Crew Overboard!
As usual, I was up before Joan. She showered before me. When she came back, she put Izzy on her leash and hooked the end of it in a cabinet so Izzy could roam. Shortly afterwards, the cabinet door banged open and Joan said, “Go get Izzy!” (She wasn’t dressed, yet). I stepped out on the dock, expecting to find Izzy waiting for me on the dock.
Nope.
But, I did hear a thrashing in the water under the dock. I looked back in the cockpit and her leash trailed from the boat and disappeared down between the boat and the dock. I pulled in on the leash, like reeling in a fish. At the end of that line was a very scared and unhappy kitty! I hollered to Joan to get a towel, and I reached over and pulled Izzy out by her harness. She was a blur of flying paws, claws, and flinging water!
I wrapped her in the towel... she looked like she was just clinging on for dear life. She was shaking, I was bleeding (the claws). Joan took over and calmed Izzy down.
“She’s going to need a bath after being in the lake,” I said. Joan had me hold her again while she ran some warm water in the sink.
Izzy protested for a moment, then realized that this WAS going to happen. Joan shampooed her and rinsed her while I got another towel ready. It is surprising how much water can collect on a small cat!
Several towels later, Joan spread out a couple beach towels on the v-berth and let Izzy have that spot back there.
With Izzy well on the way to dry, but a long ways from settled down, we headed to the laundromat. We weren’t planning on laundry today, but plans change... Izzy wasn’t planning on going for a swim.
We all know that if you spend enough time on a boat, someone is going to get wet. What we think happened: Izzy’s leash was just long enough to get to the side of the cockpit, but not long enough to jump to the dock. When she made that leap, the leash stopped her in mid-air. The crash came when the handle part of the leash was pulled out of the cabinet by the falling cat. Yes, this is Izzy’s first time IN the water (other than a bath). As near as we can tell, she didn’t particularly like it. We also know now that she can swim... and again, pretty sure she doesn’t like that, either.
When we came back from the laundromat, Izzy was fluffy dry and waiting. She had no fear of going back out into the cockpit. Minutes after we got back, a thunderstorm rolled through, so it will be a while before we see how Izzy feels about hopping out on the dock again.
Best wishes,
Jim
But, we're comin' back.
