[Rhodes22-list] Snakes on a boat

[John Lock]

Snake pics reminds me of the encounter I had early this spring on my 
boat.  Over the winter, leaves tend to blow in from shore and 
accumulate under the cockpit seats.  So when spring arrives I always 
have the chore of cleaning them out.

I had just finished doing that particular chore and went down to the 
boat several days later to take some parts down.  When I stepped into 
the cockpit and the boat rocked, I heard what sounded like leaves 
rustling under the seats again.  I thought "That can't be, I just 
cleaned under there".

So I leaned down to look and found a 3-foot banded water snake curled 
up in the corner.  The "rustling" sounds was him moving around when 
the boat started rocking.  OK, so now the problem becomes how to get 
him out.  Fortunately I had made a snake stick several years ago at 
the old house for removing such critters.  Just a nylon strap looped 
at the end of a stick.

So I fetched that and snagged him around the body and hauled him on 
deck.  He happily flopped back into the water.  Not sure how long 
he'd been in there, coulda been 3-4 days.

Anyway, next day I caught him again!  This time he had just crawled 
across the dock line and was making himself comfortable up on the 
coaming.  That's when I figured out what had happened previously.  He 
was hauling himself out to the sunny spot near the stern to warm up 
in the mornings.  A passing wake must have knocked him into the cockpit before.

Removal was easy this time.  He took off like a... warm 
snake!  Hasn't been back since.

Cheers!

John Lock
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s/v Pandion - '79 Rhodes 22
Lake Sinclair, GA
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