the boat, but hated being left in kennels worse. If we said the word "boat", he went to the door and waited for us. He was a wonderful mate. He loved the places we went. The companionship came with a price. He took up the room that a human would, and we could not keep him out of the water. We carried several towels to dry him off (the water never got to his skin due to the oil in his fur) but he smelled like "wet dog" most of the time. You had to love dogs. We had to keep the passages under six hours because we could not convince him that "potty" was OK on the vessel. Mats meant nothing to him. After being under way for few hours he would stare balefully at passing land; fortunately he never learned to dive from the boat. His usual position was at the helmsman's feet - which was OK until he stuck his head through the spokes. Getting him to and from shore was usually by dinghy, an 8' Sportyak. I'd rig a collapsing ladder on one side and pull the dinghy alonside. Then I would hold his leash firmly, while I was in the dinghy, and then hold up on the leash as he jumped into the dinghy. (Someone always had to restrain him while I got into the dinghy.) When we returned to the vessel (a C&C-38)I would pull alonside and brace the ladder as he stood and placed his forepaws on the deck. Then I would hook an arm behind him and push a little as he climbed the ladder. We never did fall. I have to restrain myself any time I meet puppies, but times have changed. The street we live on now has a house on almost every lot, instead of just three. Any animal we buy will not have the freedom that Salty had. We like big dogs, but not everyone else does.
sailing dog
Our dog, Molly, a collie/husky mix always sails with us and loves every minute of it! She especially enjoys bow riding with the wind whipping her ears back. She does wear a safety vest/harness so if she goes over we could haul her back but as of yet she has always remained onboard. We wouldn't dream of going without her!
Our dog, Molly, a collie/husky mix always sails with us and loves every minute of it! She especially enjoys bow riding with the wind whipping her ears back. She does wear a safety vest/harness so if she goes over we could haul her back but as of yet she has always remained onboard. We wouldn't dream of going without her!
Laid back Lab
Thunder my 5 year old yellow labrador "pointer", I say pointer because when I throw an item for him to retrieve he usualy runs out to the object and points to it instead of bringing it back. I am not sure who has trained who. He enjoys the boat. I have a Catalina30 and his spot in the cockpit is close to me at the helm. He enjoys the long straight tacks and can be found asleep most of the time. Mention food and his nose immediately sticks down the companionway into the galley hoping for a snack.
Thunder my 5 year old yellow labrador "pointer", I say pointer because when I throw an item for him to retrieve he usualy runs out to the object and points to it instead of bringing it back. I am not sure who has trained who. He enjoys the boat. I have a Catalina30 and his spot in the cockpit is close to me at the helm. He enjoys the long straight tacks and can be found asleep most of the time. Mention food and his nose immediately sticks down the companionway into the galley hoping for a snack.
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