Dinghy Rides

One thing that has been the absolute favorite of all our canine crew members past and present is dinghy rides. Dyna was the queen of dinghy rides and has obviously passed along the "I love dinghy rides" gene to her offspring. They quickly learn the words, they know the sounds of the davit motor, they even know when we pick up the dinghy key. It always leads to joyous jumping and running to the cockpit.

Tucker loved all of it, the ride, the destinations, the interesting things floating in the water.

Dyna was our speed demon. She loved to go fast and would stick her nose out into the wind. She never had a bigger smile than when taking a dinghy ride.

Dylan likes the destinations best and wants to be the first off the boat and running to shore.

We plan on doing some anchoring out around the Bay Springs area in Mississippi once we leave the oasis that is Green Turtle Bay Resort. We realized that we hadn't taken the dinghy down since some time before we lost our precious Dyna. That meant Dee Dee had never even seen the dinghy.

So we decided it would be a good idea to bring the dinghy down, clean her up, make sure all was in working order, and start to teach the next generation about the joys of taking a dinghy ride.

Dylan knew right away what was up and ran up to the flybridge to help bring the dinghy down. That has been his job for years. Dyna's job was to run to the side door where the dinghy would land. Dee Dee knew something was up but still wasn't brave enough to brooch the flybridge steps, so she had to be content sitting at the bottom watching.

She was curious and watched as I put on Dylan's harness and made him sit to wait for his dad to get the dinghy ready. She watched him leap into the dinghy and then ran away with a small whimper. Cooing and coaxing had no effect, so I finally had to scoop her up - she is still scooping size but just barely - and put her into the dinghy. She immediately laid down on the floor.

We slowly tootled around the protected harbor. Dee Dee kept looking to me and Dylan trying to figure out this new and unfamiliar experience. It took awhile but she finally stood up to take a sniff and try to see what Dylan found so fascinating.

We had about a 30 minute ride and then back to the mother ship which Dee Dee was very happy to see. The next day we went out again. She watched Dylan closely and went over to the side door to look when he jumped in but as soon as I approached her, she ran away requiring another scooping to get her into the dinghy.

This time she remained standing but snuggled in between my legs for security. Eventually, she took a peek over.

Then before I knew it she was up on the pontoon stretching for a good sniff and I was glad we had her tethered with her harness.

We worked for a bit to teach her the safer way to peer over the side. She caught on quickly and loved watching the water pass by.

Today she ran to the side door and jumped in all by herself and thoroughly enjoyed leaning over the side to watch the water. She seems to have a bit of the speed demon too, as she didn't bat an eye when we opend up the throttle and sped off on Barkley Lake.

Dee Dee is fast ticking off the requirements towards her 2nd Mate status. Now she has learned the joys of a dinghy ride. Dyna would be proud.

Catching Up

Dylan and Dee Dee are sorry that they have been neglecting their blog but it has been a busy time full of new experiences and firsts. Dylan has been acting as the perfect mentor for little Dee Dee, who by the way is not so little any more. She's now big enough that with a quick glance I can no longer tell her apart from Dylan.

We passed our 28th wedding anniversary in St Louis, a place most familiar to me as both of my parents hailed from rural Missouri. A trip up the arch and a nice lunch had us back onboard with the kids by dinnertime. Then we passed the St Louis Arch on the water as we left and headed down the Mississippi River. It was very cool.

We have now finished our trip on the mighty rivers (Illinois, Mississippi, and Ohio) which the crew found to be the most tedious part of the adventure so far. There was much commercial traffic and mostly anchoring out in fairly marginal anchorages. But we still managed to catch some beautiful sunsets.

There were 4 solid days onboard, the longest Dee Dee has spent so far without getting off. She did well but was definitely beginning to reveal her need to run ashore as the nip marks on Dylan grew. Poor Dylan.

Dylan continues to try and teach Dee Dee the proper way to look overboard - with paws firmly on the step stool.

But Dee Dee still thinks it's more fun to lean out for a closer look with her paws on the caprail. Can you say man overboard?

We are very happy to be taking some time to relax at Green Turtle Bay Resort Marina. It is a beautiful facility with not only a lovely marina but a spa, a beach, and a charming town nearby. The kids are loving it at least as much as we are. There are lots of boaters to meet on the docks. They are getting multiple walks onshore every day including a morning walk to the beach. Dee Dee finally took the plunge this morning and swam in after Dylan. She's quite the pro already. Now Dylan has a swimming buddy to chase after him for sticks. There's nothing Dylan loves more than a good game of chase.

Her proud papa even took a video:

We've already taken in a show at the Badgett Playhouse in town. I'm off for some spa time this week and we definitely want to enjoy a meal at the yacht club. As for Dylan and Dee Dee, just give them the beach and a stick and that's all the resort they need.

