How do you get fido back on board

[Dan B]

I don't know where on board you could possibly keep a dog of any size on a 26' boat. I love my 75 lb. Golden Retriever, but when we go sailing, the dog stays home. Simply too big to move around on the boat, risk of her falling overboard, don't need her underfoot if things get dicey, etc.

Just too much of an additional risk for the passengers and the dog, no matter how much I would like to have her along.

[Chip]

I say again. The cockpit is too small for 115-pound Fido. He will not like the cabin and you could hurt him or yourself in the process of getting him up and down the ladder from the cockpit to the cabin and back up again. So, you're back to the cockpit where it is too cramped for him. Trust me. I took 2 75-pound dogs and a 35 pounder on my maiden voyage and it was a nightmare. Would have been a nightmare with just one of them. Docking twice a day is a pain in the arse, time-consuming, and will restrict where you go, what you do, and where you spend the night. If you have a wife, Harley Rider, you better leave Fido at home. You've been forewarned.

[norbert]

sailed for 6 years with my 77lbs pointer-dalmatian mix, and he was my companion on all my trips (he went away last week at the age of almost 13 years). yes, there is the obligation to go ashore; yes, he was in the way and always in the wrong place when docking; but i have never had the intention to leave him at home. seems a goog idea to make the first few trips without him to get accoustomed to the boat, but after that i'm shure you'll find a solution even for you 110-pounder!

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

I'd never leave the dog home once I was used to the boat. Our's cruised for many years with us on both our X and our earlier Venture 21. Having her along was never a problem and there's something really nice about taking the dog for a walk on the beach of an island you have all to yourself.

Granted she was small, a Cairn Terrier (Toto). Kids are far more trouble and in the way than the dog ever was. We managed just fine with 3 kids and the dog on many extended trips.

[Jack O'Brien]

Norbert & Duane:

Sorry to hear of your pets passing on.

In summer 2002 I sold my business and retired. Took my 1.5 year-old Doberman bitch and my Catalina Capri 16 and went to see my bit of paradise in Door County, Wisconsin that I had not visited in 17 years. While sailing solo on Green Bay she slipped overboard (no lifelines). Had a doggie PFD/harness on her and a line tethering her to the boat. She swam darn well but not as fast as the boat. Don't know now how I scooped her 75 pounds back on board so fast. Didn't faze her.

Haven't tried her on the Mac X yet. Mac's sides are a lot higher. Gonna have to train her to "walk a plank" to get back on board if not at a dock. Think netting on the lifelines would be a good idea. Also, suspect she will need a ramp from cockpit to cabin unless I train her to jump. I have seen her jump clear over a living room couch with no problem but she doesn't know she can clear a 2-foot high child gate.

[bill barchard]

Our dog when we got our Mac was a 120lb.blue great dane. We never too her boating ,but she did go canoeing with us a couple of times.Whenever she jumped into or out of the canoe it tipped over.We decided she was too big to go boating.
We got a small dog,named Tripper, She was 47 pounds and if we had supper before taking her ashore ,she would jump off the boat and into the dingy When I balled her out she jumped from the dingy back int the boat!!When we lost her we got a Border Collei and she can not jump as high(50pounds) so I am teaching her to jump off the boat when near shore and then to swim back to the boat when finished. I saw a man who boated with a cat who did this all the time.

[Mark Prouty]

I just pull my dog on board by his weight belt.

[Frank C]

. . . teaching her to jump off the boat when near shore and then to swim back to the boat when finished . . . . I saw a man who(se) cat did this all the time

Now there's a valuable cat!
Making bar bets at any pierside pub, free beers w/that cat would be a snap.