Beagles And Boats
A Sailing Adventure With Oakie
Being a pet owner and it being a family member in as much as any human is, then in my mind I try to include my pet Beagle Oakie in as much activities as I do, as long as they are safe for a puppy. I have had a few boats over the years having grown up on a small island, you may say that the sea is in my blood. I have had many dogs out on the water over the years, on rivers, and lakes, but I never really considered the open ocean to be an inviting place for dog and man to enjoy.
I had a Sea-Ray power boat for a few years, and did bring dogs along on day trips, but that was a different experience for my dogs, as it was all about speed and wind in their faces, and cool ocean spray, and anchoring off-shore for a few hours and swimming. An easy and safe adventure together.
Sailing is a whole different ball game. The cockpit of a sailboat is cluttered with ropes and different sailing equipment.
You have to be engaged in the operation of the boat at all times, and are constantly trimming and trying to keep the boat on a decent tack.
A sailboat is a living thing on the water, creaking and moaning with the swell and sway of the ocean. Trimming sails and changing tack is a motion filled dynamic operation, filled with noise as the sails billow and fill with rushing air, and the boat dancing as the rolling waves push against it.
Combining this with also have to watch out for the safety of your puppy is quite a bit more work than you may want. I thought about it for a long while, reading articles and books by people who had puppy sailing companions, and finally decided that why not give it a go with my Beagle. Of course everything is about preparation.
I got up real early on the morning and fed and watered my Beagle Oakie, and walked it for about an hour so that it could have a movement. When I got back from the walk I did not allow it to feed or drink water. My Beagle was used to being at the ocean as on a regular schedule I take him to the dog beach.
But he had never been on my Sailboat, or been on the ocean. A Sailboats cockpit is deep so I felt safe enough to let Oakie lounge on the seat while I prepped the boat. Beagles being chewers, of course Oakie decided that the “Halyard” was a good rope to chew on. So at this point let me suggest some items that you should bring with you if you intend to go sailing with your puppy.
- Life vest for your puppy (a requirement in a lot of jurisdictions at the moment)
- All equipment checked and up to date, (Flares, Preservers, Man Over boards, ship/shore radio)
- Drinking Water
- First Aid kit
- Weather gear
Optional:
- Food or snacks and drinks for you and human companions for the day.
I would not have chews or snacks or kibble for the puppy. The motion of the ocean and the rocking of the boat is going to upset their stomachs, so an empty puppy stomach is best. For the first time sailing their equilibrium will get affected by the constant motion, so they will become very wobbly on their feet, you will have to limit their movement to the cockpit area and back on dry land may have to carry them to your car. Also if your sailboat has a cabin and the puppy starts to get stressed and you feel that a lie down in the cabin is the best solution……..don’t! The motion and rocking is very much amplified in the cabin area, and one side of the boat could be very close to the waterline, as it is keeled over on a tack, and if the cabin has portholes, then the swishing rush of foaming ocean past the windows is in actuality going to make the puppy feel worse. Keep it with you on top in the cockpit.
In general I found,
- The first time out with the puppy may not be a great experience for it, and it may possibly become seasick or get motion sickness as a result……..don’t worry in a few days back on dry land it passes. If you do not feed it while sailing or give it water, then this reduces the possibility of sickness.
- Do have some type of shade on deck for the puppy, the Sun is amplified by the water and can be very much stronger than on dry land.
- Have the puppy wear a life jacket at all times.
- For safety I also attach a strong reflective leash and harness to the life jacket and I attach this to the safety rail of my sailboat.
- When you tack, immediately shift the puppy to the high side of the sailboat.
I have also found that about the third time out, the puppy gets used to the whole thing, and it becomes another activity that you both can participate in with pleasure. Of course I only sail with my Beagle on calmer warmer days, and would never take it out on high wind days.
After getting back on dry land I only give it water to drink, and wait a couple of hours before I give it food to allow it to settle back down.
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