If you have followed the blog for several years, you probably remember there was an episode in 2014 involving little Miss Dee and dolphins.
Let's just say Dee Dee is the only member of the crew who experienced
Swims With Dolphins.
The near catastrophic failure of her harness as her dad tried to pull her back onto the boat led us on a multi-month search for the "perfect" harness for cruising dogs. If you want the whole story, you can find the previous blog entries here:
Swims With Dolphins - Lessons Learned
Crew Safety - Let's Get Started
Crew Safety - Size Matters
Crew Safety - Putting Them To The Test
Crew Safety - What We Learned
We tried numerous options but none of them satisfied all of our
requirements. We never did find the one that was just right. There were
problems of fit, questions about the integrity of the fasteners, and
issues with metal components rusting in the seawater environment.
What we have settled on over the 2 plus years since Dee Dee had her big adventure is a combination of harnesses, some while underway on the big boat and some for use on the dinghy and for swimming. A big problem being that any harness with metal components quickly rusts if used for swimming.
Currently, we are using a walking harness when the dogs are on the dinghy and going swimming. They have all plastic clips that don't rust and offer a handy way to lift the dogs in non-stressful situations.
While under way, we put them in more substantial harnesses with lifting loops and belly plates for support. Dylan's has not rusted as long as we keep it out of the water.
As Dylan and Dee Dee's harness are showing wear, Mom decided it was time to launch another search for the perfect harness. The crew would like to get the whole ActiveCaptain community involved - well, at least those that have canine crew. With a cross posting on Facebook, we're hoping to generate discussion and suggestions. Maybe we could even build enough excitement to convince some of these manufactures to create a marine harness. Mom tried to convince them before but was told the market wasn't big enough - really?!?!?
Below is the crew's list of requirements:
1. A belly plate to support them should they need to be lifted.
2. A large loop on the back, often referred to as a traffic loop, that offers an easy target for a boat hook and a good handle for lifting.
3. A comfortable fit. Yes, we know that the safest option is a life vest for the crew and we do carry them onboard. But the crew finds them uncomfortable. The harness needs to offer enough adjustments to allow for a comfortable yet snug fit.
4. Secure, rugged fasteners that won't rust in the marine environment. Maybe we're wrong but Mom worries that plastic clips may fail when lifting a large, panicking dog. Yet every metal fastener we have tried rusts. We need good quality stainless steel fasteners.
5. Fasteners on both sides. Many harnesses require that the dog step into at least one side of the harness. One of the things we loved about the Kong harness (other than the nice large loop on the back) was that the chest strap had fasteners on both sides making it quick and easy to put on the dog.
6. Fasteners should be quick and easy to use. The fasteners on the Kurgo Pinnacle harness are the same ones used on their crash tested harnesses for cars. While, they are sturdy, they are also more difficult to use. Is there something that can incorporate both security and simplicity?
7. The harness straps must not stretch nor the fasteners slide when they become wet and undergo stress. We are fairly certain that the ultimate undoing of Dee Dee's harness was that the plastic clips slid on the straps after a half hour in the water with a dog frantically swimming.
Do you have a harness or harnesses that work well for your canine crew? In what situations have you used them? Does your crew swim and does the harness hold up in saltwater?
We believe that together we can find a better solution. Help Dylan and Dee Dee find their next safety harness.
Oh, and Dee Dee says something in a nice hot pink or purple would suit her quite well.
