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We mistakenly believed that we could quickly train Cody to relieve himself on a door mat, an effort to maintain an element of hygiene and civility upon Flight, once a-sail. Thus, we walked Cody around the grounds surrounding Boston Aquarium, mat in hand, vigilant for a raised tail as a cue to shove the mat under the startled dog. But timing is everything, and in this, our timing and patience weren't up to the task. On the positive side, these misadventures appeared to provide entertainment for tourists en route to see Old Ironsides, and one man reported that he had known of a dog who was mat-trained. It seems though that when the dog returned from a boat trip, it chose to use only the neighbor's door-mat and not the lawn. With that cheerful news, we decided to let Cody relieve himself on deck, where and when he chose, and we would then see what could be done.

During Cody's first few days aboard, we were going ashore daily in order to sight-see in Boston, and Cody could refrain from taking relief for almost twenty-two hours. Eventually, when we finally sailed out of sight of land, Cody must have known that he would have to use the deck. It took him over twenty-fours to use the deck that first time. From the 8th to the 18th of July, and while we were sailing from Boston to Gloucester and to Maine, Cody used the forward deck a few times and the aft areas adjacent to the cockpit three times. He never did use the cockpit. We encouraged him each time he relieved himself.

Eventually, Cody settled on a place on the port side near the scuppers to relieve himself, and he was regular in the morning and in the evening. Still, when he thought we would leave the boat for a trip to a cove or to town, he would wait until he was ashore in order to use a dock deck or a flower bed. When we were in Stonington, ME, for the lobster boat races, we were treated to admiring glances from race spectators as they saw this beautiful, trim yellow Lab alight from the dinghy, only to then see him next liquefy the entire dock area around our dinghy.

Sleeping arrangements for Cody had been considered in advance. I had decided that Cody would sleep by himself in the aft master cabin on the port bunk. To prepare, I fitted a rubber mattress cover from Wal-Mart, then I tucked an inexpensive blanket over the mattress cover. To protect the wood surrounding Cody's bunk, I bought a 4' wide roll of blue vinyl from my sailmaker and taped it to the adjacent walls. On my varnished floorboards, we placed clear 1/4" thick flexible lucite material that is commonly used in protecting floor boards. I bought this from the Jamestown Boatyard (401-423-0600) in Jamestown, RI. On top of the lucite, bath mats from Big Lots were joined with duct tape underneath and used for further protection of the teak floor, and to provide traction for Cody's paws. Since I had decided that Cody would walk only in the aft portion of Flight, I did not cover the salon or the forward area of Flight.

We then considered the problem of hoisting and lowering Cody in and out of the dinghy, and also how to move Cody through the hatch in the aft stateroom, to and from his bunk below. Since Flight has a mizzen boom that rests above the hatch and extends over the aft end, we initially decided to put Cody in a harness and to connect the harness to the boom. Concerned about the pressure a harness might place on his frail ribs, we decided to raise and lower the dog on a platform.

Expert sailmaker and friend David Simmons, of UK Halsey Sailmakers in Jamestown, RI (401- 423-3286), agreed to help design a system that would be effective but would also be comfortable to a dog. To make a lifting platform, we needed to know Cody's measurements, but Cody resides in Boston and wasn't able to make it to Newport/Jamestown for his fitting appointment. Jim Archibald, manager of Jamestown Boatyard, came to our aid by bringing his 100 lb. lab to David's sail loft. David and I manipulated the dog over a 22" square he had drawn on the floor. We learned that the only relevant measurements are the weight of the dog, the distance from his bottom to his nose, his height when sitting, and the measurement of the sides of the hatch.

David began drawing plans for the enclosed platform (later christened the "doggie-lifter") into which Cody would enter to be lifted or lowered. Working with the 22" hatch dimensions and the length of a lab's back, David was able to calculate the base of the doggie-lifter and its height. I had previously selected a durable, see-through, flexible material for my lee cloths and chose to use that material for the base of the doggie-lifter. I chose that specific material for the base because any water could drain from it, Cody could see in at least one direction, and the material was water resistant. Cody would be encouraged to sit on the base and the sides were to be sewn or zippered around him. The doggie-lifter's sides were attached to the base and all four sides were joined at the top where a shackle could be attached.

Flight was already equipped with a West Marine block and tackle that I had planned on using in case anyone ever fell overboard. Attaching one end of that block and tackle to the mizzen boom and the other end to the shackle on the doggie-lifter would allow us to lift and lower Cody to and from the aft cabin or to and from the dinghy.

