About Dogs Who Sail
There are actually two creators of Dogs Who Sail; two amazing creatures who changed my life in a thousand ways. They are not your typical Bloggers but nonetheless they will open your mind to the possibilities of sharing boating adventures with your furry four-legged friends.
Dogs Who Sail is dedicated to Maxy & Mel
Dogs Who Sail began on 1st January 2016. At this time I was inspired by Maxy and Mel and how well they adapted to life onboard a boat.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing but overall they were safe and comfortable.
Maxy was the black Cocker Spaniel you see in the photo. He was my best friend for almost sixteen years. He was a wise old soul, composed in his nature and loyal beyond words.
Darling Mel is the golden girl. My relationship with her was much different to the one I shared with Maxy. Mel was a free spirit who knew no limits. It was my loving duty to take good care of her.
Sadly, Maxy and Mel have both crossed the Rainbow Bridge since Dogs Who Sail began. Their memory lives on within the community they created. I have to believe that they still walk with me, just in a different way.
Young Harry joined our family in December 2020. Harry is a Moodle (Maltese Poodle x) and is absolutely delightful. I had forgotten what it was like to have a puppy. I look forward to sharing with you more about Harry and having a puppy onboard.
When we started sailing, the only question I had, was how would Maxy and Mel cope?
Our first boat was a Duncanson 34 sailboat. At the time we were living in a house and using our boat on weekends and holidays. We were comfortable onboard but when we began toying with the idea of becoming fulltime liveaboards, we had to rethink our boat size – for the comfort of the dogs of course.
We upgraded to a 52 foot Passport and I will be honest, the dogs were happier. I’m not kidding. They were more settled on the bigger boat. I can only speculate. Perhaps the bigger boat was more stable. Maybe they had easier access to beds and sofas. There was definitely more room to move. Who knows? All I can say is, if they were happy, I was happy.
This is the reason I started Dogs Who Sail.
At the time I remember searching the internet for any advice I could get about having a dog onboard. I spent hours mulling over websites and forums. Going in circles I thought, I am not the only concerned dog mother with a dog on a boat.
As it turns out, there are thousands of us. My Facebook group Dogs Who Sail has grown into a community of nearly 3,000 members of dogs on boats all over the world.
Despite the name being Dogs Who Sail, the group welcomes dogs on all kinds of boats. There are sailboats, powerboats, barges, dinghies, tinnies, kayaks and SUP’s.
We also encourage the dreamers and the planners aboard Dogs Who Sail. First and foremost we are all dog lovers and we all love boating. I am honored to facilitate this fun, kind and supportive space to help dogs and their humans transition to life onboard a boat.
Our first boat Crossroads, a 34 ft Duncanson
SV Tanua
Over time, I will share with you the knowledge I have accumulated through my own experiences but also those of our Dogs Who Sail Community. I don’t believe that you can make decisions based on one persons experience. This is your dog. They are family.
When I read about how to be a blogger, they all say to position yourself as the expert. I’m not here to claim to be someone I’m not. There are times when I do not have all of the answers and this is when I get in touch with specialists and those with immense years of experience who can confirm the advice I offer you.
Have a scroll through the pages. I’ve tried to keep the site simple for me and for you. May it bring you great joy and ease. Thank you so much for being here and I look forward to us sharing some wonderful moments of Dogs Who Sail.
Fair winds,
Tanya xx