Though Susie officially hangs her leash in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, she feels right at home in many a boatyard along the Maine coast. After all, her human companion, marine photographer Billy Black, is a frequent visitor and chronicler of boats being built in shops such as Front Street Shipyard in Belfast, Rockport Marine in Rockport, and the Maine Yacht Center in Portland. Thought to be about 9 years old, this Great American Mutt is always ready to tag along in the easy-to-spot photo boat We’re Here whenever she can, enjoy a pat from a passerby on a dock, or sit patiently in the middle of a shop floor while her person clicks away. Her only bad habit? She likes to rearrange the bed whenever she goes for a ride in the tricked-out van that does double duty as mobile photo studio and home away from home. Lately, one of her favorite haunts is the big red boatshop in Rockport, where Project Ouzel is underway. She’s become such a frequent visitor the craftsmen have reportedly taken to calling her Suzel. When not on the road, Susie loves a good run on the beach along Narragansett Bay. After a big workout, her square jaw makes her look a bit like a pit bull, but her guy pal says don’t be fooled, “She’s got the sweetest disposition you can imagine.”
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