Dog friendly boat?

[Joe Floatin Bob]

We're looking for a decent quality boat, but it needs to be easy for our 65 lbs dog to board from the dingy...I'm not going to be lifting him up a ladder or over a transom. Any ideas on makers or models that would be appropriate?

[jamhass]

For what purpose?
Day sails, coastal cruising, water condo, South Pacific?
Different answers to different desires.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by Joe Floatin Bob

but it needs to be easy for our 65 lbs dog to board from the dingy...I'm not going to be lifting him up a ladder or over a transom.

If the dog has to use its own muscles, then either something with a low-to-the-water "sugar scoop" with open transom, or something that can mount an old-fashioned gangway.
Truth be told, and no matter how their owners rave, boats are not really "dog friendly".

[Tin Tin]

Most factory catamarans have dog friendly sterns, and then some fake grass over the nets for other dog requirements.

[Joh.Ghurt]

You obviously should get a boat with a doghouse.

[AiniA]

Have a look at a Northeast 400 if you can find one. It is a motor-sailor with a big sail plan so sails well. It has a swim platform and transom door. Th swim platform, cockpit and pilothouse are all at the same level and from the pilothouse down to the interior is only three wide steps. It is a brilliant design. If money is no object, the Bruckmann 50 is a larger version of the same concept.

https://www.devalk.nl/images/thumbna...-251629_1e.jpg

[Kettlewell]

Powerboat-like swim platforms are your friend when you have a big dog. Lots of catamarans and modern boats have steps up the sloped sterns, and they can work too. Lots of boats at the shows these days just back up to the docks and lower the whole transom to create a swim/boarding. But, and this is important, have a plan and try it out for pulling your dog out of the water if and when it is needed and the dog isn't cooperating. I've ended up helping out when a big German Shephard just decided to go for a swim off the big boat and then the crew couldn't get him out of the water. Not easy! A harness, and not just a collar, is needed.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

Powerboat-like swim platforms are your friend when you have a big dog. Lots of catamarans and modern boats have steps up the sloped sterns, and they can work too. Lots of boats at the shows these days just back up to the docks and lower the whole transom to create a swim/boarding. But, and this is important, have a plan and try it out for pulling your dog out of the water if and when it is needed and the dog isn't cooperating. I've ended up helping out when a big German Shephard just decided to go for a swim off the big boat and then the crew couldn't get him out of the water. Not easy! A harness, and not just a collar, is needed.

Agreed. An open transom / swim platform setup where the dog can step down and then hop into the dinghy is pretty much ideal.

We're on a powerboat, so it's pretty easy for our dog to move around (but he's also a very boat-friendly dog, a very agile Standard Poodle). The biggest challenge for us is the ladder down to the swim platform, so we have to lift him up and down for the dinghy (we're working on figuring out some stairs for him to use).

As far as safety / lifting, our dog wears a harness rather than a collar, and while it's far from ideal, we did prove once that he can be lifted by his leash attached to the harness in an emergency. For dinghy rides, swimming, or any situation where he's at risk of ending up in the water, he wears a life jacket with a handle in the middle that allows him to be safely lifted one-handed (despite being a large dog). He doesn't wear the life jacket full time on the boat, as we typically keep him contained to areas where he can't fall or jump into the water.

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

Truth be told, and no matter how their owners rave, boats are not really "dog friendly".

It depends a lot on the dog. The dog has to be boat friendly as much as the boat is dog friendly. Some dogs can get around a boat much more easily than others, so the level of accommodation required varies quite a bit.

[Reeve21]

Open transom is an absolute must.

Also a companionway with stairs rather than an open rung ladder.

Not easy to find.

We had a Freedom 35 that fit the bill, 3 easy steps to get down below. The Freedom 40/40 would work, too.

Our current boat is a Catalina 42 which has a great transom. I can give him a fresh water shower out there to get rid of the salt and sand. The companionway on the 42 would be fine for most dogs. Ours will be 14 soon and sometimes he needs a little encouragement