Three’s allowed – A trifecta of furry crew members call the 50m Heesen Rocket home

While Heesen owners might bring their dogs along when they travel on their yacht, it’s a rare occurrence to find pups who spend more time on board than the owners themselves. But this is the case for the lucky dogs on board Rocket. The 50-metre Heesen motor yacht is home to not just one but three furry friends who live on the boat nearly full time along with the yacht’s crew.

“We have three pomeranians on board – two are white and the other is black,” says Ignatius Mare, Rocket’s chief officer. “The dogs have official names on their passports, but the crew gave them nicknames and it kind of stuck. We call the white male dog Whisky, the white female is Vodka and the black male is, of course, Whitey.”

You might as well consider the dogs honorary crew members, as they spend the majority of their time living on board Rocket with her crew. Every once in a while, they will get picked up by the owner’s PA to get groomed. The rest of the time, the dogs make themselves at home on board this stunning Heesen yacht.

When the owner comes on board, the dogs get very excited and run like crazy to greet him! Once the owner steps on board, he wants to see the dogs right away, and from that point on, the dogs follow him everywhere around the yacht. “The owner is very aware of where the dogs are and keeps a good eye on them,” Mare adds. At night, the dogs sleep in their own little beds on the floor in the guest cabins.

Once the owner disembarks, the dogs slip into life as four-legged crew members, spending the majority of their time in the crew quarters. Their favourite place is just outside the galley – to scoop up treats from the chef, no doubt. But a monthly delivery of natural wet dog food, stored in the refrigerated provisioning, is their usual diet.

The dogs might also be found in the crew mess, sprawled out on a sofa, or sleeping beneath the covers on a stewardess’s bed. When the owner isn’t on board, the crew will fight over who gets to sleep with them.

The three dogs have distinct personalities, which certainly keeps the crew on their toes. “The youngest one, Whitey, is the naughty one – constantly looking for something to chew or trying to steal socks out of the laundry!” says Mare. “But he’s the most playful as well with constant energy.” Whiskey, on the other hand, is quieter and prefers to cuddle and have his tummy scratched. Vodka, the female, is like a queen who wants to be carried everywhere instead of walking, and she too loves a cuddle.

Obviously, photo ops abound. The crew like dress the dogs up, which the dogs seem to enjoy, such as in sports jerseys while watching a rugby game, or sitting them in the captain’s seat looking through binoculars.

In terms of safety on board, Rocket’s crew have set up little gates to block off areas where they don’t want the dogs to roam. The dogs also have lifejackets which can be put if the seas get rough. The crew is conscious of safety and aims to keep the dogs inside, and as soon as they go out on deck, someone walks with them and supervises them. Luckily, the dogs are naturally a bit risk averse – they are wary of going down the aft stairs to get off the boat and so are usually carried instead.

The owner prefers to be in harbour rather than out at anchor, so it’s easy enough for the crew to carry them off the boat when the dogs need to relieve themselves. They also have a designated spot on the foredeck, with a little green grass mat. “They let us know when they need to go, usually by scratching at the bridge door,” says Mare. “If we are underway and the boat is rocking, we can set up the mat inside, and they are comfortable with that, too.”

This arrangement of full-time liveaboard dogs is mutually beneficial, it seems. The dogs thrive with the constant attention from Rocket’s crew, and the crew love having the dogs on board. “It picks up the crew morale,” says Mare. “Sometimes, we go through hard days of work, and you see the dogs and just forget about it. They are such well mannered dogs, too. The crew are crazy about them, and they have a great life on board.”

Words by Risa Merl