Swimming

Farley’s Friday: A Dog Falls Overboard

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 13 Comments

Farley here.

I fell in the ocean, right off the back of the boat! How humiliating.

My human friend, Debi, drove her dinghy to the back of our boat to pick me up for yoga. I should have known something weird was going on when Kristina didn’t put my harness on me. You can see it in the photo below. She makes me wear it, so IF I fall overboard, she can easily pick me up.

Well, I guess she forgot to put it one me.

This is the harness I should have been wearing!
This is the harness I should have been wearing!

Debi arrives and I get a bit excited.

“Hello,” I bark.

Debi drives close to the back of the boat and ties up. Kristina is ready with her yoga gear.

“Not today,” Kristina says. “There are wild pigs on the beach. You have to stay on board.”

I whip my head around to face Debi and she confirms the bad news. I turn too quickly and start to fall.

“Oh Oh,” I bark, but no one grabs me.

My paws slip off the first step.

“Help me,” I bark.”

I’m now on the second step and the third is not far away. Before I can let out my third bark, I’m in the water.

I know I can’t get on the back step by myself so I head to shore. Lucky for me, I’m pretty slow at the dog paddle and don’t get far.

Debi pushes off the stern and drives beside me. I’m a smart dog and turn to face her.

No here comes the problem. I’m not wearing my harness. The dingy tubes are two feet out of the water, and Debi has nothing to grab on to. She reaches under my armpits and struggles me aboard.

She’s soaked, I’m soaked, but at least I’m aboard.

Woof Woof.

Thanks for reading . . .

Farley’s Friday: How a Dog Beats The Heat

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 8 Comments

Farley here.

Cold fronts, warm fronts, what’s a dog to do?

Some days it’s just to hot to bear, and other days, I love the cool weather. The cold front passed through and we’re back to high temperatures.

The first thing that happens is my owner cuts my hairs. She’s always worried about me overheating, I just wish she’d taken classes on how to groom a Wheaten Terrier. I need to look my best when I head to the beach to meet the girls.

bahamas 2010 112

I don’t like to swim in water over my head, but there’s nothing like a cool walk in the water. So I have a little sand on my face. What’s the big deal? This shot was taken before Kristina ‘groomed’ me. I’m too embarrassed to post the after shot.

Woof woof.

Keeping Fit While Cruising: Swimming Laps

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

If you’re getting the feeling there are endless ways to keep fit while sailing around the Bahamas, you’re getting the right feeling. This week’s suggestion: Swimming laps.

It’s hard to take a photo of myself swimming laps, so I thought I’d show you the water I swim in.

Water

Things to consider:

The water temperature is around 73 degrees Fahrenheit, which can cool a body down, so I wear wetsuit shorts and a rash guard. I find a full wet suit too restrictive for swimming laps, and the rash guard prevents sunburn.

Since there are sharks in the area, I don’t swim at dawn, dusk or in murky water, and I don’t splash around as if I were a fish in distress.

I don’t wear anything shiny in case a barracuda is sharing my water space.

I either swim with a buddy or have a partner follow me in a kayak to reduce the risk of a dinghy hitting me.

Salt water is hard on the swim goggles, so I bring several pairs to last me the season.

It’s a great way to keep fit if we’re in an area that doesn’t have a beach good for running.

Thanks for reading . . .