Cruising Issues

Catalina Direct Discussion Topics / Catalina 22 Discussion Area / Cruising Issues / SAILING WITH PETS
 
 
Author SAILING WITH PETS
Peter
South Daytona, Florida

Boat Name: (Working On A Name)

Model/Year: C-22, 1974

Hull No. 2679

Hailing Port: South Daytona, Florida
07/01/2005 8:10 AM Pacific Time

Your thoughts please.

Peter



Boat Name:

Model/Year:

Hull No.

Hailing Port:
07/01/2005 10:31 AM Pacific Time


my thoughts were is it better to get a life jacket for dogs at a boat place (I found there)
or a pet store/ feed store
the prices were about the same but I worry about design and buoyancy
both had different sizes to mach up the best fit for all five dogs who are different sizes and builds.

I would never even attempt to bring all five large dogs
3 boxers of two different sizes and two short haired aussie dalmation mixes. but want to know who ever eventually is the salty dog for the day of sailing is safe with a life jacked



Boat Name:

Model/Year:

Hull No.

Hailing Port:
07/01/2005 10:33 AM Pacific Time

oh one other thought... ive stumbled across some portable faux grass / trays for pets to pottie on during under way....
thier used for boats, and apt. baconys etc save some of the site somewhere in my faviortes for further investigation

and i though portable pottys only came in sod trays
Lynn Buchanan
Nevada City, CA

Boat Name: SAILYNN

Model/Year: SWING 1984

Hull No. 11994

Hailing Port: SCOTTS FLAT LAKE, CA
10/15/2005 8:39 PM Pacific Time

My two boston terriers sail with us constantly in our C22 and C30 . One is content and the other is nervous. I even raced with "Trixie" in a regatta and came in 1st place with my C22. I have never had to have them away from land for more than 10 hours and haven't experienced having dog potty on board. They get rowed to shore, or will swim with me if we are anchored out and the water is warm enough for me. They are mostly black, so I have to make sure they have shade when it's really hot and lots of water. We have stayed out two weeks in the Gulf Island and B.C. with them and get into a routine just like at home when they are on the boat.
Joe Jablonowski


Boat Name: Assignment

Model/Year: Catalina 25 / 1986

Hull No. 5442

Hailing Port: Larchmont, New York
07/02/2007 2:08 PM Pacific Time

Practical Sailor magazine did a Consumers Report-type survey of PFDs for doggies in its Jan 2007 issue. Items were tested on a 50-lb Springer Spaniel named Murphy. All vests came with a grab strap on back. Murphy swam well with all, but was uncomfortable when lifted by some.
Of 7 vests tested, top choice was the Critter's Inflatable ($100). Recommended were Ruff Wear's Float Coat ($70) and West Marine's Deluxe Pet Vest (($30). Rated "best buy" was the MTI Adventure Wear ($30) from kayakcentre.com.
Bilgeboy
Carrboro, NC

Boat Name: Kosher Cannoli, Northern Light

Model/Year: C22 Swing 1988, C34 Wing 2003

Hull No. 14447, 1632

Hailing Port: Kerr Lake, NC
05/09/2009 3:23 AM Pacific Time

Our cat loves skulking around the boat on land. We'd like to take him on the water. Anyone ever taken their cat for a sail? What special accomodations, if any, did you provide?
z
Lynn Buchanan
Nevada City, CA

Boat Name: SAILYNN

Model/Year: SWING 1984

Hull No. 11994

Hailing Port: SCOTTS FLAT LAKE, CA
05/10/2009 11:48 PM Pacific Time

I don't have cats (dogs yes) but several friends brought their cat to the boat or lived aboard with cats and cruised. Bringing from home the cats had a crate and were crated on the boat (a C30) when alone. The cat was teathered with a harness and lead if above decks (sort of like a kid) and taken for walks on the dock. Undersail the cat would stay in the crate below. They used a litter box under the table or in the head. When my liveaboard friend cruised, their cat would have free roam of the boat and had a little area in the aft area to do its business on fake grass. They also would trail a thick rope over the side at dock and underway so the cat could climb aboat when it fell off (which it did). They also found the cat liked to hide in places to nap, especial the folds of the flaked sails, so when raising sails they allways did a cat call (no kidding!) first. Never had problems with visiting unwanted varmits.
Jeff Sabuda
Austin, TX

Boat Name: Ms Sable

Model/Year: Catalina 27 1983

Hull No.

