dog on board

G

gary allen

New member
Here's a silly question for the dog owners: We are going to be taking our dog with us on trips. We chose the twin motor option, so we are having a side mount swim step installed. We are wondering how we are going to get our dog (a strong swimming labrador) back on board if we anchor and go ashore for picnics, hikes, etc. Any tips?

Thanks in advance,
Gary
 
gary allen":2sd7ba4w said:
We are wondering how we are going to get our dog (a strong swimming labrador) back on board if we anchor and go ashore for picnics, hikes, etc. Any tips?
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Yup.

Do your best friend and yourself a favor; get him/her a life preserver. They are cheap, and even the best swimming of dogs can tire quickly if they accidently go overboard in cold water.

Not only will it help keep your pal floating, they have handles on top - helps quite a bit in hoisting them in the boat. And they're cheap - just ordered a couple up, about $25.

Just Google for "dog life jacket" - tons of places sell them, in all different sizes.
 
Oh...and don't forget to have a heavy dog towel on hand to drape over the gunnel when you hoist them in. Nothing like the nails of a large flailing pooch to scratch up your gelcoat.
 
Don't care how big/meaty the bone is, no 80lb wet dog is going to vault over the side of a C-Dory from the water. They make ramp like devices that will hook to a boat that lets the dog swim up to and climb up. Look at Boat US/West Marine.

The twin engines make it harder but there may be room there somewhere. Even if you hook it to the side, if the pooch can get up on the ramp and give a good shake, you may be able to grab him/her and wrestle the critter on board.

That's why we've got a Silky Terrier (who would never get willingly into the water, so it's a moot point). He wears a life jacket with a handle on it on the rare moments he's on the pier or on the boat.

Charlie
 
You never know when your best friend might just go for a swim, even if by accident.

When I had my boat at the Ox Bow Marina in the California Delta a few years back, Shadow, my 145 lb Great Dane, accidently slipped off a finger out near the end of our shed, and, had I not heard her thrashing about some 40 yards away, might have gone down for the third time.

Hoisting a dog that size up out of the water wasn't easy, but necessity allowed me to grab her by the collar and get the front half up on the dock then proceed to retrieve the back end sequentially.

I'm sure she didn't have any idea of where to swim to shore among all the boats, and without a life jacket, she would have expired right there.

That time we were lucky. Maybe not the next. Get the jacket, its a great practical and peace of mind investment. Joe.
 
Is it too late to change your outboard option? A swim-step is one of the best reasons for the single set-up. We have a big Yellow Lab and a German Shepherd. Both love to swim all day long. We beach camp and cook almost all meals on shore. Having the stern to shore and being able to step on the swim platform and onto the beach is a big plus. I couldn't count the times we jump in and out of the boat for this or that....

Someone posted a swim-step could be done with twins with some modification. If you are stuck on twins, check out Cabelas catalog. They have a ramp (gangplank) that goes from ground to the back of a pick-up or SUV for senior dogs to walk up. It is called the "PetStep ll". The material looks to be some sort of ABS. Is rubber coated and supports 500lbs. You might be able to tie one end to the cleat on the back corner of the boat and get the dog in around the engine and over the motor well. You could make something similar out of wood with a hinge in the middle to fold to save space.

We put a rubber backed rug over the swim platform and motor well. The dogs hop on a cooler when going into the cockpit. I sleep much better at night when the Shepherd hears a noise. She lets herself out the open zippered camper back. Hops off the back of the boat and goes on beach patrol. If all is well she hops back in and takes her spot atop the action-packer in the cockpit.

Chris on
"C-WEED"
 
C-WEED":jol23nz3 said:
Having the stern to shore and being able to step on the swim platform and onto the beach is a big plus.

Someone posted a swim-step could be done with twins with some modification.
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We too like having the swim step on the stern and like you "C-WEED" we step from the beach to the swim step.
The photo of our swim step next to our twin Johnsons may be seen in our ("Sea Shift") photo album. (Les at EQ bult it for us). It worked great for us in July when we spent a week on Lake Roosevelt with an anchor buddy off the bow and a stern line to shore so we could pull "Sea Shift" back to shore so we could step on the swim step and into the vessel.
 
OK, this ain't about the dog (Oscar goes in and out via a dinghy or I wade), but I'll bite - what is an "anchor buddy"??


DaveS":1vonuu3y said:
C-WEED":1vonuu3y said:
Having the stern to shore and being able to step on the swim platform and onto the beach is a big plus.

Someone posted a swim-step could be done with twins with some modification.
Click to expand...

We too like having the swim step on the stern and like you "C-WEED" we step from the beach to the swim step.
The photo of our swim step next to our twin Johnsons may be seen in our ("Sea Shift") photo album. (Les at EQ bult it for us). It worked great for us in July when we spent a week on Lake Roosevelt with an anchor buddy off the bow and a stern line to shore so we could pull "Sea Shift" back to shore so we could step on the swim step and into the vessel.
Click to expand...
 
Pat Anderson":1xnhu1a1 said:
OK, this ain't about the dog (Oscar goes in and out via a dinghy or I wade), but I'll bite - what is an "anchor buddy"??
Click to expand...


Anchor Buddy...........she's about 5' 10", slender, long dark hair :wink ......seriously, it's like a big bungee that you attach an anchor to, then you swing into shore secure a stern line, then cruise out from shore drop the anchor and attached "anchor buddy", then drag your vessel back to shore via the stern line. After stepping back on shore, loosen the stern line and the anchor buddy "springs" your vessel away from shore. When it is time to reboard your vessel grab the stern line (which hopefully you remembered to tie off on shore) and pull your vessel back to you and step back on your vessel. They are sold in sporting catalogs, GI Joes, etc.
 
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