When Josh and I discussed this cruising idea, we decided that Jacques should not make the passage with us. Jacques has been on boats his whole life and is pretty comfortable. Unfortunately, we have not been successful with training him to go to the bathroom on the boat. We felt that it would just be too stressful for him and us to do the passage. We have an acquaintance, Elizabeth on Skylark, who was instrumental in informing us of what to do and where to go when cruising with your dog. Before we left, we needed to get him checked out by our veterinarian and obtain an International Health Certificate, rabies titer, and have any necessary vaccinations. The doctors and staff at Acoaxet Veterinary Clinic were great with helping us through this process. We ordered 6 months of dog food and vacuumed sealed it in smaller quantities (thank you Amy and Alden) to prevent it from spoiling. We have created our own pharmacy for Jacques on board.

Jacques and I few to Minnesota where he stayed in the comfort of my mom's home for a month and a half before she brought him to us in St. Thomas. A big debt of gratitude goes out to my mom, Judy, for her willingness to take care of Jacques during this time and to see to his safe arrival in the islands. The trip home was an added bonus for me as it allowed me to reconnect with family and friends that I don't often get to see.