Dog on board?

[Capt.Jim]

We have a 10,5 yr old yellow lab. Even though she loves the water, she is scared to death from any kind of ladders or steps. So in the past it was always a struggle of getting her on board was a combination of pushing and shoving her. But in those times she was 4-5 years old. Now she is an old lady we don't want to hurt her.
Is anybody came across a better and easier way to get a 85lbs doggie on board a C34?

[Stu Jackson]

A Garhauer dinghy motor hoist would be a good method, just get a doggie lifejacket with a harness.

[Noah]

Sorry, 2-1/2 words; "walk-through transon". Unfortunately your boat is a few years old for that. I was looking/hoping for same thing for my dog but struck out by just 6 mos. with my 1990. However, my dog (35 lb. mini-Labradoodle) at 9 yrs is still quite spry and we get by with a two-step-high dock stairs. He jumps from the top step over to the boat and back. Only missed a couple times (was distracted) and suffered a surprise dunking. He scrambles up and down the companionway ladder fine though. Keep a life jacket on with a handle to grab them up out of the water. There are some floating doggy ramps but usually designed for walk thoughs or lower freeboard.

[Lance Jones]

If you are pulling the Lab from the water, use your boom as a crane arm and run a line over it. Connect the line to the harness and lift the boom with your topping lift. Then swing rover on board when high enough. I've done that from C-22's through C-34's. Fortunately, our big dog would climb the swim ladder on our 34 once you got his paws on it.

[KWKloeber]

jim

I made up my (custom long) rope vang with a snap shackle on one end and a large snap biner on the other to use as a come-along on the end of the boom or attached to a halyard to easily hook onto / lift a LifeSling.  I have used it in the past on the boom to hoist a Visula up over the rail.

-ken

[Capt.Jim]

Thank you guys.

No, I don't mean lifting her up from the ocean... She is too old for that and she doesn't dive from the boat anymore. She liked to get in our swimming pool via steps or play in the waves on the beach surf line.

I need to get her up in to the boat from the docks. We have flimsy floating docks in our poor marina and they move a lot. That already scares the heck out of her. Then the aft section of the boat seems too far away from the dock for her to leap on to. Plus, she hates to climb any kind of steps.
So our only option is to lift her by using a life vest to support her weight and pushing and shoving from the mid section of the boat where is the closest to the dock. But of course that section lifelines does not removable and adds extra height for us to deal with during the lifting an 85 lbs creature.

I may change the design of my lifelines and make the midship lifeline on my dock side removable for entry/exit the vessel.

[KWKloeber]

Search on the lifeline issue. 

"Recently" extensively posted about that's your best answer (what I have on my 30).

[Mike and Joanne Stimmler]

Have you looked at the dog ramps made for use with Pick Up trucks?

Mike

[KWKloeber]

with coaxing and a guiding hand would she climb onto steps/platform and have a wide plank (say constructed out of plywood so it's not too heavy) from there to the toe rail?  Even if the platform was constructed to have extra large steps up to it?

Gotta take care of her so long as she's still willing and able to sail!  The Admirals are one thing, but the chiefs of staff is quite another!

Your pushing tale reminds me of the first time the Visula ("Pup") boarded the "new" boat (had just brought her in from its prior home.)  She jumped up and on (didn't have a step yet) and promptly ended up between the dock and hull.  Next soaking wet dog decided to go below, and took a header all the way down the ladder and landed nose-first on the sole.  It wasn't pretty.  I figured that was the end of her sailing career. But after that I couldn't keep her away, and had all the steps down correctly from then on.  I guess she conquered it, so she owned it!

Thank you guys.

No, I don't mean lifting her up from the ocean... She is too old for that and she doesn't dive from the boat anymore. She liked to get in our swimming pool via steps or play in the waves on the beach surf line.

I need to get her up in to the boat from the docks. We have flimsy floating docks in our poor marina and they move a lot. That already scares the heck out of her. Then the aft section of the boat seems too far away from the dock for her to leap on to. Plus, she hates to climb any kind of steps.
So our only option is to lift her by using a life vest to support her weight and pushing and shoving from the mid section of the boat where is the closest to the dock. But of course that section lifelines does not removable and adds extra height for us to deal with during the lifting an 85 lbs creature.

I may change the design of my lifelines and make the midship lifeline on my dock side removable for entry/exit the vessel.