Some folks ask us if Kemah ever gets to leave the boat.

The answer is “yes”, but it’s very limited.

Because of Kemah’s particular personality, he does not get along with other animals. Specifically, much like Lenny, he wants to love them way too much – with his mouth. Even if K were well-behaved, I’d still have reservations about the behavior and health of other dogs on shore.

But, don’t go feeling bad for Mr. K: while his time off the boat is limited, it’s limited to deserted beaches, remote caves, dinghy rides, swimming and SUPing.

Not so shabby, eh?

Also, when we’re at anchor, he has run of the boat and goes on his own to sit out on the top row of cushions in the cockpit and watch the clouds, stare at the stars, etc (what is he thinking!?!).

a dog’s life

As you can see, he loves to keep the cushions down outside. And, if a tropical shower interrupts his peaceful slumber he’s been known to turn a snarl upwards and growl at the sky . . .

When we’re underway and it’s calm, he’s free to wander inside or out – up to the first seat/row in the cockpit. At night or in weather, K is always “harnessed” in by a tether to his Ruffwear lifejacket.

When we leave the boat to do errands, he’s always locked in the cabin (with hatches open and fans on). Why? Because he has swam after us once when we were at a nearby dock (we thought he was a beaver at first!) and, most conservatively, “why not?”. I don’t want to worry about his safety – or anyone else’s – while we’re away. So, this is the strategy we employ.

Should anyone have doubts about Kemah’s security presence on board, even while locked in the cabin, they should consult our resident giant prairie dog:

Finally, it should be stated that while we love having Kemah aboard – he’s our family, our friend and our security guard – there is one huge drawback: your loss of freedom.

We know some cruisers with small dogs that tote their four-legged friends to beach-bars and potlucks; some fly their dogs to and fro when commuter cruising or smuggle their pooches in huge purses on long bus rides when taking trips overland. But, because of Kemah’s personality and size, we can’t easily take him with us when we want to go exploring overland.

So, for the few trips we’ve taken away from the boat, we’ve required a sitter. Luckily, we’ve been able to arrange for responsible folks to come stay with Kemah on Mother Jones.

But, if we were to become commuter-cruisers who leave the boat in a far-away port, we’d have some real challenges flying Kemah to and from our floating and land-based homes. For example, American & Continental both fly dogs his size as cargo, only before July 1st (because of the heat) and have breed restrictions (because of the muzzle shape of “pit bulls”, Kemah would suddenly turn into a “lab mix”). Plus, given K’s sensitivity and age, I’m not really keen to see what happens if we were to start flying him at 11.

Speaking of flying: ever wonder what it’s like when birds and other animals interact with Kemah while at sea? Click here to read about some of Kemah’s animal encounters while on board

Or, click here to jump back to the Kemah’s Korner homepage.