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Author Topic:   Snakes in my Whaler, Help!

BugsyG posted 06-26-2003 06:54 PM ET (US)
I have noticed that there has been a major increase in water snakes this year in great ol' Lake Erie. And after my near 2-week trip in Florida, My father had warned me about snakes in my newly restored Boston Whaler Montauk.
I did obey him of this statement by uncovering the boat slowly and making sure. However, when I uncovered part of the transom, I noticed a 2 ft Snake by the battery box. I calmly fished him out with one of my 2 mooring poles.
As the beautiful day went on, I washed my JAZZ up and took people out like anyone would do on a calm day.
As time drew near to cover her up for the night, I was idling at the marina enterance/exit with my father to take the boat back to the marina. As I was about to hit the throttle, I noticed a 4ft. Snake on the starboard side of the console. After some few suprising choice words for the moment, I, once again, fished him out of the boat
My hypothesis: Perhaps the second snake was hiding in the wiring tunnel leading to the engine.
My question: How do I rid myself of such annoyances? Any cures for the problem will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you kindly,
JAZZ!
DIVE 1 posted 06-26-2003 07:00 PM ET (US)
BugsyG,
You will have to get used to the snakes this year. All of the marinas are having the same problem. Cautiously check your boat prior to every outing. We always have one laying in the motorwell of DIVE 1 when we check the boat. There is also an increase of snakes at the sandbar.
Jim
rsgwynn1 posted 06-26-2003 07:30 PM ET (US)
Put a box of mothballs down there.
BugsyG posted 06-26-2003 07:37 PM ET (US)
Mothballs' will do it?
Drive 1,
I been to the sand bar 2 times this year and haven't seen any snakes....I shall keep an eye out though!
JAZZ!
davidmassi posted 06-26-2003 09:51 PM ET (US)
I have a 20 pound cat that likes snakes. Want him?
kingfish posted 06-26-2003 10:04 PM ET (US)
A 20 # cat that likes snakes?? I wouldn't want to get anywhere near him!
bulanri posted 06-26-2003 10:29 PM ET (US)
At least in the Lake Erie area the snakes are harmless and good for the environment. They may bite if threatened, but they aren't poisonous.
Duckin Whalers posted 06-27-2003 12:51 AM ET (US)
I almost stepped on a rattlesnake a week ago, at least I was up running around in the hills. I would never live in a place where the damn things crawl into my boat. Every time I see one, I still scream like a little girl. On a related note, I was fishing for Lahotian cutthroats on lake Lenore in my float tube and had to fend off a 4' Bullhead, he must have thought I was an island. My Sage beat the serpent into submission. Good thing Sage guarantees their flyrods for life.
Yes, I was screaming like a little girl and kicking REAL hard the whole time.
newportguy posted 06-27-2003 07:01 AM ET (US)
While we do not have snakes, our worst problem in Nova Scotia is Squirrels... They can really get in your boat and make a mess of the seating and life jackets.
Larry
Whaler Proud posted 06-27-2003 09:07 AM ET (US)
Bugsy:
A lot of the places I shore fish are crawling with water moccasins. The first time one slithers acros your boot can be a bit unnerving but you get used to them. Haven't had any slide up into my boat though.
skred posted 06-27-2003 09:47 AM ET (US)
While not a snake observation - it is a critter observation: I stored my 15CC covered in the woods behind my sister's barn last winter. On my first outing, getting a little feisty, I took a couple waves over the bow. When I went to drain the water by pulling the plug and running the speed up - the drain appeared plugged. I found a couple hickory nut shells blocking the drain. After removing them, it drained for about 20 seconds and plugged again. This went on for 5 minutes. When I got home, I pulled the tunnel cover and discovered the squirrels and/or chipmunks had stashed a lifetime supply of nuts and shells in the tunnel. They filled a 2-quart pail ! I had forgotten to put my mothballs in the boat last fall. (They really DO work, by the way).
Landlocked posted 06-27-2003 10:00 AM ET (US)
There is a commercial snake repellant called "Snake Away" that the manufacurer swears works. I applied it for homeowners that wanted it in a previous life as a Wildlife Damage Control Specialist. The smell and appearance of the stuff is consistant with ground up mothballs. Personally, I have always had my doubts about its effectiveness. In a home situation you are much more likely to control snakes by eliminating the food source (mice/rats) than trying to repell them with a chemical repellant.
To trap snakes, I always used glueboards left around the edge of a garage/room overnight. Pour a little cooking oil on them to release.
