Rescuing a Cat

[Bash]

spent New Year's Eve in Clipper Cove, where maybe 15 boats were anchored. A cat fell overboard from one of the boats yesterday, and swam over to a neighboring boat, where it began scratching at the hull. The couple aboard that boat were unable to rescue the cat, largely because of their freeboard made it difficult to scoot the cat up. The cat finally swam away toward the beach, where it scooted off into the undergrowth.

The story has a happy ending, and after considerable seaching the cat was finally reunited with its boat.

If a situation like his ever happens to you, there's an easy way to help a cat get aboard. Take a towel by the end, and lower the other end into the water where the cat is swiming. It will grab onto the towel, holding on firmly enough that you can pull it back into the boat.

Not only is this a great way to rescue a cat, but it's a good way to avoid getting scratched in the process.

[David M]

I was just thinking that if a dog falls overboard you could dangle a cat.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by David M

I was just thinking that if a dog falls overboard you could dangle a cat.

So, speaking of insurance, if you keep up cracks like that, yours will be assessed an additional "coffee spewed and damaged screen" premium!

[senormechanico]

I thought this thread would be about rebuilding an old multihull...

[callmecrazy]

[boasun]

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

Yes this the method to rescue a cat, But keep the cat netted as you hose it off with fresh water. You don't want it to licking the sea water off itself.

[saylor240]

Originally Posted by avb3

So, speaking of insurance, if you keep up cracks like that, yours will be assessed an additional "coffee spewed and damaged screen" premium!

I was eating Pizza and choked!!

[Ex-Calif]

And if you are gonna have cats on board you should probably have the right resucitation gear on board...

[sww914]

I'm thinking a boat hook would work on the back of the cat?

[norsearayder]

my cat TIGER missed the boat when jumping onto it from the dock,dark dark night,i remember scooting over to where he went under and had time to say to my self:hes gotta come up sooner or later!: when he popped up i grabed by the scuff of the neck and hauled him onto the dock in one motion...stay away from the claw side when handling an enraged tiger...this has not stopped him from coming on dack during some rather hairy operations are underway

[atoll]

a gaff works well,and cat is better than dogfish or mackrel for lobster pots............

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

I have cats, and I don't recommend that. A cat that's fallen into the water may well be frantic -- mine was. If I'd come after him with a net and he'd seen it, it really would have freaked him out. He was headed toward the fairway and I was about to jump in when a neighbor pulled out his boat hook and slapped it on the water in front of him. The cat didn't like that and turned around, and then he used the boathook to nudge him up to a piling, where he climbed up.

Another neighbor saved her 12 week old kitten simply by holding a swim noodle in the water down the side of the boat. The kitten recognized it as something it could climb on, and climbed back up into the boat.

[Cheechako]

Glad there was a happy ending. Big fish net works good.I like the towel idea though!

[zeehag]

i keep some old mooring lines braided and looped off each quarter..... cat can grab and climb.

[msponer]

I'm pretty impressed with Tania Aebi's cat, which climbed up the Monitor windvane while the boat was at sea.