Hey there guys, thanks for all the valuable info on here. I just bought my first O'Day 20 and have been sailing it on Tahoe for the past few days. I'm loving it....Kicking myself for not doing it sooner.
I want to know anyone's thoughts on getting the dog on board. We've got the boat on a bouy that requires a kayak ride, (my 85 lb wolf dog is quite capable, has and will continue to kayak and surf with us) however boarding the boat still presents a problem and he doesn't like heeling over much, I don't want to get close to shore on wavy days and can't always sneak onto a dock to get him on board.. any suggestions? Has anyone built a bigger dog friendly step?
An 85 lbs dog is going to be a challenge in trying to get him to jump in and out of the kayak to the boat, but not impossible. He's already familiar with the kayak so that's a plus. As for being a little skittish about the boat's healing, what dog ain't. My Penelope isn't too keen on it either. She usually walks to the stern and looks aft over the transom. Penny is a 40 lbs Greyhound/Pit Bull Terrier and she loves the kayak.
As these animals start to age, you may want to think about some kind of a step to use in order to aid them to and from the boat and kayak but right now I can offer up a solution which I've been using for years that should work for you.
The answer is to tie a 20' 1/4" braid line to the bow of your kayak and keep the line in the cockpit with you.
I keep my sailboat on a mooring and I use my kayak to get out to it. When I paddle out to it, I usually come along side of my boat on the Port side and while holding on to my sailboat, I place my paddle in the cockpit. Then I take the kayak line and pass it around the first lifeline stanchion and pull it up tight enough so that the kayak doesn't slide foreword or aft after I tie the line off to my winch. After releasing the lifeline on that side, I hold the kayak close to the hull of my boat to keep it from swinging out, and I tell Penny to get aboard. She has no problem jumping aboard or jumping into the kayak after I get back in.
An easy way for you to get aboard from the kayak is to set it up in the same way as described, reach out with your left hand an grab something easy to hold on to like a stern rail, and place your right forearm in the center of the back deck of your kayak and twist around till you can use your right knee to aid you in getting up out of the kayak. You should be able to stand right up in your kayak with no problem as long as you can hold the kayak from sliding out. With the kayak tied to your boat, it won't slide forward or backward. It's just a matter of standing in the center of the kayak and holding on.
This works great at the dock too. If you have a sit on top kayak it probably works easier, but it seem to work pretty well with my 9'2" Aqua-terra Keowee kayak.
The kayak line will keep the kayak from sliding out forward and your hand will keep it from sliding out sideways.
Getting into my kayak from a dock is pretty easy. I usually take the line around a dock cleat and tie it off to another dock cleat within easy reach to untie after I get into the kayak. I merely hold on to the dock with my right hand and step into the center of the kayak and grab on to the lip of the kayak and lower myself into the seat. I do the same thing from the boat.
I've found these techniques to be practically fool proof and I use them with confidence all year round. We go kayaking on river during the months December through the spring where one mistake can be your last after you hit that cold water.
I've been able to use the kayak line to get my boat to the dock in rare situations like just recently when I was having my outboard repaired and there wasn't enough wind to sail her to the dock. It really depends on the status of the wind and current.
I've also found that the best way to rescue someone who has capsized their kayak is to tie the line to their kayak and have them hold on to it and their paddle while you tow them to shore if it's not too far.
Anyway, this is a solution that you can start using right now.
Joe