In the case of the boat the size of yours I doubt food source is the issue - more likely they are just using it as a platform for sunning/refuge. Since you say the boat is covered, refuge would be the obvious reason. Not sure what to suggest. You can try wrapping some mothballs in a stocking and placing in the tunnel and see if it works for you but I still have my doubts.
My only advice is to realize that there are no poisonous aquatic snakes in the north east so they aren't going to really hurt you other than delivering a nasty bite if you handle them wrong. Water snakes can be rather aggressive when defending themselves.
Another idea would be to fabricate a cover for both ends of the tunnel to use while the boat is moored. That would at least limit their hiding places.
Ll.
rb posted 06-27-2003 10:50 AM ET (US)
Get yourself a couple of 6" nurf balls and use them to block the tunnel openings.
rsgwynn1 posted 06-27-2003 11:10 AM ET (US)
I always dump mothballs under my deer hunting shack at the end of the season and a week or two before it starts. Should work for a Whaler as well. Why else did they call it the "Mothball Fleet"?
hooter posted 06-27-2003 11:19 AM ET (US)
Try skinnin' and eatin' them snakes, the big ones, anyway. cut loose and pull off the back-strap (it's LONG) and fry it up just like catfish. Good eatin', there, Maynard!
timbaho posted 06-27-2003 11:29 AM ET (US)
Shotgun
Whalerdan posted 06-27-2003 12:01 PM ET (US)
The only good snake is a dead one. Blow the boat up! I hate those things (snakes).
Salmon Tub posted 06-27-2003 12:50 PM ET (US)
How do they get in? If they do not fall off trees to get in, they must be climbing in. I never thought that a snake could get a grip on gel coat, but I guess a big snake could reach the gunnel from the trailer. I had a problem with ants once. They got in by climbing up a grass stalk that reached the trailer frame. I solved that by mowing all the grass down. Then I took some grease and smeared it on the axle between the spindle and the spring mounts, about 1/2" wide, not tood deep, but all the way around. The ants could not get around that. Did the same on the trailer jack up front just in case, and on the skeg of the outboard.
The Chesapeake Explorer posted 06-27-2003 09:39 PM ET (US)
Hey at least the birds will not perch on your rails and do you know what to it! I used to keep a couple of rubber snakes in my boat for just that purpose!
jimh posted 06-28-2003 12:46 PM ET (US)
Snakes in your boat? Man, I got 'em hiding in the grass on the website this year, too.

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Author	Topic: Snakes in my Whaler, Help!
BugsyG	posted 06-26-2003 06:54 PM ET (US) I have noticed that there has been a major increase in water snakes this year in great ol' Lake Erie. And after my near 2-week trip in Florida, My father had warned me about snakes in my newly restored Boston Whaler Montauk. I did obey him of this statement by uncovering the boat slowly and making sure. However, when I uncovered part of the transom, I noticed a 2 ft Snake by the battery box. I calmly fished him out with one of my 2 mooring poles. As the beautiful day went on, I washed my JAZZ up and took people out like anyone would do on a calm day. As time drew near to cover her up for the night, I was idling at the marina enterance/exit with my father to take the boat back to the marina. As I was about to hit the throttle, I noticed a 4ft. Snake on the starboard side of the console. After some few suprising choice words for the moment, I, once again, fished him out of the boat My hypothesis: Perhaps the second snake was hiding in the wiring tunnel leading to the engine. My question: How do I rid myself of such annoyances? Any cures for the problem will be greatly appreciated. Thank you kindly, JAZZ!
DIVE 1	posted 06-26-2003 07:00 PM ET (US) BugsyG, You will have to get used to the snakes this year. All of the marinas are having the same problem. Cautiously check your boat prior to every outing. We always have one laying in the motorwell of DIVE 1 when we check the boat. There is also an increase of snakes at the sandbar. Jim
rsgwynn1	posted 06-26-2003 07:30 PM ET (US) Put a box of mothballs down there.
BugsyG	posted 06-26-2003 07:37 PM ET (US) Mothballs' will do it? Drive 1, I been to the sand bar 2 times this year and haven't seen any snakes....I shall keep an eye out though! JAZZ!
davidmassi	posted 06-26-2003 09:51 PM ET (US) I have a 20 pound cat that likes snakes. Want him?
kingfish	posted 06-26-2003 10:04 PM ET (US) A 20 # cat that likes snakes?? I wouldn't want to get anywhere near him!
bulanri	posted 06-26-2003 10:29 PM ET (US) At least in the Lake Erie area the snakes are harmless and good for the environment. They may bite if threatened, but they aren't poisonous.
