a compromise about having her aboard. If we are onboard for a few days or the weekend, we take her. She likes the boat for short periods and loves swimming and running on the beach. When we take our 2 week cruise we put her in a kennel. Having her aboard for a long time is too challenging as far as planning her exercise and limits some of our options for exploring as well. It is an added stress for all involved and I have found that we are all happier to leave her behind. We are lucky to have an excellent kennel for her that is more like a spa for dogs than kennel. When she is aboard she wears a harness or lifejacket with a handle that converts her to "luggage" when getting her on and off the boat.