Companionway Steps and Dogs

[sroth]

We have a 75 pound Black Lab that is a great sailing dog...light on his feet and completely at home on our Beneteau 381, except for the issue of climbing up from belowdecks. Our companionway steps are too steep for him. How do other sailors handle this? Can the steps be modified in some way? I would appreciate any feedback/suggestions.

[slowdancer]

Hi ya Sroth.
Aboard Slowdancer, Kelly our Walker Hound navigates our companionway step with the aid of our Coleman cooler. We place it on the sole right at the bottom of the steps. She jumps up onto the cooler and bounds up the three steps (or down). We also found that with a blanket over the cooler she''s much more sure footed and comfotable.

[Charbonneau]

Hi sroth,

We cruise full-time with two large Golden Retrievers and had a similar problem. We solved our troubles with the use of a carpeted plank. You can see the idea and others at our website http://www.SailCharbonneau.com

[sroth]

Thanks for this tip. Unfortunately, the angle is still not right, even with the help of the cooler. We''ll keep trying! Happy sailing...

[sroth]

Hey, great website! I think we''ll try the plank. We have some leftover indoor-outdoor carpet from our cockpit floor that we can use. By the way, we have found that carpeting the entire cockpit floor with a very good marine grade of removable indoor/outdoor carpet (two pieces professionally cut and finished) has worked great in keeping dog hair under control, making a soft floor for the dog to lay, and generally adding to the appearance of the boat. This may not appeal to everyone, but it works for us.