Be Careful What You Wish For

 

Our newest crew member continues to grow, although not at quite the breakneck rate she was a few weeks ago. She's outgrown her little girl harness, so I've put her in one of Dyna's old harnesses. It's a touch big at the neck but I had to move it off the smallest setting around the middle. Of course, that meant she was able to wiggle her mouth under the neck piece and begin chewing.

But the really big news this week is that Dee Dee has finally mastered the ominous stairs to below and not a bit too soon. We were both feeling our backs about to reach their limit. Jeff got a blurry photo of one descent as she raced down. Once she'd done it, it became a game repeatedly going up and down.

Like so many things in life, this accomplishment has its pluses and minuses. Sure it makes nighttime simpler and we no longer have a barking puppy sitting at the top of the stairs when we go below for a bit. But think of poor Dylan.

His already small world on a boat keeps getting smaller. His only two remaining harbors of refuge are the bed as Dee Dee is still too small to get up without help. And should Dee Dee climb up unto the settee in the pilothouse she's afraid to jump back down - unfortunately, her barking is persistent enough that if she wants down, it happens fairly quickly.

Of course, there are other fascinating items she has discovered. Like the toilet paper roll. Fortunately, there were just a few sheets left.

However, the next day while we were outside messing with the lines and after I had put a new roll on, she got bored and discovered it again. She's our 4th puppy, you would think we would have this stuff down by now...

And what could be more fun than chewing Mom's slippers? I keep them on the floor beside the dresser - well, I used to anyway.

So as items are cleared away and placed high in the staterooms, we still manage to beam with pride as our little girl grows up. As for Dylan, he thought it was just fine when Dee Dee was stuck at the top of the stairs.

Poor Dylan.

40+ Pounds

I have to start by saying that this has been a tough week for our littlest crew member. Not only has she had the ongoing pressure of learning how to become a 2nd Mate, she has been dealing with losing her puppy teeth and dealing with an ear infection.

Last week Dee Dee began losing her canines followed by her molars. She has gaping holes along with red, sore, and even bleeding gums. Eating has been challenging, so I've been soaking her food a bit longer, and we've had to limit her to only the softest treats.

Then Thursday night she woke us up whining and scratching and rubbing her ears. We turned on the light to discover red, sore, and scabby ears. I always feel terrible that I hadn't noticed it sooner.

Fortunately, we received an email the night before from Jan and Bob on Jan's Tern that they were in the marina and had a car if we needed it. So Friday morning we were off to the vet with Jan as the chauffeur. The veterinarian determined that Dee Dee had a combination fugal and bacterial infection. We are now administering drugs day and night and she is on the mend.

Of course, while we were there we put her on the scale. OK, I know it's not polite to discuss a girl's weight in public but she now weighs over 40 pounds. 40 pounds and I am still carrying her below every night. Something had to change. Dee Dee needed to go to stairs boot camp!

She had mastered going up the four pilothouse stairs a week ago. For the past several days she has been climbing the 10 stairs up from below in the mornings. Yesterday she conquered going down the pilothouse stairs which has now pretty much eliminated any secure escape that Dylan had. But climbing down the stairs to below...she won't even consider it.

I know they're steep and I know they have a turn part way down. But geez, she weighs 40+ pounds and there is a treat when she gets down there. Come on, Dee Dee, can't we just try?

Around the Block

After our last blog entry we received questions about "around the block."  What the heck is that. Around the block started with our first 1st Mate, Tucker. It's part of our hourly engine room check routine.

Every hour we do an engine room check.  We trade off with me doing a visual check one hour and Jeff doing a more thorough check the next inside the engine room. Part of Jeff's check is to go out on the cockpit to feel for vibration, check the fuel vents on the outer sides of the hull, and continue up to the bow where, unless it's rough or raining, there's some playtime with the canine crew.

Tucker quickly learned the sound of Jeff coming up from the engine room and would run to the top of the stairs where he would wait until Jeff closed the hatch and said, "Let's go around the block." He would then leap down all four stairs and out the salon door to the cockpit. Step stools kept on the port and starboard sides let him stand to look over the caprail. Of course, if we were offshore or down south it was also a time to watch for dolphins.

Dyna and Dylan did this together for many years with each jockeying for the best part on the step stool. In her last months Dyna would often forego the cockpit portion and simply join them as they came past the pilothouse door. She wasn't going to miss playtime.

Dee Dee is in her apprenticeship and has quickly learned to wait at the stairs with Dylan. She can't climb down the stairs and at nearly 40 pounds, it's too dangerous to carry her down especially while underway. We've been working on that...

So now she sits and watches to see which side of the boat they will come up and runs to that door in the pilothouse. We often have the doors cracked partially open for a breeze and she can squeeze through. That's becoming more challenging as she gets bigger but she's determined to join them on the bow for at least part of the "around the block" experience.

It's good to see her take her job seriously. She just may make it to 2nd Mate status after all.

