Look what Kristina did to me! My hair was flowing. It made me handsome. After my hair cut, I look funny. Let’s just say Kristina isn’t the most talented groomer. She cuts my hair herself because there are no groomers where we are going. Am I supposed to believe the Bahamians don’t have dogs?
BEFORE: Just call me gooooood lookin!
She says she’s getting me ready for the Bahamas. She blabbed on about how hot it is down south, how there are ticks, and how sand sticks in my hair. At least she listened to the vet when he said she shouldn’t cut my hair too short or I could get sunburnt, otherwise; I might be bald.
AFTER: And Kristina expects me to out in public?
I have to say, my ears feel lighter and cooler with shorter hair, but that’s the only good thing.
Now I have to wait until spring before I can have long hair again. Kristina is crazy with the clippers once we are living on Mattina.
My owner, Kristina, has decided she doesn’t have time to write about me. She’s too busy writing her book. So . . . I’ve stolen her laptop and am going to write my blog. My paws are a bit clumsy, but I can do it. I know I can.
Farley Guarding Kiting Gear on a Beach in the Bahamas
How do you like my hair cut above? Too short, I think. But it’s too hot in the Bahamas for me to have long hair. Plus, I get covered in sand and get itchy. I just wish Kristina had taken lessons in clipping my hair. Once she gave me a bald spot on top of my head. Good thing I’m a dog and don’t care.
So what’s in my grooming kit?
Nail clippers (Kristina does this weekly so the quick recedes, and she doesn’t hurt me.)
Large scissors
Small scissors blunted at the end (for around my eyes and ears.)
Toothpaste and brush (Not my favourite, but if I get an infection in my mouth, Kristina can clean it.)
Clippers (For my winter haircut)
Brush (One suited for my coat – you might be different and need a specific kind.)
Comb
Ear cleaning fluid (I hate this, but I get ear infections from too much time in salt water and this prevents them.)
Cotton swabs (For cleaning the inside of my ears without hurting me.)
Shampoo
Conditioner (It’s embarrassing when she conditions my hair, but at least I smell nice.)
Towels (So I don’t have to use human towels. They get testy about that. They also get annoyed when I’m wet and jump in their bed.)
Woof Woof.
Here’s what Kristina has already written about me. Lucky me – she may have given up writing my blog, but she does spend a lot of time getting my stuff ready for sailing.
Our dog Farley, spends his winters in the Bahamas on our Lagoon 380 S2.
We’ve entered the part of the year where we need prepare for the season. This includes provisioning for Farley. In Going Sailing With Your Dog? I gave a high level list of what to bring on a cruising boat.
Today I’ll focus on his medical kit.
The soft cone stops Farley from fussing with an injury on his front leg.
Before entering the Bahamas, Farley needs to get a health certificate. This has to be done right before we cross, so I don’t leave anything critical until then. Sometime during the summer, I have a discussion with Farley’s vet about what he needs for the upcoming season. If your dog required any medication, it’s best to order early. Sometime the vet won’t carry a six month supply.
For Farley we bring
Doxycycline – for lyme’s disease. This horrible disease can be cured, but only if you have the right medication.
Advantix – some years are worse than others in the Bahamas for ticks.
Heartworm pills
The cone of shame, both a soft one, as shown in the photo and a hard plastic one. They can be stored flat underneath a bunk.
Ear cleaning fluid. Farley tends to get ear infractions when he swims in salt water. The fluid seems to held reduce this.
Antibiotic ear drops – for a serious infection
Antibiotic eye drops – for a serious infection
Muzzle – in case of severer injury, it might avoid a dog bite.
Shampoo – think lots of sand! I put this under medical and not grooming as I believe it keeps Farley from having skin issues.
There are items from our medical kit that we could use for Farley. This includes large bandages, scissors, gloves, and antibiotic cream. I never give Farley medication from our kit unless a vet tells me it’s okay.