Hailing Port: Austin, TX
04/23/2010 9:19 AM Pacific Time

My 72 lb. Irish Setter always comes with me. When he was 8 weeks old I had to extract him from his little carrying kennel and row him ashore in my lap (where he wouldn't pee) at daylight, and every two hours thereafter. I have since read to paper train them on the foredeck so you can sluice the mess overboard if you have to--not that you'd be going offshore in a Catalina 22--but that could be a very handy item to have in your bag of tricks. He refuses to learn to do such a thing now that he's 8 years old any more than he'd "go" in the living room at home. I read a story in the paper where someone had trained their retreiver to jump overboard to go ashore and relieve himself, except that he jumped overboard, unobserved, somewhere along the west coast of Vancouver Island. No, they didn't find him. That could ruin your cruise! By some miracle, he made it home balancing on the deck of a kayaker. What a hero. Thank you, whoever you are.

So the worst part is having to climb out of your cozy covers and take them ashore the very first thing in the morning, along with the rest of the parade of shore-bound dog dinghies at 6 am. But it's healthy and pleasurable to have someone to make you go for a walk in the beauty of a new day--or later in the day, when many cruisers are drinking too much for lack of anything better to do.

His Dogness doesn't really like the boat - the fibreglass deck is too slippery, everything's always heeling, and every surface is too small to lie down comfortably--except the main berth, a constant bone of contention if you'll pardon the pun. I had a fibreglass dinghy which was really tippy and he wound up with an infected gash on his foot when he slipped. He couldn't get a purchase with his hind feet to jump out of the dinghy into the boat. So I got an inflatable, which seems half the size of the boat, but it's big enough for him to lie down in and stretch out comfortably AND not get stepped on all the time. The floor is cool which is a big issue in the relentless sun of the cockpit--animals lie down to dissipate their extra heat into the ground. When they get really old, you have to lift them over the gunwhales.

He always wears a life jacket when we are underway, and he hates it because it is too hot. He wears the same one that the Coast Guard uses. More than once I have helped him climb the swim ladder after a miscalculation. The handle on the top of the life jacket works great with the boathook.

If I don't manage to keep him dry for bedtime, then he's too cold to sleep, and he keeps me awake fussing around in misery. In that case the lifejacket or his wool dog coat will keep him warm and cozy (and asleep) overnight. If I forget to keep him dry, I put a waterproof tarp over my bedding because invariably he will sneak into the bed while I'm asleep.

I keep him tied to the starboard handrail at the binnacle when we're sailing, because he wants to sit in my lap. I have to be careful to secure him in such a way that the collar would slip over his head and off in an emergency. If all hell is breaking loose, I shut him in the cabin and hope for the best.

The dog hair is enough to make you want to kill youself. It's in the butter, it's clogging the scuppers, it's stuck to the hull, it's all over the upholstery. I use a pure-rubber sponge to wipe the dog hair off the upholstery. I brush him every day. I sluice the cockpit.

I used to have an inflatable that leaked so there was always lots of water in the bottom, but I had to get rid of it before the transom fell off. The bilge awash was ideal for keeping his feet clean, but still I don't recommend putting a hole in the bottom of a new inflatable, although I've thought about it. A window-washing squeege works well for wiping water off surfaces without adding another wet --and eventually stinky--item to your inventory. I have a mesh-type mat on the cabin floor, which helps keep the barnacle crumbs from being tracked in and out.

Although he will "ask" for drinking water, he dislikes water that's been stored in plastic (like the galley tank) or is the slightest bit soiled or flat, so it's hard to know if he's adequately hydrated. I give him an inch of water in his dish at a time and discard any remainder--he's never, ever going to drink the dregs and they fool you into thinking he's got water. If he drinks seawater, it's game over. I carry Pepto Bismol in tablet form which helps with the diarrhoea (and BTW, works like magic to stop gas instantly) BUT GO EASY ON IT - it's toxic to dogs in anything but prescribed amounts. Check with your vet for the exact dosage.

But he adores me, has no vices, and wants to hang out. He never yells. He likes to "fish" and will wade for miles along the beach, looking down into the water, wagging his tail, and occassionally pouncing on something. I always take him with me cruising in spite of the hassle.
Jeff Sabuda
Austin, TX

Boat Name: Ms Sable

Model/Year: Catalina 27 1983

Hull No.

