Lucky, a small jet-black cat, and Phoebe, a very large, gentle tabby, were glad to be out of the Phoenix heat and delighted to be out of the car but for the first day on our sailboat, they just wanted to sleep. Phoebe found a hiding place in the anchor locker as far forward as you can go and still be in the boat and Lucky curled up on a bookshelf.

Cats have had a berth on boats for almost as long as men have been putting to sea. Black cats aboard were considered especially lucky and good mousers were highly prized. I can honestly say we haven’t seen a single mouse or rat on our boat since the cats arrived.

We spent a week tied up to the docks working before we set sail for our mooring ball off Coronado Island in San Diego Bay. During that time the cats adjusted to their new surroundings. Although they never ventured topside, they would sit on the chart table and peer out the portholes.

Lucky and Phoebe seemed to enjoy their new home. There are so many places for a cat to explore on a sailboat. We have found them on the bookshelves, in the bilge, behind the plumbing in the head and attempted to explore the engine compartment but when it came time to leave the docks, it meant starting the big diesel engine. They did not like that and it took us an afternoon to find Phoebe. There is a pull out bunk with a tiny ventilation hole on one end on the starboard side of the salon. The hole is just big enough for a cat to put her head in but somehow Phoebe got her whole body through it. There she stayed, stuck under the furniture. It took a screwdriver to get her free.

Once on the mooring ball they had to adjust to the natural motion of the boat. It seemed to take another day for them to get their “sea legs” but now we didn’t worry about letting them out on deck. Lucky is the more adventuresome of the two and loves climbing in and out of the portholes, exploring the sail covers and sunning. Phoebe on the other hand is much more reserved and is content to sit on the top stair in the companionway and look out at the world.

The two biggest problems are cat hair and kitty litter. We have an enclosed litter box under the companionway hatch but it needs to be cleaned several times a day to keep down the smell. The cat hair issue is a more persistent problem. Brushing helps. (Shaving them would be better!) The most effective solution seems to be wrapping your hands in duct tape and patting them down. The cats love it and it seems to be helping.

A smaller issue is their food and water. Even dry cat food stinks and so rather than leave the food bowl out all the time, we seal it up and feed them three times a day: morning, evening and all night long. We had to leave the food bowl out all night after they both began jumping on our faces and pounding on the cabin door in protest while we tried to sleep.

We leave the water bowl out constantly but we always seem to be stepping in it. Floor space onboard is very limited. I’ll let you know if we find a solution to this issue.

What do we get in return? As I said before, we are completely rodent free. On a more serious note, the cats are very entertaining. They are fun to watch and soothing to hold. Our cats have become a part of our family and our crew.

part 2