Kodi and the 63

Kodi is the quintessential (i.e., representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class) boat dog.  Kodi has been boating since May of 2007 when she was just six months old.  Kodi has traveled an easy 10,000 miles on Lake Michigan including 40 lake crossing.  She joined us for a 6,150 mile Great Loop adventure and lived aboard for 444 days.  Her name appears on our boat card with the title of Social Director.  She has been instrumental in us making a large number of acquaintances and a few very good friends.

Kodi is at home on the water and on the dock.  She particularly loves exploring people's boats.  Leave your cabin door open and you will get a visit.  Have a dog?  Kodi will jump on your boat, find one of your dog's toys and steal it.  Her goal is to get your dog to chase her.

Our move aboard Guided Discovery on February 10 was for Kodi a "non event."  She staked out her spot on the middle of the salon settee and settled in.  She also likes the pilothouse settee and our new pillows.

This is not a posed photo.  She assumed this position all by herself.

As readers know, Kodi has a wide range of behaviors.  She responds to at least 117 commands and understands well over 175 words.  We are continually amazed at her ability to adapt to new situations and to problem solve.  Three examples:

1. Getting on, off and around the boat:  Kodi has explored every inch of the 63.  She goes to the flybridge via the pilothouse stairs, walks through the engine room and lazarette, negotiates the ladder from the lazarette to the swim platform and visits every space on the boat.  While at the Trawlerfest in Lake Park she had to cope with changing tides that required big jumps both up and down.  No problem.

2. Getting stuff: We do not wear shoes or for that matter socks when we are on the boat.  Upon boarding we remove our shoes and place them in a wicker basket.   When I said to her for the first time get my shoe, she immediately went to the basket, discriminated my shoe from Diana's and brought me the correct one.  She also brought the other one when I said "get the other one."

Her leash and collar are also stored in the basket.  This evening I asked her to get her leash.  She incorrectly brought Diana's shoe.  I told her to drop it and get her leash.  She then brought Diana's other shoe.  Another "drop it" and "get your leash" and, bingo, she brought me her leash.  Then I said "get Diana's shoe and put in the basket."  Did she do it?  Of course she did and on the first try.  She even returned the other shoe to the basket when I gave her the command.  AMAZING.

3. Find your squirrel: Kodi loves find games and has been playing them for almost 5 years.  This evening, I tried an experiment.  I defined the game territory as the main deck (i.e., pilothouse, galley and salon) and below decks (i.e., staterooms, engine room and lazarette).  I then parked her in the guest head and hid the squirrel throughout the boat.  This required Kodi to search a considerable amount of territory on multiple levels.  No matter where I hid it she found it.  I was particularly impressed with her search of the engine room as it is noisy (HVAC) and has very different smells.  I was also impressed that she searched multiple levels on her own initiative.

The squirrel is hidden between the canisters just to the left of her head

Searching in the vicinity of the generator.  Close but no cigar

She found it!

Kodi goes everywhere and loves meeting people.  She has particularly enjoyed the MANY people who have been working on the boat.  She loves Mike Schlichtig, Captain Randy and Deborah Manzi.  She is well know by the Marina Bay staff and the cashiers at West Marine (all of who are dying to give her treats).

Rarely a day goes by when we don't hear "that's a beautiful dog" or "what kind of do is that?"  The latter question is related to her small size, coat and coloring.  People expect labs to be bigger.  Kodi is a very small lab at 58 pounds and unusual due to being the offspring of an America sire and English bitch.

Kodi sunning herself in Palm Beach at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum 

At lunch with Soph, Elena and Diana on the Las Olas Blvd. Riverwalk

Diana can't resist dazzling people with Kodi's tricks and, for that matter, neither can I. 

no\Diana charming a little girl with Kodi's counting skills

Reader Note: Life is getting better (i.e., I'm writing again).  The punch list is down to four items with the big window re-caulking job coming off today.  We have one more day in Fort Lauderdale.  Then it's off to the Palm Beach Boat Show on Saturday (we have to get there four days early).  Accompanying me will be Milt Baker, a Passagemaker contributing editor, who is writing a feature article on the 63.  He will be sea trialing the boat on our trip north to Palm Beach.  Stay tuned.

Written by Les.