Crew Available: Moving from Oz to NZ with my dog

[captmikem]

Bee,

I have made that passage a few times and it can be uncomfortable, my dog was with me once, but he had spent many years at sea. Most folks on yachts will go north, then south to NZ. (Fiji, Tonga, New Caledonia). Finding a yacht going direct may be a bit of a problem.

However, there are cargo ships running between OZ and Auckland quite often. I used to drive ships and we would occasionally carry "Supercargo" (paying passengers) and they always enjoyed the trip. You are looking at about 1400 miles so a ship would take 3 to 6 days for the trip.

here is a link to some folks who traveled from Melbourne to Auckland on a cargo ship, it may be of help.

https://flightlessness.wordpress.com...-a-cargo-ship/


Good luck with your adventure, I hope you and your dog have a great time.

Michael

[grantmc]

You want to sail to NZ with your dog. Cool. It’s an amazing trip that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Takes anywhere from 10 to 30 days.

I was also going to suggest Captain Mike’s point. Going as supercargo could work well. Per his internet search you’ll find many options to go as paying passengers on a cargo vessel.

But if you’re really keen to sail, well it’s a trip that all skippers plan very carefully for and there’s considerable preparation for the boat. But it is a trip in the southern ocean and the Tasman is a serious area of blue water. And for most of the trip you’re outside the range of helicopters. So understand that the consequence of things turning to custard, that most likely will be rescue by the nearest ship, and that wouldn’t be a happy result for a dog. Watch a few vids of people being rescued by ship on the high seas and you’ll see why. Of course for every boat that ends up in that situation thousands do the trip safely and successfully. You have much more chance of a traffic accident on the way to the dock.

The best place to catch a ride is at local yacht clubs. Hang around the bars and hard stands and engage with people there. Tell them what you’re after, and you’ll find someone who knows someone who knows someone who is doing the trip. Old fashioned notices on Club boards also help. And many clubs have FB too. Trouble is people’s postings soon get lost. There are Oz and NZ forums that might also be worth posting on too. Hopefully you’ll experience a more friendly reception than this has given you.

Most people do the trip between November and April. It’s just an easier trip then weather wise. So next summer is more likely. And the majority of boats are 30 to 40 footer mono hulls (we just don’t have many ocean capable cats in NZ or OZ as most people don’t have the sort of money needed). So it will often time be rock and rolly and be a sail at a heel so you and the dog will get seasick, as does almost everyone. You need to be able to manage the condition for a day or so. Sailing experience helps a skipper to take you on. So for most skippers they’ll be wondering when Bee is sick who is going to mind the sick dog?

So until September get yourself and dog out sailing as much as you can. It’s easy to train a dog to sail, dogs aren’t stupid. My dog seems to enjoy it (he’s never actually said). But it’s easy to train them to sit in the dinghy, jump on and off the boat. They’re more agile than most people and jumping, and 4 legs seems to work pretty well for them. And obviously the dog needs a place for toileting. My dog has found a nice little spot between the vee berth where he can lie down no matter the degree of heel. He kind of wedges himself in. But he tried several different places before he was comfortable there, especially through tacks. When sailing flat he tends to sit in the cockpit.

There have been periods when he’s looked decidedly unwell, but he’s never vomited. He just looks miserable.

I’m sorry that you’ve received a number of unpleasant and/or aggressive posts. This forum is very American centric, not that that excuses the negativity, but they seem to live in a completely different world. And I personally don’t see the point in someone chiming in with an opinion when they’ve not done the trip or even been to either country.

[Charliemciver]

This might be useful: http://cargoshipvoyages.com

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Bee56

Thank you, Boatman. "I guess she presumes" is a presumption; the irony. No I don't think that hitch hikers are bums. You don't need to exalt their virtues before one.... who believes that life is an adventure. Truly.

Neither am I offended: the entire post (as made by Kate) was unnecessary and added no value. It also implied calamity and its consequent massive inconvenience and/or impossibility (namely at-sea emergency veterinary medical intervention). It's just commentary for commentary's sake. A bit like your own post? At best it's ..... ? credentialing posts, but I was under the impression that this was a, "Forum". An information/data/guidance/experience-sharing forum? At (the very) best, then, it was explaining to your readership, what question I was actually asking: something I had already done, no?
.

OOooooohhhhh..!! Touchy or wot..
Seeing as Ann had said nothing negative other than point out facts you either had not considered or were ignorant off.. hitch hiking seemed the only other thing you could take umbrage over..
And yes.. it is a Forum and as such its open doors to all.. if you don't like the heat stay away from the fire.
Good luck with your ambitions..

[kazo]

Originally Posted by akprb

I'm with jibstay on this one, last sentence in particular.

couldn't restrain myself in saying: ditto

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Bee56

Hi there,
My dog can't fly & I want to move to NZ (from here in Australia) for the next stage of this adventure we call life. It's not safe to sedate her & she can't fly. ............................
Best wishes,
B 🙏🐶💜.

Why is it not safe to sedate her? Did she not have anaesthetic when she was speyed? Is she never having any any procedure in her life that will require anaesthetic ?

Sedating a dog for flight involves half a tablet of something or other which just makes them a tiny bit woozy(sp) to a not even noticable degree... can't recall what its called but its no big deal -- esp compared with a general anaesthetic .

I had a small dog 10/20 years ago that used to fly to and from yachting adventures. My son flies his rather large dog from Perth to the Victoria every year on its hols....

Can't fly? All dogs can fly......

