S/V Aphrodite

We are in Portugal now, the southern coastal region known as The Algarve, in Lagos where Brisa came from.  We have been spending time with her family, both her mother’s side and her father’s side.   Surprisingly, neither her mother nor sister recognized her, nor she them.  Having only experienced the relationships of Kali, Lily and Oso as examples I didn’t know what to expect.  But, when we visited her father’s house, where she spent the first 3 months of her life, she recognized both the property and her “human” mother who loved and cared for her during that time. 

It has been thrilling and heartwarming watching her interact with all, and I mean ALL, of these dogs.  The house of her father has 9 Portuguese Water Dogs!  She got her first semi-professional hair cut there and looks adorable now.  A noticeable transition has taken place in Brisa since being here with all of these dogs.  She has gone from timid, slightly fearful of other dogs, to a full spirited, extroverted dog.  One day Rodrigo, her mother’s owner, spent the morning teaching her how to dive.  Her breeders are so proud of her, very touching really.  Both breeders currently have a litter, one set just 10 days old and the other 3 months so we have been in puppy heaven surrounded by either “piles of puppies” (the newborns) or the romping, rolling playful 3 month olds.

One of the 3 month old males found Michael on one of our visits and it was love at first sight!  I have never been a proponent of 2 dogs so I was more than skeptical about the idea, but alas, Costa won both of our hearts and is now with us on Aphrodite.  He is a wonderfully tempered dog, calmer and more contented than Brisa, already very brave in the water and seems to love us as well as Brisa.  Brisa accepted him amazingly well, transitioning from a bully to a gentle playmate within just a few days.  Our plan is to breed them once we return to the States, introducing a new champion blood line.

It’s already the middle of Oct. and time for us to head to the Canary Islands.  The winter storms and cooler weather are starting to arrive.  Our plan is to take the next weather window, perhaps as soon as tomorrow, and sail to the island of Madeira and, then from there to the Canary Islands.  We have two friends, Mike Moradzadeh and Margi Sells who will join us there for the trans-Atlantic portion of the sail to St. Lucia.  We hope to depart the Canary Islands mid November, putting us back in Caribbean waters by early December.