It was sometime around noon when the small brown dog went overboard. No one will ever know whether he jumped off the boat to follow his owner Captain Mike, who was in the dinghy, heading towards town to do some shopping. Perhaps the excited pooch lost its footing as it trotted back and forth along the deck excitedly barking at a couple of bottle nose dolphins that swim in the harbor. This day there would be no witnesses to solve the mystery.
Bandit, the wayward pup, would not be able to climb back onto the boat. It wasn't a good day for pup, or human, to go swimming in the beautiful aquamarine waters of Elizabeth Harbor, Great Exuma, Bahamas. North East winds blew a steady 22-knots, with higher gusts, as ominous gray clouds raced across the sky. Boats, even a couple of hundred yards from the lee shore, bobbed up and down in the anchorages. White caps skipped across the top of the two-foot chop in the middle of the harbor. Dinghies swayed back and forth attached to the back of the anchored boats. Not many cruisers would venture out. It was a good day to work inside the boat, read a book, or watch a movie.
The pup's floating home just happened to be named, Rogue Dog. It was a small trawler with blue trim. On this dismal day, the boat was anchored near town on the windward side of the harbor, not affording much protection from the weather. Boaters who can't wait for the wind to die down often take the big boat across the one-and-a-half-mile wide harbor if it is necessary to get groceries, propane, water, gasoline, or Internet service. While there is little protection from North to South winds, it does provide a short, wet and bouncy, dinghy ride into town.
Finishing business in town, the captain of Rogue Dog approached his winter home. Nearing the big boat he became alarmed when his faithful 20-lb cairn terrier did not come to greet him. The alarm quickly became a feeling of dread for the elderly captain as calls for his precious four legged friend went unanswered.
When the first call for help came through the VHF radios across the harbor, it was hard to understand the frantic man's plea for assistance. "Can someone help? My small brown dog went overboard within the last two hours. Can someone help me search? Maybe he made it to shore?"the anguished man pleaded. The broken voice of Captain Mike repeated the call, explaining that he had a dinghy but his vision was poor and he would need someone to look for the dog along the shore.
Several boaters answered the call. The captains of Anania and Water Witch boarded their dinghies for the treacherous wet and lumpy ride across the harbor. One boater suggested that Captain Mike determine a search area by dropping something overboard and watch the direction that wind and waves carried the item. After a few minutes several other brave cruisers began the long trip across the bumpy harbor to aid in the search.
Those of us who could not assist sent out thoughts and prayers for a positive outcome. After a couple of hours, dinghies began the roughest part of the trip back to their boats. The VHF radio squawked with inquiries about the dog. The early news was not good, but boaters were hopeful that the small dog might have been carried down island and made landfall without getting slammed against the jagged iron rock shore line.
Captain Tom from Anania rode with Bandit's elderly master along the shoreline and cays. On a last trip, a long shot and an upwind leg, the elderly man,who could not see well, heard a weak but familiar bark. As the two men in the dinghy neared the deserted shrub covered cay, Captain Tom spotted the wet and tired dog.
Against all odds the rouge dog had paddled against the wind and the waves and made it to the small cay a half mile North and East of where his misadventure began. No one ever dreamed that the dog would have paddled against the waves. It was only a fluke that the two rescuers decided to make the pass upwind of Rogue Dog.
Needless to say, there weren't many dry eyes on Imagine, when at 6:00 p.m., Captain Mike announced on the VHF that Bandit was safe at home, albeit a little wet and tired. With relief and joy in his voice, he thanked all the cruisers who participated in the search and invited them to his boat when the weather cleared to meet his pup and to share a drink.
No sooner had Captain Mike finished when the clicking began. Across the harbor boaters were clicking the talk button on their VHF microphones. That's a boaters way of saying, good job! As the sun set all was well in Elizabeth Harbor. I'm betting that one small brown rogue dog was getting some extra loving that night.
It never ceases to amaze me how cruisers reach out to help other cruisers in need. It is nice to be part of this caring community to know that in an emergency, there are others who come to your aid.