Before I leave for the season, I talk to my vet and make sure I can contact them while I’m away. There are vets in the Bahamas, and my experience there has been very good, but when sailing away from civilization, sometimes the only way to get a consult is through email
Please remember, this is what I bring based on what Farley needs. It’s best to consult your vet to get the right things for your dog.
If you have other items you bring, please let me know.
Heading to the Bahamas again this fall means a lot of prep work has to happen. This includes getting our dog ready for cruising.
Farley, our wheaten terrier, needs his papers to enter the Bahamas. This winter will be his fourth time in the Bahamas and he’s getting used to the routine.
To get his papers, I mailed our application, along with $10 to the Bahamas. Once they receive this and are happy, they mail back permission papers. I bring these with me when we visit the customs office upon entry into the country.
Farley had to have his rabies, distemper, etc. shots and he’ll have to see a vet right before we cross the gulf stream. The Bahamians require that he has a health certificate right before entry. This can be tricky because usually we are waiting for a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream, and we’re never sure until the last-minute whether we are going to cross.
So far we’ve been lucky and been able to get an appointment with a vet in Florida on short notice. Once I explain what we are doing, I’ve found the vet’s office are happy to sneak us in for a quick visit.
Why do we do all this? So Farley can to this . . .
This is my latest discovery. I’ve been sailing my Lagoon 380 S2 for three years now and never had a bad dream about it. Well, life changes.
My fourth novel, yet to be named, takes place on a sailboat in the Bahamas. So this week, I’ve been dreaming scary dreams about sailing, and it occurred to me it’s because I’m writing a murder mystery set on a boat.
Bad weather, sailing alone, boat malfunctions, crazy people who try to get on my boat . . . and I’m only 20,000 words in. What’s going to happen by the end?
I wonder what Stephen King or Dean Koontz dream about. It can’t be good.
Part of our cruising lifestyle includes putting our boat on the hard for the summer. I’m always sad to put her away, but ecstatic when we get to launch her again.
Mattina, our Lagoon 380 S2, is on land, tucked safely away. She’s in a marina in Florida. Our only worry for the summer is a hurricane, and there’s not much we can do about that, so really why worry.
There is value in decommissioning and re-commissioning each season. The process forces us to evaluate each piece of equipment, deep clean storage spaces, fridge and freezer, determine if repairs are needed and perform any yearly maintenance. I think if we didn’t get off the boat each summer, we might not get around to some of these tasks because we are too busy enjoying sailing the boat.
So for now, while our boats takes a rest, I’ll stop my Wednesday blog about cruising and start it up again in the fall.
Up on the hard, as they say. Mattina, our Lagoon 380, has been stored for the season.
Every year the list of tasks seems to get easier as we store and secure the boat for the summer.
The handy Excel spreadsheet seeps into every aspect of my life, including keeping track of boat tasks. We have a three page to-do list to remind us of everything that needs to be done.
Some of the important items that keep our boat in great condition include:
Taking all sails and canvas down and storing below
Flushing water maker
Waxing
Maintaining engines and genset
Emptying food lockers, fridge and freezer (Get to eat everything left in one day)
Washing all settee covers
Plugging through hulls (don’t want any unwanted critters to get aboard)
And on and on it goes…
It’s sad to put the boat away for the summer, but we look forward to getting back on board in the fall. The more we do in the spring, the easier it is in the fall when we are anxious to get going again.
#sailing The creatures we meet while living on a sailboat can be alien.
These creatures come out at night. They scratch their way across the sand and sound like something out of a horror movie. Come to think of it, they look like something out of a horror movie. If you don’t know what they are, they can be a bit scary. They are slow moving, and as far as I know, harmless.
Does your dog have a favourite place to sit when you’re sailing?
Farley likes to sit on our trampoline if and only if:
– we are on a beam reach
– the seas are calm
– the engines are off
– the sails are up.
If all of these criteria are not met, he’ll hide down below or in the cockpit. If the seas are rough, he has a spot in the cockpit where he can brace himself on all four sides. If it’s rough enough for us (the humans) to be tethered to the boat, then Farley wears a tether too. He has his own harness, tether and life jacket.
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.
Kristina Stanley 