Ten days ago my son Dylan visited us and we went sailing together. Happy Tails or Trails as Dylan calls the dog went for his first sail on the Ericson. If the pup started to whine we put him down below in the cabin and he was quiet. After a while I put Happy back up in the cockpit. When in the dock Happy wanders around the deck and loves to play hide and seek. Also at the dock he jumps down off the boat but can't jump back on yet. Picking him up is getting to be a chore.
The YouTube video of sailing with son and pup needs a little explanation about the start of our adventure. My normal push off is very simple I disconnect all the dock lines put the tiller to the side and walk down the starboard side and push the boat out pushing the stern south and get on mid way put the tranny in reverse back out and when clear switch to forward an motor down the channel.
Well best plans are sometimes altered. My grill was next to the dock step, The old Schwinn was locked to the dock step and my sabot was sitting on the dock finger end so there wasn't any way for me to push clear and Dylan was in the cockpit on the tiller. After I got on board the wind had already turned us part way around and we were getting ready to play bumper boats. The video doesn't show everything but we didn't hit anything and Dylan was filming while dodging.
 |
| One of my pets |
Happy is not that happy when he has to wear a life jacket and Dylan said he would jump in a save the dog if he fell overboard. My boarding ladder in a rope version and that would have been quite a chore to get the dog back on the deck without an overhead winch.
After 4 years of drought the rain started and this made walking the pup a wet operation but he didn't seem to care. With the sun shine we have started walking several times a day and we probably put in an easy 5 miles a day. Or night because he has not learned how to tell time.
A neighbor gave the dog a new toss toy that he destroyed and in my dock box I have a collection of torn or broken toys. There are always plenty of sticks to find while out walking and after the rains there is lots of bamboo in the water and they make great chewables.
He has started to chase birds. There are lots of pigeons on the sidewalks and he loves to send to a flight. There are several Blue Herons that visit and one night Happy started barking at the Heron and he also took flight. There are two feral cats that were hunting mice and rats on the rocks but three bottom cleaner/divers started feeding the two cats in the parking lot where the drivers suit up so Happy likes to chase the two cats when the divers are not there.
When out walking he loves most everyone, people or dogs, in the dark he will bark at strangers. After our sailing adventure Dylan and I rode bikes and Happy chased up. A day later I tried it by myself and the dog refused to cooperate.
Dog proofing a sailboat is an ongoing chore. He loves the black wires that go to my solar panel regulator. Several covers after being installed usually last only a day. He has not started counter surfing and only eats from his dish but he likes to pick up his dinner bowl and chew on it.
I have a fold down dinner table that I use for my laptop. Today Happy has been very nice and allowed me to use it without a paw in my lap.
My dear and departed First Mate DeDe was not afraid of pit bulls and was attacked twice when we lived in Lake Forest. In fact DeDe used to boss a large male pit around here on the dock. Happy is five months going on six months and is already larger that most Pits we see. Yesterday we met a lady riding a bicycle with a Pit in tow. The Pit's name was Lucky. Lucky and Happy became instant friends.
I am not sure about my opinion about people riding bikes with a dog on a leash. In San Pedro there are several marinas that get visits from dog walkers and several have dog/bicycle combinations. More on that later.