On a wet Friday evening late in June, David Simmons delivered the doggie-lifter to us at the harbormaster's dock on Nantucket. He showed us how he had created a four sided pyramid of two green canvas sides and two tan canvas sides. Three of the sides were strongly sewn together and the fourth side was joined along one common edge by a heavy-duty zipper. All the sides were joined at the top, and strap loops were available for use with a shackle. The bottom of the doggie-lifter was the white, strong perforated mat material that I had previously selected for my lee cloths. With the doggie-lifter in hand, we sailed from Nantucket to Provincetown and then on to Boston to pick up Cody.

Arriving in Boston for the Fourth of July, we walked Cody to the end of the Boston dock where my dinghy was located. Cody initially balked at the idea of leaving the dock for the bouncing dinghy. We held the dinghy tightly to the dock and told Cody to "STAY."

He sat on the dock, apparently surprised that he wouldn't be joining us. When I next pointed to the dinghy and said, "GO," Cody put his nose to the dock, then slid his nose onto the rubber dinghy pontoon and then slithered off the dock and into the dinghy. Initially reluctant, Cody seemed to enjoy the Boston Harbor swells in the short ride through the mooring field.

When we reached Flight, we held the dinghy perpendicular to Flight by attaching lines to the dinghy's bow and stern. In the dinghy, Cody entered the unzipped side of the doggie-lifter, then we zipped it up and hoisted Cody aboard. Initially, we thought that Cody would want his head to be outside the bag, but this trusting dog just lay down and waited until we lifted him from the dinghy up to the deck.

And so we left Boston for Gloucester and Maine.

As the days turned to weeks I eventually grew tired of going through the trouble of lowering Cody into the aft salon using the doggie-lifter. I found that if Cody were wrapped in a 3' x 4' rug, one person could slide Cody across the top stair-tread and into the waiting arms of another, standing below in the main salon. Unwrapped from the rug, this unflappable dog then would walk aft through the passageway to his bunk. Another technique attempted but ultimately rejected was for Cody to just walk up the stairs by himself. We felt certain that a long dog couldn't climb steep stairs, but Cody seemed optimistic and so we gave it a try. Dog shoes were a necessity since the ladder and floor-boards had been recently varnished. I was loath to allow Cody's nails to mar my Epifanes satin finish. We lifted his booted feet to the stair treads in an attempt to get him to climb.

After success in climbing the first three treads, Cody wisely recognized his limits; he wouldn't budge. The length of the dog, in combination with the slope of the stairs, and the lack of traction of the boots provided too much of an obstacle.

Under sail or motoring, the one area in which we were especially cautious was to not allow Cody on the foredeck. His nails would otherwise dig into the deck and remove the gel coat when he tried to hold on.

Did this 11-year-old dog enjoy sleeping on board, riding in the dinghy, or swimming in the sixty-two degree waters of Maine? You bet! However, I might suggest that either taking a dog that doesn't shed several ounces of hair a day, or clipping a dog's hair, might work a little better. When Cody left Flight in September, I removed all the vinyl and lucite and have, after several vacuum trips to the salon, removed all visible hair. Hair seems to still be under the floorboards, in the bilge and elsewhere, but the daily vacuuming while Cody was on board seems to have made the clean-up easier.

Here are some suggestions: For hoisting Cody, I used West's Life Sling with a ratio of 3:1, which retails for $124.99. Since I also use the Life Sling for my 85 lb. dinghy engine, this block and tackle worked for both tasks, but I might suggest using a boom-vang from Garhauer at 6:1 for $136.95, not including 30' of line at $15.

I've learned that if you're thinking of bringing a person aboard using a 3:1 block and tackle, that you will have to use a winch, and so for my man overboard procedure, I've ordered the 6:1, but will continue to use the 3:1 for my next canine passenger.

David Simmons will make a doggie-lifter for you for $250 if you give him the measurements of your dog and hatch. I liked his work.

Cody loved being with us, but most dogs need more exercise than they can get cruising on a sailboat. However, I've learned that you can't separate a dog from his owner, so if it's your dog, I know you'll want to take him or her along.

Editor's Note:

Diana Jessie has a great book out called Cruising With Your Four-Footed Friends. It retails for $19.95, and it's the only book out there that gives you detailed information on cruising with pets. It covers issues such as boat-training, seasickness, legal issues when traveling between countries and medical issues that can affect your pets.

About the Author:

This is the third article we've published about Jim's adventures aboard Flight.

Jim served as a Lieutenant in the US Navy, was elected to serve as the Public Defender in Sarasota and Bradenton and was then elected State Attorney. He is a multi-engine instrument rated pilot, scuba diver, ham radio operator and his travels have taken him around the globe. In addition to sailing, he enjoys ancient Greek and Turkish history. Jim is divorced, and divides his time between sailing, other traveling and visiting Newport, RI.