Duckin Whalers	posted 06-27-2003 12:51 AM ET (US) I almost stepped on a rattlesnake a week ago, at least I was up running around in the hills. I would never live in a place where the damn things crawl into my boat. Every time I see one, I still scream like a little girl. On a related note, I was fishing for Lahotian cutthroats on lake Lenore in my float tube and had to fend off a 4' Bullhead, he must have thought I was an island. My Sage beat the serpent into submission. Good thing Sage guarantees their flyrods for life. Yes, I was screaming like a little girl and kicking REAL hard the whole time.
newportguy	posted 06-27-2003 07:01 AM ET (US) While we do not have snakes, our worst problem in Nova Scotia is Squirrels... They can really get in your boat and make a mess of the seating and life jackets. Larry
Whaler Proud	posted 06-27-2003 09:07 AM ET (US) Bugsy: A lot of the places I shore fish are crawling with water moccasins. The first time one slithers acros your boot can be a bit unnerving but you get used to them. Haven't had any slide up into my boat though.
skred	posted 06-27-2003 09:47 AM ET (US) While not a snake observation - it is a critter observation: I stored my 15CC covered in the woods behind my sister's barn last winter. On my first outing, getting a little feisty, I took a couple waves over the bow. When I went to drain the water by pulling the plug and running the speed up - the drain appeared plugged. I found a couple hickory nut shells blocking the drain. After removing them, it drained for about 20 seconds and plugged again. This went on for 5 minutes. When I got home, I pulled the tunnel cover and discovered the squirrels and/or chipmunks had stashed a lifetime supply of nuts and shells in the tunnel. They filled a 2-quart pail ! I had forgotten to put my mothballs in the boat last fall. (They really DO work, by the way).
Landlocked	posted 06-27-2003 10:00 AM ET (US) There is a commercial snake repellant called "Snake Away" that the manufacurer swears works. I applied it for homeowners that wanted it in a previous life as a Wildlife Damage Control Specialist. The smell and appearance of the stuff is consistant with ground up mothballs. Personally, I have always had my doubts about its effectiveness. In a home situation you are much more likely to control snakes by eliminating the food source (mice/rats) than trying to repell them with a chemical repellant. To trap snakes, I always used glueboards left around the edge of a garage/room overnight. Pour a little cooking oil on them to release. In the case of the boat the size of yours I doubt food source is the issue - more likely they are just using it as a platform for sunning/refuge. Since you say the boat is covered, refuge would be the obvious reason. Not sure what to suggest. You can try wrapping some mothballs in a stocking and placing in the tunnel and see if it works for you but I still have my doubts. My only advice is to realize that there are no poisonous aquatic snakes in the north east so they aren't going to really hurt you other than delivering a nasty bite if you handle them wrong. Water snakes can be rather aggressive when defending themselves. Another idea would be to fabricate a cover for both ends of the tunnel to use while the boat is moored. That would at least limit their hiding places. Ll.
rb	posted 06-27-2003 10:50 AM ET (US) Get yourself a couple of 6" nurf balls and use them to block the tunnel openings.
rsgwynn1	posted 06-27-2003 11:10 AM ET (US) I always dump mothballs under my deer hunting shack at the end of the season and a week or two before it starts. Should work for a Whaler as well. Why else did they call it the "Mothball Fleet"?
hooter	posted 06-27-2003 11:19 AM ET (US) Try skinnin' and eatin' them snakes, the big ones, anyway. cut loose and pull off the back-strap (it's LONG) and fry it up just like catfish. Good eatin', there, Maynard!
timbaho	posted 06-27-2003 11:29 AM ET (US) Shotgun
Whalerdan	posted 06-27-2003 12:01 PM ET (US) The only good snake is a dead one. Blow the boat up! I hate those things (snakes).
Salmon Tub	posted 06-27-2003 12:50 PM ET (US) How do they get in? If they do not fall off trees to get in, they must be climbing in. I never thought that a snake could get a grip on gel coat, but I guess a big snake could reach the gunnel from the trailer. I had a problem with ants once. They got in by climbing up a grass stalk that reached the trailer frame. I solved that by mowing all the grass down. Then I took some grease and smeared it on the axle between the spindle and the spring mounts, about 1/2" wide, not tood deep, but all the way around. The ants could not get around that. Did the same on the trailer jack up front just in case, and on the skeg of the outboard.
The Chesapeake Explorer	posted 06-27-2003 09:39 PM ET (US) Hey at least the birds will not perch on your rails and do you know what to it! I used to keep a couple of rubber snakes in my boat for just that purpose!
jimh	posted 06-28-2003 12:46 PM ET (US) Snakes in your boat? Man, I got 'em hiding in the grass on the website this year, too.