9:06 PM Sat 13 Feb 2010 GMT
|
|
'How would you like a monkey in your bunk?'
.
|
One cannot imagine it ever allowed in Australia. He rides around on the shoulders of other crew members, and there's no word of his ever getting seasick. His name is Ti Ti, he's a monkey and he loves his yachting life. His owners told The Triton that Ti Ti has even been made 'legal', with all necessary papers, basically making him a citizen of the USA.
Owned by yacht Chef Claire Villemure and Capt. Bernard Calot, he cruises with them as an honorary crew member with the approval of the yacht's owner, and is on board when the owner goes sailing. However, if you charter the yacht he'll be left onshore.
Ti Ti is a 2-year-old jeffries tamarin species, small and squirrel-like, but very cute.
They weren't looking for a pet, Villemure said; but apparently Ti-Ti was looking for a new home. Ashore exploring an island off Panama, this tiny monkey came right out of a house and playfully jumped on them, she told
The Triton
.
Ti-Ti's then owner allowed the yachties to bring Ti-Ti back to the yacht, and he would check in on them about a week later to see if Ti-Ti liked the yachtie lifestyle. He did, and when his soon-to-be-former owner returned, he wouldn't jump on the owners back. So the man let Ti-Ti stay aboard.
Monkeys such as Ti-Ti grow to about 1 pound(.45kilo). The crew is careful about who can see and handle him because he can become ill from human germs. Although he cruises when the owner is aboard, Ti-Ti is not allowed onboard during charters.
Like many yacht crew, despite having all the proper paperwork, Ti-Ti still gets tripped up when clearing into various countries. Fully documented and not listed as an endangered species, Ti-Ti sometimes causes the yacht to stay in quarantine while awaiting clearance.
It's apparent that nobody minds. Villemure and Calot say that the companionship of Ti-Ti gives an added pleasure to their cruising lifestyle.
by Sail-World Cruising/The Triton
|
Rundle Island, QLD
