Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Goodbye, Gracie!


At 7 am this morning Gracie and her people on Carolina pulled away from the dock. For 6 weeks the three crew members have enjoyed blissful mornings at the beach, shared guard duty to protect the docks, and just gazed at each other across the bow. There is no doubt that it has been a great time for everyone.


Members of both crews knew something was up as the engines started and people on the dock started untying lines.


They watched with slightly worried expressions. But all good things must come to an end and we know we will see Gracie again.


We still have another week or so of trips to the beach. However, it won't be the same without their best buddy. Wishing safe travels for Gracie and her people until we meet again - hopefully soon!

Monday, March 30, 2015

The Final Playdate


We haven't had the heart to tell any of the crew yet but early tomorrow morning Gracie's people will be leaving Great Harbour Cay to start their trip back to the States. Our final beach trip together turned out to be the roughest day we have had in the 6 weeks we've been here. True to form Dylan, Gracie, and Dee Dee were not deterred. They chased the coveted bumper with gusto.






Safe travels, Gracie! We hope to see you again soon.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Siblings


You would think after spending the morning romping and wrestling over the bumper at the beach that the kids would have had enough. Not Dylan and Dee Dee.


As we sat down to lunch on the cockpit Dylan decided he wanted to chew on the dead piece of coral that Daddy had found on Shelling Beach. Of course, that meant that Dee Dee, who had not even glanced at the coral since we returned to the boat, just had to have the piece of coral herself.


While usually the one to give in, this time Dylan decided that he was going to keep that coral for himself. 15-20 minutes of growling and tussling ensued while he maintained control. Good boy, Dylan, you don't have to take stuff from that little squirt!

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Favorite Things


Last night we had quite a blow with a heavy rain storm. Today the winds continued. So that coupled with a fair in town for the local school meant today was a rest day for the crew. Dee Dee decided to surround herself with a few of her favorite things. Coconut, beach bumper, and a piece of coral from the beach.


Dylan's favorite thing is anything he can eat...

Friday, March 27, 2015

Determined

Each crew member is determined to be the last one hanging on to the bumper. Notice how Dee Dee loses it and then grabs just the tiny nub at the end.





They makes us smile!

Thursday, March 26, 2015

God of the Waves


Dylan got his name from the Celtic god of the waves. Since we've started our daily romps on the beach he has gotten really good at timing his leaps over the breakers.


Today was windy so the breakers were large. It added a bit of excitement to the retrieval and made for some very tired crew members.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Old Friends


Dyna and Dylan first met Godiva and Cassie 6 or 7 years ago in Rock Hall, MD. The four have had many happy romps over the years. Recently, Godiva joined Dyna in that eternal dog park. We were sad to hear she had left us.


We were thrilled when 14 year old Cassie joined us today at the beach. While the young'uns were tussling over the bumper, Cassie was happy to just wade in the water with her dad.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Before and After


Each morning when we reach the beach we look out at beautiful turquoise water, a purple sky, and pristine sand.


An hour later and the sky is still purple, the water is still turquoise, but the sand.... High tide will have it ready for tomorrow!

Monday, March 23, 2015

The Toss

The retrieving fun couldn't happen without Dylan, Gracie, and Dee Dee's people providing the toss.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Portraits

Dylan

Daddy took some pretty nice portraits of the crew today. There could be a modeling career in their future...

 Dee Dee


Saturday, March 21, 2015

Beach Toys

For Christmas Dylan and Dee Dee got some beach toys in anticipation of their trip to the Bahamas. On their daily romps on the beach here at Great Harbour Cay, the favorite has been a floating bumper with a rope attached. The main attraction seems to be that all three dogs can grab hold at once.


This toy has held up admirably but after four weeks, three dogs, and almost daily romps on the beach it finally bit the dust.

So we dug out Dyna's old orange bumper and the fun continues.


Now tell me these dogs don't look happy...

Friday, March 20, 2015

BFF's

Dee Dee, Dylan, and Gracie

This picture by Gracie's dad says it all...


Thursday, March 19, 2015

A Golf Cart


OK, OK! I can hear you thinking, "Oh geez, not another picture of dogs on a beach chasing a bumper." But today was something completely different. Dylan, Dee Dee, and Gracie had their people rent a golf cart for a tour of the island with the highlight being a stop at Sugar Beach.


Getting them into the cart at the marina wasn't too bad. Of course, it was a bit different coming back with 3 wet dogs. It was Dee Dee's first trip in a golf cart but she caught on fast.