Shipmates

Anyone who has been to sea knows that it's critical to the proper running of a vessel that all crew members know and can properly execute their duties. That is no different here on aCappella. In our early cruises we managed with just a First Mate.

Tucker was our first First Mate and performed his duties to the highest level. He loved his job and packed so much into his far too few years.

Dyna was our next First Mate. She was equally capable but with a bit more attitude. She made sure we knew how lucky we were she had taken on the position.

Dylan came onboard as Second Mate and learned his place with much enthusiasm, often filling the First Mate position when Dyna had more important things to do. This allowed him to quickly step in when Dyna's position became honorary in her retirement years.

Today Dylan is a full fledged First Mate extraordinaire. Dee Dee has been brought onboard as a Third Mate. The Third Mate position is a probationary one. It's for crew members unable to fulfill the requirements of a Second Mate, who must be able to step in as First Mate if needed. There's a lot of work left to do...

MV aCappella First Mate Job Description

1.  The First Mate must assist the Captain on the flybridge in all close maneuvers such as docking and undocking. This requires ascending and descending the 7 stairs to the flybridge unattended and on command.

While Dee Dee has mastered ascending the 4 stairs from the salon to the pilothouse, she is unable to descend and has 3 more stairs to master. As for the "on command" part? Well it only happens right now if there is food involved.

2.  The First Mate must assist the Captain at the helm whether piloting from the flybridge or the pilothouse. They must provide companionship without causing a disturbance and must lie down on command.

Dee Dee loves taking the First Mate position under the helm whenever she can and is usually lulled to sleep when we are underway. But there is still the issue of the flybridge stairs and that "on command" thing.

3.  The First Mate must accompany the Captain on the bi-hourly Around the Block tour. This requires being able to descend the stairs from the pilothouse to the salon, use the step-stool to look over the side to check the fuel vents, and ascending the very steep outside stairs, all unaided.

Dee Dee fails on all counts here today.

4.  The First Mate must be able to get on and off the pilothouse settee unaided and on command while underway.

Dee Dee has manged to ascend to the settee using the step below but must still be lifted back down. And then there's that "on command" thing again.

5.  The First Mate must be able to be left uncrated and unattended for a minimum of one hour without destruction of the boat and items contained on the boat that are not Dee Dee toys.

Dee Dee is still of the belief that if she can reach it, it is a Dee Dee toy despite our best efforts.

Big Blue Bone - Dee Dee toy

Daddy's shoe - Not a Dee Dee toy

Pink Flamingo - Dee Dee toy

Mommy's computer cable - Not a Dee Dee toy

Striped Buoy - Dee Dee toy

Water hose - Not a Dee Dee toy

6.  The First Mate must successfully meet other criteria including never standing with paws on the bow caprail especially when underway, completing a minimum of 5 dinghy passages without going overboard, being able to independently spy dolphins, and other tasks as may be defined in the future.

Dee Dee still leans out on the bow when given the chance causing us to fear that she might be the first of our Mates requiring a man-overboard operation. We have some time before we will be spying dolphins again so this requirement is being relaxed to include other forms of wildlife.

Dylan certainly has his work cut out for him bringing this crew member into line.  Will he succeed? I guess we'll find out.

Navigating the Erie Canal

We left Shady Harbor Marina on July 19th to begin our much delayed trip through the Erie Canal with our two crew mates. Dylan had thousands of miles under his harness although only minor experience in locks. Dee Dee was a newbie but ready to learn the ropes from the first mate.

She quickly learned one of the most important functions of being a member of the canine crew.

We've had to make a few minor modifications including protecting the shoes on the cockpit from puppy teeth. Note, we raise them a rung or so every week as Dee Dee continues to grow like a weed.

The pilothouse trashcan has been moved to the helm table.

Dee Dee is still learning that a dog bed is for sleeping in and not tearing the bottom out of.

Dylan has taken her under his wing but reminds her that the first mate spot below the helm still belongs to him. Well, mostly.

Thus far we have traveled through 31 locks and risen over 450 feet.

And as for those low bridges, this crew hardly bats an eye anymore.

Yes, the scenery is beautiful and the cruising is peaceful and easy. But what has been the best part is the many towns we have visited and the people we have met. In most every stop we make we are warmly greeted and told about what to see and events that are happening. We've had mayors grab our lines and while we haven't received the keys to any cities, we've been given peppermint oil and fresh veggies, and local maple syrup, and even Frisbees for the four-footed crew members.

Dee Dee attended her first concert on the green in Lyons.

Quickly followed by a second one we enjoyed from our cockpit in Newark.

She also received her final puppy shots from a vet we walked to from the Newark docks.

They're a hard working crew and we don't know how we'd get along without them. We do grueling days of 1, 2, sometimes 3 hours of cruising. It's a quick rest when they get in and then they have to perform on the bow for the local admirers.

It's a hard life...