Snake on my boat.

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Rgranger;

I grew up on that lake and you probably experienced a black snake. Only venemous snakes at or near the lake are copper heads and rattlers. Never seen any in the water near Smith Mountain or near the dam. A good place they like to go is a gas locker or open locker.

If you are at the coast, water moccosins are an iissue in some places. If in North Carolina, I pack the Judge in the event I see cotton mouths which are really agressive. In fact if you take the water way via the Dismal Swamp, you gotta be careful and look up in the trees to make sure masts clear and no darn snakes.

By the way, when the ribbon was cut to open Hales Ford Bridge, the first thing to cross was the farmer and his mule. This is true as I was there. Take care.

Crazy Dave Condon formely American Marine & Sail Supply, Inc.

 

[Gunni]

I thought the snake was long gone after our mutual scare, but got a second scare when I was dusting overhead in the cellar. I two foot long dried snake skin floated down on me! Boy did I jump. I put in the trash and my Wife saw it.

"Honey, that is our rodent-control system at work, you know rodents spread Hantavirus, very deadly stuff !"

 

[sailcruiser]

I personally would join the heart attack crowd. I was bit by a water moccasin in my early 20s. I can attest they are indeed quite aggressive. I only saw it after the fact. My one big memory of the ER was being criticized for not having the snake with me to show them. What a miserable experience and quite painful. I'm happy to live in an area they don't. I'd probably have a good time with a boat hook. We keep 1 Velcro tied on the cabin top. If it leaves me alone I leave it alone but I do have to resist walking on water to get away. . Sc

 

[RDS2012]

Years ago, my brother and I were out paddling around on a jon boat in a Mississippi bayou one spring day and a cottonmouth tried to get into the boat. We probably spent ten minutes at least trying to keep him out, breaking paddles, etc. He was very aggressive.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I must have been reading the wrong literature ...

I may have been reading a promotional brochure for Oriental, NC. They said moccasins are shy and non-aggressive .

 

[sailcruiser]

I may have been reading a promotional brochure for Oriental, NC. They said moccasins are shy and non-aggressive .

Maybe they train them better in Oriental. They wouldn't stop me from moving back south though. I'd be like Dave and be prepared. I'd love to get to Oriental. ;-) SC

 

[rgranger]

I have a lot of black snakes in my yard and I relocate them under my shed regularly. They keep the field mice out of my shed so... I like having them around. I have also been told they keep the bad snakes away... don't know if that is true but figure it doesn't cost anything to keep them around... I've caught three this Spring already.... and I've never been struck by one, they seem rather gentle. But this one on my boat had a diamond pattern (according to my kids who were on the boat -- I was not that close) ... and I don't recall any of the black snakes I've ever caught having a diamond pattern... but maybe I just didn't pay that close of attention? Anyway, he (she? it?) seemed more afraid of us once we discovered it and fled.... but still it was a bit unsettling.

 

[Merlin Clark]

Rattlers, moccasins and copperheads are heavy snakes when they get big (and have triangular heads) but the coral snake is slim.
We're lucky to only have 4 poisonous snakes, in Costa Rica there are IIRC 27 species of snakes and 19 are poisonous. We used to vacation there and moved down for the better part of a year.
A not so fond memory for my wife was spotting an anaconda swimming in the aquaduct and when it stopped to check her out, she hauled butt out of there. It was about 10' long and I think it was deciding if she was too big for dinner!
Mr. Black Snake probably just wanted to see what was in the cooler. I hear they're fond of Sam Adams.

 

[Merlin Clark]

A young black rat snake has patterns on it's back. http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/black_rat_snake.htm
a moccasin and a rat snake look different but in the heat of battle I don't think it's take time to worry about key ID features!

 

[Dan Johnson]

Hey Benny...

Sounds like you were on the Salt River below the dam. Been there, done that, but 20 plus years ago the "wild life" there wasn't birds and snakes, but more the undressed "bunny" types!

 

[SamLust]

Snakes in the water? I just quit anything to do with water that isn't in my Glenfiddich... Anyone want to buy seven sailboats?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Isn't adding water to GF a blasphemy? I don't even add ice!!!

 

[SamLust]

An eye dropper of quality water in a "dram" brings out the flavors. There was a "value added package" that included a 750 of 18 year old, Glencairn glass, eyedropper and instructions for "nosing". I work for William Grant. They educate us on this stuff. Parties are great; bars set up for all the primary brands, and we're expected to sample and become familiar with the wares. Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Tullamore, Hendrich's, Milagro, Grants, SAILOR JERRY, (made in NEW JERSEY). It's a tough life.

I stilll don't want snakes in my water. I know so little about them they all look deadly dangerous to me. besides, I can't stand the Admiral's screaming in my ear.

 

[DougM]

I live in Virginia during that part of the year when the water here in Michigan gets too hard to sail on. We have the requisite black snakes and copperheads like in the neighborhood. The general consensus is that if there are black snakes around you won't see any Copperheads. They do help keep the rodent population in check.
Still, my personal philosophy is that all snakes regardless of appearance are nine feet long and poisonous.... Fortunately, for most of the time we are in Virginia,the creatures are conveniently denned up and hibernating.

 

[Gunni]

Blacksnakes love to eat copperheads, somewhere i have a pic of one half consumed. When we were kids we used to hunt cotton mouths in the James River tidal swamps. A 22 pistol loaded with rat shot would drop them from an overhanging branch into a catch net (or the boat), because you don't want to lose a nice skin! They were not at all aggressive, but still that was a pretty stupid idea.

 

[kpgraci]

Sounds like a bad movie. I don't even want to think about snakes on a boat. I really don't mind snakes out in the open but I can just imagne all the tight little places a snake could find to hide on a boat - what a nighmare.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Anybody here watch "Call of the Wildman"?

That's LIVE ACTION .... yee yee yee yee ... yee

Sue never misses an episode. I think she has a crush on him.

Gator Boys caught a moccasin on last night's episode (re-run).

 

[rgranger]

Maybe they train them better in Oriental. They wouldn't stop me from moving back south though. I'd be like Dave and be prepared. I'd love to get to Oriental. ;-) SC

Oriental is GREAT! Did a 4 day cruise there last year. I highly recommend a Marina called Whittaker Point Marina. The dock master is a guy named Ashley and his #2 is a guy named Buck. The place is immaculate, nice pool, great prices, easy in and out to the river, courtesy van, huge private bath house, etc. Sail up to the South River and gunkhole there for a few days.

 

[rgranger]

Mr. Black Snake probably just wanted to see what was in the cooler. I hear they're fond of Sam Adams.

Well that was it then.... Next time I'll switch to BPR