Koa adapted surprisingly well to the boat life, which we introduced him to at the age of 5. After living on the streets of Baltimore, we weren't sure how boat life would suit him, but he has thrived. He really just likes to be wherever we are and since we are usually around him 24/7 while on the boat, he seems happy with this crazy life choice.
The first few weeks were trial and error - teaching him to use the bathroom on deck, getting him in and out from below deck, on and off the boat - these were all obstacles we had to figure out together. First, we built this sophisticated ramp that ran from the top of the companionway stairs to the top of the galley counter below. The stairs in boats can be a bit tricky for dogs as it is similar to climbing a ladder and we had read that people had success with these ramps. It was a great feat to build and we even covered it with carpet so that it wouldn't be slippery for him. We used it exactly twice before one day he just jumped up the stairs on his own. Well, at least we didn't have to cart that ramp around!
Next came getting him to go to the bathroom on board- this was a bit trickier. He went the whole day while we were motoring down the ICW without peeing. We both took him out on deck and tried to coerce him, but no go. Finally that night, in one last ditch effort, I took him out and squeezed on his bladder (which I don't recommend unless you know what you are doing!) and voila! He peed! We praised him and gave him all kinds of treats and after that, he was good to go! At first he just peed anywhere, anytime. At one point, he even peed directly into a porthole and onto our setee - which was hysterical to me, it's not like I could get mad at the guy! Eventually though, (and we still wish we could take credit for this, but it is self-taught) he started peeing overboard. Much to our happiness, and the delight of everyone who witnesses this event, he goes to the bow, puts his head alongside the head sail, raises his leg and pees completely off the boat. It. Is. Amazing. For real.
We lucked into the open transom on this boat; this has been a godsend with getting Koa on and off the boat. We pull the dinghy up alongside and he just jumps right in. In fact, one day we couldn't find him anywhere on the boat and were both in a panic when I looked back and saw him sitting in the dinghy which was floating tied to the back of the boat. He must have been standing on the transom for an hour waiting for it to float close enough that he could just jump in. Of course we couldn't resist that cute face just waiting in the dinghy by himself and we took him for a quick ride.
Koa loves dinghy rides and swimming. We try to take him to shore at least once a day, mostly just to swim and tire him out. As he has gotten older, he has developed some joint issues and swimming is great for him. And he will swim for hours! We quickly learned our snooty water dog doesn't like the taste of salt water, so any kind of fetch toy that gets saturated is quickly denied retrieval (ie, tennis balls). We invested in half a dozen hard water floating water toys and he loves them all. After a few rounds of fetch, he is content to flail around in the sand for a bit and make sure everyone around him is also adequately covered before going in for another dip.
He doesn't much care for sailing, but we finally found the trick is to bring his bed outside into the cockpit and lay it on the floor in between the seats and he will lay right down and go to sleep. He rolls to whichever side is the lee and settles back against the seat and is out like a light. And this way we know he won't fall off. During rough weather or overnight passages, we tuck both of the pets downstairs and keep them there until calmer seas or daylight prevails. But, give this dog a light 10 knot breeze and he loves nothing more than to sit back beside the helm, nose up and sniff the air. Or curl up on one of the seats looking out over the water as the scenery passes by. And Koa is a born fisherman! Put a fishing line in the water and he goes crazy! He will bark at first, then settle down to just stare at it - for. hours. Literally. As soon as we have a fish on, he goes crazy again.
Looking out over the water:
Being on the boat is a bit of a small environment so we let him up on all the couches and beds. Otherwise he would only have about 10 feet of space to walk in. And this is fine with him, because he is a cuddler; he must be touching one of us at all times. And he firmly believes everyone who gets on this boat is there just to pet him.
We have enjoyed having him on board and although he makes it a bit trickier to travel, we wouldn't have had it any other way. As he is getting older, it is getting a bit harder for him to get around the boat and he is a factor in our decision to swallow the anchor. He has put in his dues on the boat and we are more than happy to give him flat land, soft beds and walks around the neighborhood whenever he wants.
Keeping it cool:
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