[Kudawudashuda]

Actually, as a new-comer to this forum, there is a lot of negativity. Too often someone will ask 'how' something might be done, and the replies are predominantly "it can't be done". There's a strange sense of entitlement implicit in many of the responses, almost "you have to be a special person to be a cruising yachtie". I think if someone is unable to answer the question directly they should not feel obliged to respond. (I am cognisant of the irony of this response.) Good luck with your quest Bea.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Kudawudashuda

Actually, as a new-comer to this forum, there is a lot of negativity. Too often someone will ask 'how' something might be done, and the replies are predominantly "it can't be done". There's a strange sense of entitlement implicit in many of the responses, almost "you have to be a special person to be a cruising yachtie". I think if someone is unable to answer the question directly they should not feel obliged to respond. (I am cognisant of the irony of this response.) Good luck with your quest Bea.

I reckon this is half true .

For some (many?) of the regular contributors, it might be called "experience" rather than a strange sense of entitlement but do cruising yachts need to be a special person? Well I think they are and it is no surprise to find that point of view on an international forum for cruising yachts.

I do agree that no one should feel obliged to post but neither should they be discouraged. It is, after all, a forum of opinions and unless such opinions are expressed, it fails to be a forum at all.

Note to our USA friends, I am using the term "yacht" and "yachties" in the Australian sense i.e. someone who messes around in small recreational vessels.

Does this help the OP, I dunno but it does bump the thread and that may be a good thing (or not).

A note to the OP, please remember that the majority of readers of this forum are not members so your thread is reaching many many readers and it only needs one of them to be able to help you and your "best friend"

[JPA Cate]

Bee56,

Just so's you can read it from me: I meant no offense.

I think part of the problem comes from the word "cruisers". If one is not a yottie, the word conjures up big vessels, like cruise ships, whereas, we yotties have (most of us) smaller boats, and mal de mer is a well known problem for dogs, more than cats. They can be trained away from it, some of them, but others are given tranquilizers.

Check with your vet, but I thought mikem's idea might work for you two, or flying tranquilized. I had a 73 kilo dog that I had to fly one time, and he made out okay, but tranquilized according to the vet's ideas.

Good luck.

Ann

[Uncle Bob]

Hi, I am not understanding the bit about the dog not being able to fly, the flight from Syd to Akl is only 2.5 hours, pets of many types and ages, make the journey regularly. If the animal is healthy enough to satisfy the MAF (NZ quarantine) then it should be able to fly. If not then I guess that you and your dog will see out it's days here in Oz.
As others have said, a prolonged sailing journey would be too difficult for it, as may be the cargo ship option.
Cheers and best of luck.

[gaffie]

Originally Posted by Bee56

Hi there,
My dog can't fly & I want to move to NZ (from here in Australia) for the next stage of this adventure we call life. It's not safe to sedate her & she can't fly. I've joined this forum to see if there is any way that she & I can travel by boat? I would die for her - and will never leave her. People say that about their children & this is how I feel about my dog. Cruise ships and cargo ships do not take pets on this route.
Thanking you in advance for any information you can offer.
Best wishes,
B ������.

hi bee 56 I know your situation having been there oz to nz is not a trip for a never been to sea dog or person but im not one to say not to try but I do say go for a sail with your dog for a weekend see how fuzz ball handles and you never know might take to it like ducks to water but 15 days at sea is a big ask for you and pooch exhaust your resourses then all else failes then try get some sea time cheers all the best gaffie

[gaffie]

hi bea get yourself and pooch some sea time then see if you think you and your dog will be able to take on the tasman not for the faint hearted it will get quiet rough I spent 4 days out of 15 in 40 to 60 knot winds going the wrong way so as suggested get some sea time then decide

[alansmith]

Maybe Bee has left and will no longer respond to our surly natures. It was interesting read for me. I buried my 100 pound German Shepherd a couple of years back. He was a magnificent boy. Couldn't have loved him more. But I can't imagine taking him to sea. The hair, alone, that he shed daily would piss any skipper off. Craps bigger than me. Pisses like a horse. I swear half of that long torso of his was a urinal waiting to be discharged. My point being....maybe Bee just has no reference points to understand what she is asking a skipper to undertake. Can you imagine a gale for 3 days? Dog and Bee vomiting and unable to fend for themselves due to sea sickness? What a mess...

Bee, if you are still reading and not responding...love of your dog is a wonderful thing. Can you imagine, dear, if you were so sea sick you couldn't even raise your head off the pillow. Then the skipper tells you to go clean up the shizzle and puke in the cockpit from your beloved? Trust me, when your dog is sick it won't be the well formed stool...it will be ...can you imagine the unholy mess? That is how skippers think.

Wish you luck.

[Basil]

Originally Posted by Bee56

Hi there,
Thanks. Dogs do not need to enter NZ quarantine if they have come from Australia, and have done everything that is required by NZ MPI (mainly blood tests and vaccinations).

Thanks,
B 🙏💜🐶

Having transported dogs between NZ N Aust you have to be right on the button with paperwork etc, or it becomes a nightmare, the kindest way would be to either sedate, or fly as is it's three hour flight against days of crashing an banging, thought of a cargo vessel , use to move my dogs to the Chatham Islands on the old Holmdale this way.

[MIRELOS]

that's a rough sail on a seasoned sailor, for a dog to be comfortable on a boat the dog has to have grown up around boats or the dog will be stressed and so will the owner in particular if the owner is not an experienced sailor. I appreciate looking at all the options, I too would never have left my dog behind. I hope you find the best alternative.