The Hound guide to pets onboard.

Ninety-seven per cent of owners consider their dog part of the family, yet fewer than one in ten yachts genuinely welcome them aboard. This guide exists to close that gap — everything we've learned about taking a dog to sea, gathered in one place.

It starts with the yacht. Because only 5 to 10% of the crewed fleet accepts dogs, the search is really a matter of knowing which vessels do — and what “dog-friendly” means on each. We list only yachts confirmed by their brokers, with the details that matter: deck surfaces, shade, a safe place to run, and crew who have handled dogs before.

Next, the costs. Beyond the charter rate, budget for a refundable pet deposit, a non-refundable post-charter deep clean, and sometimes a per-night surcharge. None of it is large against the whole, but an honest budget names it upfront rather than meeting it on the final invoice.

Then the paperwork. Travelling with a dog rewards planning: a microchip, a current rabies vaccination and the right health certificate or passport for your route, plus any import permit your destination requires. Some regions are simple; a few impose quarantine long enough to rule them out for a holiday. The right region is chosen as carefully as the right yacht.

Once aboard, routine matters more than space. A fixed feeding spot, a familiar blanket, a well-fitted life jacket and a calm handler settle a dog faster than any single piece of kit. The best days at sea are quiet, consistent ones.

And the voyage rarely begins at the marina. Getting there can mean flying — on a private charter a dog travels in the cabin at your side, never in the hold — and the nights either end of a charter are easier in a hotel that treats a dog as a guest rather than an exception.

That is the whole of it: choose the yacht, plan the money and the paperwork, pack for routine, and think about the journey either side. Do those four things well and the sea is one of the easiest places in the world to be with a dog.