Snake on a boat

Jun 1, 2004
243
Hunter 26 Lake Pueblo Colorado
Just a heads up. So this is the third time we have come across a rattler on our boat. We anchor out just about every weekend in the summer, and are tied up at the doc the rest of the week. We think they are coming aboard during the night because we have seen a couple out swimming in the bay. This little guy was feisty, and just kept striking.Any suggestions as to how to keep them out. Needless to say the wife is getting a little nervious
 

Attachments

Sep 23, 2009
1,475
O'Day 34-At Last Rock Hall, Md
Maybe some sort of guard on your anchor line. Hope you don't cruise with a pet.
my solution would be to carry a 22 rifle. ...they put their mouths right in front of the barrel. ....and a fiberglass hole repair kit.
 

Ted

.
Jan 26, 2005
1,254
C&C 110 Bay Shore, Long Island, NY
And I thought those green head flys on board were a problem! Not so much now. A mongoose should do the trick but I'm not sure you would want one of them on board either.
 
Feb 20, 2011
7,990
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
Build a snake stick, basically an adjustable loop on a long-ish dowel, and gently remove him.

Prairie rattler?
 

Attachments

Last edited:
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
The same way you keep a lawyer off. (My apologies to those of the legal profession among us, I couldn't resist. :Liar:)

All U Get
 

Phil Herring

Alien
Mar 25, 1997
4,918
- - Bainbridge Island
and gently remove him
I would be gently removing him with an axe.

I guess the first question is, do they swim or is the snake already on the boat when you leave the dock and only showing itself when the day cools down?
 
Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
I would be gently removing him with an axe.

I guess the first question is, do they swim or is the snake already on the boat when you leave the dock and only showing itself when the day cools down?
yes they swim i encountered one in the mouth of the savannah river one year he was about 6 ft long and very busy until the 44 got him and they float too
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Most people only use mouse traps. Remove all sources of food and hang one of those plastic owls from the rigging.
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
Well there you go. If you see a plastic owl on a boat, there are probably snakes, too. :D

Snakes around here only come out in the summer, all week long.

All U Get
 

jwing

.
Jun 5, 2014
503
ODay Mariner Guntersville
Throw mice in neighboring boats. :evil:

Mothballs are effective around the outside of my house, in my garden shed, and in my wood shed. I wouldn't want mothballs in my boat, because I can't stand the smell, either. I've never seen it done, but maybe small small mesh bags, filled with mothballs, and tied to your dock lines might encourage the snakes to stay off your boat.
 

pateco

.
Aug 12, 2014
2,207
Hunter 31 (1983) Pompano Beach FL
Good Luck. I still haven't figured out how to keep these guys off the boat.









 
Aug 2, 2005
1,155
Pearson 33-2 & Typhoon 18 Seneca Lake
Hi pateco, I'm glad you included more than one picture. I thought you were referring to the teenagers!

RE: snakes. Yes, they swim very well. Perhaps enter a scupper? Screening might stop that entry point. I think I would empty and search every space on the boat to be as sure as possible that the snake you saw is the only one aboard.

On the other hand......could be the beginnings of a horror movie.
 

weinie

.
Sep 6, 2010
1,297
Jeanneau 349 port washington, ny
And I thought those green head flys on board were a problem! Not so much now. A mongoose should do the trick but I'm not sure you would want one of them on board either.
I'd take a couple of rattler's over the greenies any day.
 
Jun 21, 2004
2,532
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
Move the boat to a different locale. Sell the boat! And I thought I had a problem with spiders making a home on my pulpits. Man, waking up with a rattler in the cockpit would definitely shake me up!
Doesn't appear that you have a low swim platform. I know they can swim; however, I would never guess that they could climb up the low end of a fiberglass transom.
Agree with others regarding moth balls. Our back yard is adjacent to a wooded area.
We were regularly seeing grass snake, rat snakes, water snakes, king snakes,etc (nothing venomous) during summer months. My wife began placing containers filled with moth balls along the back fence line and i'll be damned--no more snakes. The odor isn't great, but the snakes are gone!
 

rfrye1

.
Jun 15, 2004
589
Hunter H376 San Diego
How about your dock neighbor? Did you do something to make them mad?...... Lol. On a more serious note, perhaps they may gain access via your anchor rode while anchored out. Either way I know after the 2nd snake, my wife would be AWOL. But 3, wow!