BLUEMOMENT

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I have just been informed that our son will not be able to take the dog back for the Summer as he is moving to a new flat where they do not allow pets - so our plan to take Homer over here for a few months to give them a break has kind of backfired.

While we might be able to get my brother and his wife to look after the animal for the odd weekend our six weeks Summer cruise is a non-starter.

When we bought the dog twelve years ago - because our sons moaned that it wasn't a proper family without a pet - I forsaw exactly this happening. I mentioned it to my father, who came with us to buy the puppy. He said not to worry as if we wanted to go away sailing he would look after the dog. Now that isn't possible for one reason or another and we have to either put our sailing on hold until the animal passes away or terminate his existence prematurely for our own selfish reasons and live with our consciences.

So - advice number one, don't even think about getting a dog if you have any plans at all to do any extended sailing. In the immortal words of Spike Milligan,

'Turn the offer down flat
Don your travelling hat
Put an egg in your boot
And beat it'

Very depressing news on the day we launched the boat. Kathy thinks we will somehow find a dog-loving person who would like nothing better than to look after a flatulent warty old Staffie with Addisons disease and a pathological inability to live with cats for six weeks, but somehow I doubt it.

I think I may be doing some singlehanding this year. Perhaps we will sail separately instead of together.

The whole point of being impoverished but self-employed has now been destroyed and I wish I had spent the last thirty years in some foul but well-paid career that was now approaching its natural and lucrative end.

Arse.

We had various animals when the boys were growing up, but always resisted having a dog - they are just too dependant. The nearest that we got were Siamese cats ( one at a time ) .

We are now children free, and animal free.

You will need to advertise for a dog lover who is looking for a holiday home for six weeks.!

Ash

You miserable negative old fart. Is this the intrepid couple who met and rose to the challenges of Biscay - scuppered by a blasted dog? Either Shoot it or put it in kennels, tell the offspring that he has duties and responsibilities to his ageing pater and mater and clip him around his lughole if he shows any sign of protest, or as Ash said, find a dog lover. As a pathological hater of all mutts I just think you are being silly - get it sorted!

.

You miserable negative old fart . . .

Have you ever thought of taking up counselling?

Yes, but I think I'd be too easy going...

Total sympathy with your predicament, Nick.
We are kind of in the same position, but with 3 cats. Trouble is they are farm cats and live in the stables.
This is OK for W/E's away when they get dry food and catch their own main course.
But a week or more away is a real problem - catching them to go to a kennels involves military style planning, serious protective clothing and a medic on standby.
The alternative is begging, cajoling or blackmailing friends into feeding them. The upside is the Christmas card list is getting much shorter.

Hope you manage to sort something out with the dog.

Dave

My symapthies.
So far I have managed to take the mutt (hers) on most sailing trips. He's small enough to throw over the toerail into the cockpit from the dinghy... but:
Cat no. 1 won't move out of the house ever since it jumped out of the first floor bathroom window and couldn't get back.
Cat no. 2 is a bird-murdering swine and knows I hate it.
The horse is a tad big for a 30 foot boat and has apalling house-manners.
The step-daughter won't go anywhere more than five miles away from the horse and less if there's showjumping on.
The mem-sahib uses cats No 1 and 2, horse and daughter as excuses for not going sailing if its is: a. cold b. wet c. windy.

Ps. The dog snores