Dog's first sail

kdub

Member
Since my exciting Fourth of July sail I have been looking for some places to sail other than big, cold, unforgiving, Lake Superior. My girlfriend also likes to have a bit of adventure with a large dose of comfort in safety so exploring other inland lakes has been fun lately. Our goal is to do some island camping with our dogs. My first thought when we began to consider bringing the dogs on our outings was where in the boat would they be, and how could I pad that area. I want the dogs to be comfortable and I also want to protect the boat. My solution was to create what I am calling the dog bed. This rug that I customized to hang in the cockpit was exactly what I needed when I first got the boat and kept hurting my bare feet on the sharp metal corners of the blocks that haul in the centerboard. The rug pads this area from bare feet as well as covers the centerboard slot so small objects do not fall in the water if dropped in the boat. The steel grommets came with a kit that included a cutter to place the holes and a hammer pincher thing for putting them on. In the picture you can see the sail cover that I made out of an old tent fly with some other plastic grommet things I picked up when I bought the steel grommet kid deal. A couple of other of my custom additions that can be seen in these pictures… my rope ladder that I made with the help of that link, and my wood board to hold the mast while trailing, my cozie life-line/life-ring line holder, and my personal favorite the tidy cats kitty litter mast-head float (we are now calling the boat the tidy-cat). Lastly I wanted you all to see how the sail looks with the reef kit and topping lift all installed correctly, the boom now swings clear of the motor and she sails like a dream. This forum has been such a good resource for me to get all the kinks out of my boat and I wanted to share the results with you all.
 
I have been wanting to take my dog out for a long time but worry that she will be terrified and start clawing at everything. The blanket/cover seems like the perfect way to help the dog feel secure. Great mod!
 
Go Dog Go!

That's what this site needed -- a good dog sailing story!! Looks like fun, you can tell from the pup's body language that he/she was really into it.

jim / so. fla. :D
 
Thanks for the encouragement guys, If you have a sandbar for the dog to swim at a day trip is good fun. Our next mission, now that the dog is acclimated, is to overnight on a small island in a place called greenwood reservoir. ( 46°26'59.60"N 87°49'33.03"W)
 
Mast head float

I especially like the mast head float. Very innovative. Probably less than $114. Aerodynamics unknown however. Jim M
 
Mast head float: better down wind?

I especially like the mast head float. Very innovative. Probably less than $114. Aerodynamics unknown however. Jim M
 

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