Sugar Beach was beautiful and dramatic. The crew encountered their first live crab which wasn't the least bit intimidated by the dogs or the people. Luckily the encounter didn't get too close.


Once the crew was completely worn out, they were dropped at the boat for a rinse, a treat, and a nap. Their people went to The Beach Club for lunch and toured the other side of the island. Our highlight was stopping at Shelling Beach at low tide.


This was last week when we walked there with the dogs around high tide. The picture was taken standing on the beach looking out across the water.


This was today taken from out where the water was looking back at the beach at low tide. Pretty amazing. What a special place.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Clever Boy


Dylan has learned that the two girls will swim like crazy to see who can get to the bumper first while he can simply stand close to shore, waylay them as they approach, and grab the bumper. It may not be the most gentlemanly thing to do but he is a pretty clever boy...


Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Sans Crew

Today Mom and Dad did something different. Along with four other boaters (including Gracie's Mom and Dad) they hired a fast boat and captain and headed to Hoffman Cay. The crews on aCappella and Carolina stayed behind to man the mother ships.

The main attraction was the blue hole in the middle of Hoffman's Cay -  a huge round, salt-water hole in the middle of the rock island, 600 feet deep. There's a 25 foot high rock platform that a few of the crazier members of the party jumped off of.

A visit to Flo's for lunch, a snorkel stop, a tour around Great Harbour Cay, and we were back before the crew's suppertime.  But don't worry about the crew being too neglected. It's Tuesday tonight so they got to enjoy a dinghy ride for the Drink n Drift.


Monday, March 16, 2015

So Much More...

Dylan and Dee Dee's latest beach find was a large bamboo-like piece that had washed ashore. The beach - surf, sand, friends, and so much more.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Bahamas Office


We've had several offices over the years but one constant has always been that the dogs come to the office every day. That tradition continues here at the ActiveCaptain Bahamian office.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

And Then There Were Four

Dylan and Dee Dee were joined by a fourth Lab on the beach today, a beautiful black female named Josie. She didn't swim or retrieve but Dylan was totally smitten and everyone had a great time. Check out the video:


We apologize that the crew forgot to put up a picture yesterday. Put it down to the stress of life in the Bahamas. To make up for it here's a photo that was a hit on Facebook.

Dee Dee says, "This is my coconut!"

Thursday, March 12, 2015

All Grown Up

For years I'd read training advice about dogs and crates. Our first Lab, Duke, was a puppy before crates had become common. So Tucker was our first "crated dog" and Dylan was our second. Dyna was 9 when we adopted her, so past the need for a crate.

Everything I read extolled the benefits of a crate explaining how dogs loved their crates. They found them secure places that brought them comfort. "Leave the crate open when you're home and you'll often find your puppy in it sleeping or playing with a favorite toy," I would read. Really?

Both Tucker and Dylan had to be bribed (meaning treats) to even enter their crates, at which point we would quickly close the door before the treat was finished and they darted out again. When we returned from an evening out or running errands they would be standing there with that hangdog look waiting to burst out of their prison. As a result both where no longer being crated long before their 1st birthdays.

Then we got Dee Dee. She was the first puppy we trained solely onboard and the first to be crated on the boat. We brought our large folding crate and set it up in the salon thinking we could stow it in the lazarette in a few months. Our little girl proved us wrong yet again.


Dee Dee loves her crate! She brings in favorite toys to play with.


She often naps in her crate.


She slept there during an overnight offshore crossing.


She was even able to coax Dylan into the larger crate we have at the house in Maine.


While this all may seem rather sweet, a crate large enough to hold a grown Lab takes up a lot of space on a boat! Next month she turns two and shows no signs of voluntarily giving up her special place. I thought we were destined to have this crate onboard forever.

The weather has been warm here in the Bahamas, so we've been giving the dogs free run on the boat to find those cool spots. It was also a test to see if Dee Dee could be trusted unsupervised when we were gone. About half the time Dee Dee would be out of her crate when we returned with all being in order. So we went a step further. About a week ago we shut the door so she could no longer enter the crate.


Today we took the next step. We folded up the crate putting her crate blanket on the floor in the same place. So far she is unfazed even ignoring the spot for one beneath the table where there's a breeze.


Our hope is that we will soon tuck the crate into a corner of the lazarette as we acknowledge that our little girl is now a grown up dog and the crate becomes a memory. Our last photo of Dee Dee and her crate was taken a week ago when she brought her favorite beach toy into the crate for a nap.

Dee Dee may no longer have her crate but she can still dream about her adventures, past and future. She's such a big girl!