The first time I saw Chili was while walking down the dock toward our boat, which was at the very end. Actually I heard her first, as she barked at anyone coming down the dock. I could often hear her barking in the middle of the night to warn her owners, Chris and Lynn, that someone was approaching.
Chris and Lynn are from South Africa and have been cruising for 12 years. They are pretty handy when it comes to boat maintenance, and work along the way fixing things for other boats. They used to have another dog many years ago, but she got seasick and didn't really like boat life, so they found a good home for her and went a few years without a canine companion. Having a pet on board can make clearing in to some countries a bit of a hassle and Australia has the strictest rules, so Chris and Lynn waited until they were already in Australia to get another dog. They got Chili, and it's very obvious how much they both love her.
Although Chili is only 6 months old, she's very smart and already knows sit, down, and shake. She has a turf grass mat on the bow of the boat for doing her business underway and will go up there even during choppy weather. In really bad storms, Chili stays out of the way down below and cuddles with her favorite toy- a stuffed monkey. She's very friendly with everyone and liked to play chase along the docks. She's also very useful for protecting her boat. Lynn said that many times people will avoid their boat if they hear Chili barking!
I often knew when Chili was on the dock because I could hear Chris saying, "Chili don't chew the dock, they'll ask us to leave!" or 'C'mon Chili, don't make me come get you." when she thought it was too hot to go for a walk. She was a very cute little dog, and I looked forward to going back to the boat because there was a good chance Chili would be there to greet me... and pee on the dock from excitement.