Critters on boats...

[Nanoose]

I went out to visit Nanoose today. I just like to go out every so often to make sure she's snug and secure. I did the normal routine. I had a look first to see if anything was amiss...nothing seemed out of place and the lines and fenders seemed fine.

I stepped aboard, slid back the hatch, removed the boards and went below. It smelled a bit but not too bad. I've been having some engine "issues" (possibly a separate post) so I thought I'd give things a try. I opened the raw water intake, checked batteries and fuel then went up to the cockpit. I checked the engine stop lever, made sure it was in neutral, gave it some throttle then hit the start button.

A split second later a very frightened looking otter shot out of one of the cockpit lockers, along the deck and into the water.

I think I did, in fact, scream like a little girl...(and no, the engine didn't start).

Anyone got any sure-fire methods for keeping otters off a boat?

Thanks!

Dave

[Captain Blight]

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/otter-no-bucket.jpg

[JimConlin]

Are you in a place where you'd be allowed to discourage them?

I recollect some very territorial sea lions.

[Thorne]

Try searching the Forum. There was a lively discussion or three on this, much saber...er...gun-rattling but only a few effective methods seem to not involve firearms and alarming other boaters. I've heard of sound-based nuisance devices being used to drive 'em out, but am not sure how the others in the marina would take to it if the sound was at all audible to them or their pets.

[Lew Barrett]

Mothballs it is, Paul. They work, too, but you need to be vigilant. And of course, you need to not mind mothballs. Spread a few along the deck at likely points of entry, and perhaps put some inside. It helps if you crush them before you spread them out. They won't last long outside. The idea is to discourage the critters with the hope they won't come back. But when you run out of mothballs, they usually do.

[Don Kurylko]

Blocking of access to the locker will probably work. Otters are partial to hidey-holes.

[goodbasil]

It sounds like mothballs is the answer. That otter do it.

[emichaels]

Well apparently "scream(ing) like a little girl" works.

[Nanoose]

Thanks for the replies!

The access has been blocked and I'll go get some mothballs today!

Dave

[Dan McCosh]

To deter field mice, we tried aluminum pie plates on the dock lines. Seemed to work.

[Thorne]

http://www.alwaysbrilliant.com/images/fullsize/GL200007189.jpg

Sonic -

http://www.alwaysbrilliant.com/aa/DT-11222008/aspx-products/PID-647/PD-54771/bb/Yard+Gard.htm
http://www.hitecpet.com/sonyarrep1.html

Or Chemical -

http://cache.planetnatural.com/planetnatural/images/large/critter-ridder-large.jpg
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/critter-ridder.html?id=q4h74WHm:71.131.211.254

[dennisbur]

Solar powered electric fence will work too. use the ones that they make to keep dogs out of gardens. Just run the line around the gunwale.

[TerryLL]

When I lived on an island in Alaska we had terrible otter problems. In the garden, under the house, up and down the boardwalks. Every spring a family of coastal brown bears took up residence in the grassy area just in front of the house, and guess what, not an otter to be seen when the bears were around. So I would recommend the brown bear solution. Worked for me.

[outofthenorm]

I hate to bring this up, but it could be your gronicles that are attracting the otters. Are they giving off an odour?

- Norm

[Michael s/v Sannyasin]

The sonic things don't work.

I had a parrot at one time, and a local field mouse had learned that there was premium seed to be had in his bird-cage. The parrot, who could have probably eaten the mouse, was traumatized.

I didn't really want to kill the mouse, I just wanted him to go away. So, I bought one of those sonic things and set it inside of the bird-cage, next to the food dish.

Next morning, I woke up and the field mouse was sitting on the dang thing, filling his mouth full of seed.

If I'd a had a camera, that photo probably would have been worth a few bucks to the manufacturer.

Finally corralled the bugger into a box, drove him way out away from all the housing developments, dropped him off.

[paladin]

Otters like cat food...we had an adopted otter that was raised as a pup when his mom was hit by a power boat.....when it was dinner time he would sit on the porch and make his "Dudn Budn sound" so we named him Evinrude....would follow us to the boat, wait on the docks when we went diving, greet us when we returned and would stick his nose in our bags looking for fish type treats.....

[J. Dillon]

Below excerpted from the liveaboard yarn.

http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61697&page=7

JD

Above from Cinderella's Journal

If you play golf or tennis this is the place to be. We ended the day at a movie at the local theater after a dinner in a Chinese restaurant and ice cream. It was dark when we got back aborad but not quite dark enough for Cinderella’s sharp eyes. She spotted a mouse scampering aboard and going below. A first we thought she was seeing things but sometimes you can’t doubt a woman’s word or in this case demands . She insisted we find that mouse and evict him . Irin and I looked at each other and nodded we had to at least make an effort at this impossible task. We had no mouse traps aboard so we just looked and made a good show of it, knowing in the end we won’t find any mouse . The hour was getting late so finally Cinderella relented and agreed to go aboard so we could all get some sleep as it was early departure once again . Ft Lauderdale non stop.

[AndreasJordahlRhude]

moth balls and/or bounce type dryer sheets apparently discourage varmits.