Hailing Port: Austin, TX
04/23/2010 9:19 AM Pacific Time

My 72 lb. Irish Setter always comes with me. When he was 8 weeks old I had to extract him from his little carrying kennel and row him ashore in my lap (where he wouldn't pee) at daylight, and every two hours thereafter. I have since read to paper train them on the foredeck so you can sluice the mess overboard if you have to--not that you'd be going offshore in a Catalina 22--but that could be a very handy item to have in your bag of tricks. He refuses to learn to do such a thing now that he's 8 years old any more than he'd "go" in the living room at home. I read a story in the paper where someone had trained their retreiver to jump overboard to go ashore and relieve himself, except that he jumped overboard, unobserved, somewhere along the west coast of Vancouver Island. No, they didn't find him. That could ruin your cruise! By some miracle, he made it home balancing on the deck of a kayaker. What a hero. Thank you, whoever you are.

So the worst part is having to climb out of your cozy covers and take them ashore the very first thing in the morning, along with the rest of the parade of shore-bound dog dinghies at 6 am. But it's healthy and pleasurable to have someone to make you go for a walk in the beauty of a new day--or later in the day, when many cruisers are drinking too much for lack of anything better to do.

His Dogness doesn't really like the boat - the fibreglass deck is too slippery, everything's always heeling, and every surface is too small to lie down comfortably--except the main berth, a constant bone of contention if you'll pardon the pun. I had a fibreglass dinghy which was really tippy and he wound up with an infected gash on his foot when he slipped. He couldn't get a purchase with his hind feet to jump out of the dinghy into the boat. So I got an inflatable, which seems half the size of the boat, but it's big enough for him to lie down in and stretch out comfortably AND not get stepped on all the time. The floor is cool which is a big issue in the relentless sun of the cockpit--animals lie down to dissipate their extra heat into the ground. When they get really old, you have to lift them over the gunwhales.

He always wears a life jacket when we are underway, and he hates it because it is too hot. He wears the same one that the Coast Guard uses. More than once I have helped him climb the swim ladder after a miscalculation. The handle on the top of the life jacket works great with the boathook.

If I don't manage to keep him dry for bedtime, then he's too cold to sleep, and he keeps me awake fussing around in misery. In that case the lifejacket or his wool dog coat will keep him warm and cozy (and asleep) overnight. If I forget to keep him dry, I put a waterproof tarp over my bedding because invariably he will sneak into the bed while I'm asleep.

I keep him tied to the starboard handrail at the binnacle when we're sailing, because he wants to sit in my lap. I have to be careful to secure him in such a way that the collar would slip over his head and off in an emergency. If all hell is breaking loose, I shut him in the cabin and hope for the best.

The dog hair is enough to make you want to kill youself. It's in the butter, it's clogging the scuppers, it's stuck to the hull, it's all over the upholstery. I use a pure-rubber sponge to wipe the dog hair off the upholstery. I brush him every day. I sluice the cockpit.

I used to have an inflatable that leaked so there was always lots of water in the bottom, but I had to get rid of it before the transom fell off. The bilge awash was ideal for keeping his feet clean, but still I don't recommend putting a hole in the bottom of a new inflatable, although I've thought about it. A window-washing squeege works well for wiping water off surfaces without adding another wet --and eventually stinky--item to your inventory. I have a mesh-type mat on the cabin floor, which helps keep the barnacle crumbs from being tracked in and out.

Although he will "ask" for drinking water, he dislikes water that's been stored in plastic (like the galley tank) or is the slightest bit soiled or flat, so it's hard to know if he's adequately hydrated. I give him an inch of water in his dish at a time and discard any remainder--he's never, ever going to drink the dregs and they fool you into thinking he's got water. If he drinks seawater, it's game over. I carry Pepto Bismol in tablet form which helps with the diarrhoea (and BTW, works like magic to stop gas instantly) BUT GO EASY ON IT - it's toxic to dogs in anything but prescribed amounts. Check with your vet for the exact dosage.

But he adores me, has no vices, and wants to hang out. He never yells. He likes to "fish" and will wade for miles along the beach, looking down into the water, wagging his tail, and occassionally pouncing on something. I always take him with me cruising in spite of the hassle.
Linda Hoffecker
Lancaster, PA

Boat Name: t/c

Model/Year: '82 Cat 22

Hull No. t/c

Hailing Port: Havre de Grace, MD
04/23/2010 11:27 PM Pacific Time

Wonderful story, Cynthia! I love people who love their pets, hair, 'other stuff' and all!
Linda
 
 
Cruising Issues
Catalina Direct Discussion Topics / Catalina 22 Discussion Area / Cruising Issues / SAILING WITH PETS