I will have a problem this spring. In 2 weeks we are getting a new puppy. That in it self is not a problem as the boat is all covered up for the winter and there will lots of fun this winter with this puppy. The problem will come this spring when the boat goes back in the water and we want to bring her allong. The dog is a Burnese Mountain dog. Only 6 or 7 lbs now but will grow to 90 or 100 lbs. Anybody experiance getting this size of a dog on and off their boats? Socializing the dog to the boat will be one thing, gettting her to go below down the ladder will be another. Clean up.... That will be a big matter.
We back Wavelenght into our berth and load or unload by the stern. This is a MKI, solid stern. Maybe a ramp at the dock? So How do I get a BIG dog into the dingy form the deck and how do I get her back on board after a trip to shore?:eek:
Ross & Joanne
Wavelength
Saint John NB
RKYC
C36 #658 TR 1987
We had a 70 lb German Shepherd that we brought on the boat all the time (along with Sailor Spike the famous guard cat) but we have/had walk through transoms on them so in and out of the dinghy was simple. At the dock she would just jump up or down from side deck to dock and while the cabin stairs are steep she went up and down them without much fuss. Our friends had a trawler and 2 Golden Retrievers, they just man handled them over the transom but they had a wide transom platform to stand on while they did it.
We have seen people loading dogs over the side decks from the dinghy just by hefting them up there from the dinghy and vice versa but never saw anything clean and elegant for a boat such as yours from a dinghy. Ramp at the dock would probably be your only option.
I'd strongly suggest get the pup used to being lifted and make sure she carries that willingness to be lifted into adulthood. We failed to do that well enough and later on that oversight caused us to have to put her down earlier than should have been when she developed full blown degenerative myelopathy.