Dog-Gone!

By Colleen Ellison-Wareing

After a five-day sail from our home port, we arrived at our favorite island. Luck was with us. There was room at the dock and the slip we most preferred above all others was available — an outside slip with no neighbor to share a double slip.

We settled in, confident that all would go well and we’d have a great time. The evening was calm and our night’s sleep was undisturbed, so when I arose to make a cup of tea, I was in a great mood.

I emerged from the companionway with my mug, ready for my first island day. I watched as a sailboat pulled in and joined another vessel in the slip. There was netting around the lifelines and I presumed that meant children were aboard.  To my delight, once all the lines had been secured, a large, black poodle dog joined the sailboat’s skipper, and they both headed for land.

The next morning, I heard the diesel chug on the poodle’s boat. My captain offer to lend a hand as they cast off, but the offer was declined.

Though my view of the boat was slightly obscured by the stern of the other sailboat in the slip, I could see the sailboat moving as its skipper was untying lines. Maybe it’s just me, I thought, but if my captain already had the boat moving that quickly in reverse before I was onboard, I would not be happy.

Then something happened and I could see the top part of the skipper’s head just above the deck. He wasn’t steady or rising, however — he was in trouble! His hands gripped the lifeline while one foot was wedged under the netting, and it appeared he was not wearing a life jacket.

My husband heard the skipper’s cry for help. As he ran towards the boat to render assistance, the poodle lunged at him, barking wildly. Should he take the risk? Was the dog warning him to stay away or was it a canine plea to save the skipper?

The captain decided to rescue the skipper from the side of the moving boat. He gave a mighty push and the skipper heaved his body up and onto the deck just moments before the sailboat’s stern lurched into the other boat in their slip.

You’d think the skipper would compose himself, turn off the engine, come over to thank my husband profusely, and then head to the marina office, right? That’s not even close to what occurred.

The skipper righted himself and took command of the controls. In mere seconds they were gone, leaving behind a still, silent, and serene dock, along with a smacked up boat and a shook up husband.

There are a few lessons here aside from knowing how to depart safely from a dock. Wear a life jacket, accept offered help (especially when boating solo), express gratitude, own up to your mistake and compensate the other boat owner, and, for goodness’ sake, don’t make anyone navigate past a poodle to protect you from harm.