#sailing
An amazing time to be in the Bahamas is for the National Family Island Regatta. The regatta is held in April every year.
George Town celebrates on land. The racers get wild on the water. Cruiser take their dinghies out and watch the action. Some lucky cruisers get to join in and get on one of the boats.
#sailing
If you bring your dog sailing with you in the Bahamas, I hope you don’t mind sand and salt water on your boat.
Farley plays in the waves off Stocking Island beach in the Bahamas. He loves it, but I always keep an eye our for sharks or sting rays. I don’t want Farley to meet up with either of them.
We discovered the hard way that if a dog is stung by a sting ray, the only treatment is to wash the wound with very hot water, as hot as the dog can stand it, and that should take the pain away. Farley hasn’t had this misadventure yet, but our friends’ springer spaniel has been stung twice.
#sea life
This Hermit Crab can live 30 to 70 years. It can become a large as a coconut. It lives in a shell, and honestly, I find it a bit creepy.
The joys of cruising provide many opportunities to find creepy, crawly creature. This one was crossing our hiking path and I couldn’t resist taking a photo, that is after I convinced my niece to pick up the creature.
#sailing
One of the joys of cruising is that the view from our home changes every day.
This lovely sea turtle swam by our stern. We were lucky and the waters were calm, giving us a perfect view. This guy stayed with us for a while, driving the dog crazy, but we loved it.
Who knows what will swim by us tomorrow.
#dogs #sailing
My 3-year-old Wheaten Terrier, Farley, gets to run on the beach each morning. He likes the 5K he covers without being on a leash.
Stocking Island in the Bahamas is the best beach I’ve found for running. At low tide, the sand is hard and sort of flat. Flat enough to run, anyway.
It’s a great place to exercise your dog if he/she has been on the boat for too many hours.
Cruisers bring all kinds of dogs to the Bahamas. I’ve seen a tiny, little fluffy girl about the size of a slipper (no idea what it was) to a Malamute. Most dogs we meet are used to being off leash and play well with other dogs.
If I could read his mind, I think my dog would tell me he prefers the freedom of the Bahamas to the amount of time he has to spend on a leash a home.
#sailing Cold weather doesn’t deter a good gathering on the beach.
When cruising, the dingy becomes our car. The shoreline becomes the parking lot. The beach becomes the bar.
Happy Hour is a popular activity, but sometimes there are too many of us to meet on a boat, hence the beach!
Dogs are welcome and can roam free.
But be careful – you might get wet feet getting to your car!
#dogs #sailing How many ways can you entertain your dog while cruising? Jasper came spear fishing with us and used his skills to search for lobster.
The lookie bucket has a bottom made of plexiglass and gives us a great view of the sea bottom. Some of us don’t like to get in the water unless there is something interesting to look at.
The bucket is an essential tool on all cruising boats and is easy to make. Well, I think it was easy because my husband made it. We use it to check our anchor if neither of us wants to swim on it. A good night’s sleep depends on the set of the anchor!
Jasper thinks he’s being a big help, although we’re not sure what he’s actually contributing here except to make us laugh.
Check out DogLeaderMysteries if you like to see photos of dogs. There are some fun one’s every Friday on DogLeaderMysteries.
#dogs Farley loves to kayak, although today I think I might have overdone it with him. Don’t you think he looks tired? Even though it’s me who does all the work, he gets a nap.
If you’re thinking of bringing your dog cruising and bringing a kayak, it’s a good idea to test the kayak first. I had to find one big enough that Farley could get in it too.
#dogs #sailing
Dogs can be curious creatures, but sometimes it’s not in their best interest to engage with sea life.
The nurse sharks are keeping a close eye on the fish cleaning that we are doing near by. Jasper, the springer spaniel, is keeping a close eye on the nurse sharks.
If your dog likes to jump off docks, this might be a good time to have him on a leash. Ours are just curious and stay out of the water.
Nurse sharks are gentle creatures, and some of our group actually swam with them. I guarded the dogs, you know . . . just in case they needed guarding.
#sailing
Keeping fit while cruising is sometimes a challenge. If you’re a runner, you can find beach in the Bahamas that will fill your need to run.
The photo is of my favourite beach on Stocking Island. It’s 2.5 K each way, meaning I can get in a 5K run. (10K if I’m feeling ambitious and the tides are right.)
The tides are a factor when choosing what time to run. Low tide is the best. High tide is a slog. But everyday the beach has a different surface so it’s like getting new workout equipment at the gym.
Ankles and knees can be a concern on the angled slope, but the calves really get a workout.
Typical of this beach, there is no one on it. It is one of my favourite spots in the Bahamas.
The little dot beside us is my wheaten terrier, Farley. He loves an off-leash beach run.
