Rats!
 

Squirrels or some other chewy thing ate one of the cables on my boat.
I fixed it but I am still not happy about it. (Tilt down was broke)
I wrapped the cable in expanded metal and rubber tape where it is
exposed. Let's see those little buggers chew through that ;-)
I am still not sure why they decided that was a good thing to eat. It
wasn't even easy for them to get to.

Rats!
 

On Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 1:27:57 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Squirrels or some other chewy thing ate one of the cables on my boat.
I fixed it but I am still not happy about it. (Tilt down was broke)
I wrapped the cable in expanded metal and rubber tape where it is
exposed. Let's see those little buggers chew through that ;-)
I am still not sure why they decided that was a good thing to eat. It
wasn't even easy for them to get to.

This may seem an oddity, but here at Richland County's Eastfork lake there were several boats sunk back in 'the day' because the muskrats loved to chew on those big rubber gaskets on the OMC Stringer outdrives. I guess they liked to gnaw at them to keep their little teefers sharpened...

Rats!
 

Tim
- show quoted text -
"This may seem an oddity, but here at Richland County's Eastfork lake there were several boats sunk back in 'the day' because the muskrats loved to *chew on those big rubber gaskets on the OMC Stringer outdrives. I guess they liked to gnaw at them to keep their little teefers sharpened..."

,
Funny...I remembered hearing a version of that story years ago. I thought it was the bellows that was chewed causing a sinking.
When I brought it up at the boat show when considering that Bayliner 175 BR, the salesman laughed. Claimed he had never heard that story and assured me that the new bellows on my boat would last 12-14 years. The weather was too bad last week to drive up to the Moncton Boat Show so I'll take a trip over to the dealership on PEI before May. I really want to take a good look at the 180 BR before they deliver my boat.

Rats!
 

On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 14:30:29 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

On Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 1:27:57 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Squirrels or some other chewy thing ate one of the cables on my boat.
I fixed it but I am still not happy about it. (Tilt down was broke)
I wrapped the cable in expanded metal and rubber tape where it is
exposed. Let's see those little buggers chew through that ;-)
I am still not sure why they decided that was a good thing to eat. It
wasn't even easy for them to get to.

This may seem an oddity, but here at Richland County's Eastfork lake there were several boats sunk back in 'the day' because the muskrats loved to chew on those big rubber gaskets on the OMC Stringer outdrives. I guess they liked to gnaw at them to keep their little teefers sharpened...

Guys who keep I/Os in the water here get bitched at and they fight
until their boat sinks ;-)

Rats!
 

On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 14:30:29 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:
- hide quoted text -

On Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 1:27:57 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Squirrels or some other chewy thing ate one of the cables on my boat.
I fixed it but I am still not happy about it. (Tilt down was broke)
I wrapped the cable in expanded metal and rubber tape where it is
exposed. Let's see those little buggers chew through that *;-)
I am still not sure why they decided that was a good thing to eat. It
wasn't even easy for them to get to.

This may seem an oddity, but here at Richland County's Eastfork lake there were several boats sunk back in 'the day' because the muskrats loved to *chew on those big rubber gaskets on the OMC Stringer outdrives. I guess they liked to gnaw at them to keep their little teefers sharpened...

"Guys who keep I/Os in the water here get bitched at and they fight
until their boat sinks *;-)"


My buddy in the Virgin Islands claims that the ocean is saltier down there vs here. I suppose it wouldn't be a real good idea to keep an I/O in the water for any length of time. You'd think low useage in a short season would minimalize the problems up here.

Rats!
 

On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 15:53:11 -0700 (PDT), True North
wrote:

Tim
- show quoted text -
"This may seem an oddity, but here at Richland County's Eastfork lake there were several boats sunk back in 'the day' because the muskrats loved to Â*chew on those big rubber gaskets on the OMC Stringer outdrives. I guess they liked to gnaw at them to keep their little teefers sharpened..."

,
Funny...I remembered hearing a version of that story years ago. I thought it was the bellows that was chewed causing a sinking.
When I brought it up at the boat show when considering that Bayliner 175 BR, the salesman laughed. Claimed he had never heard that story and assured me that the new bellows on my boat would last 12-14 years. The weather was too bad last week to drive up to the Moncton Boat Show so I'll take a trip over to the dealership on PEI
before May. I really want to take a good look at the 180 BR before they deliver my boat.

With no rodent intervention or other calamity, rubber (plastic) parts
probably do last that long up north. The tropics change the rules a
bit.
Lots of stuff that works in a 4 month boating season in cold water
don't do as well in warm water and 12 months of sun.

I am getting pretty good at minimizing my headaches but I am a tad
confused on this rat. He must have got in when I left the console door
open overnight and ate his way out. They usually don't work that hard
to chew their way in. With a dozen neighbors feeding the rats from
their fruit trees, I am getting to be quite a rat wrangler.
I can keep them out of the house and the screen cage but to think they
are not here is simply denial.
I really do like my snakes.

Rats!
 

- show quoted text -
With no rodent intervention or other calamity, rubber (plastic) parts
probably do last that long up north. The tropics change the rules a
bit.
Lots of stuff that works in a 4 month boating season in cold water
don't do as well in warm water and 12 months of sun.

"I am getting pretty good at minimizing my headaches but I am a tad
confused on this rat. He must have got in when I left the console door
open overnight and ate his way out. They usually don't work that hard
to chew their way in. With a dozen neighbors feeding the rats from
their fruit trees, I am getting to be quite a rat wrangler.
I can keep them out of the house and the screen cage but to think they
are not here is simply denial.
I really do like my snakes."


Living in a port city we do see the occasional Norway Rat. In fact one has become especially fond of the bird food that the sparrows toss to the ground from the feeder. Wife just ordered a humane rat trap from Amazon yesterday. We didn't want to take chance on killing the squirrels that come for the peanuts.

Rats!
 

Tim
- show quoted text -
"This may seem an oddity, but here at Richland County's Eastfork lake there were several boats sunk back in 'the day' because the muskrats loved to chew on those big rubber gaskets on the OMC Stringer outdrives. I guess they liked to gnaw at them to keep their little teefers sharpened..."

,
Funny...I remembered hearing a version of that story years ago. I thought it was the bellows that was chewed causing a sinking.
When I brought it up at the boat show when considering that Bayliner 175 BR, the salesman laughed. Claimed he had never heard that story and assured me that the new bellows on my boat would last 12-14 years. The weather was too bad last week to drive up to the Moncton Boat Show so I'll take a trip over to the dealership on PEI before May. I really want to take a good look at the 180 BR before they deliver my boat.
......

You could be right too Don. Maybe both. Lol!

Rats!
 

On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 17:13:21 -0700 (PDT), True North
wrote:


On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 14:30:29 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:
- hide quoted text -

On Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 1:27:57 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Squirrels or some other chewy thing ate one of the cables on my boat.
I fixed it but I am still not happy about it. (Tilt down was broke)
I wrapped the cable in expanded metal and rubber tape where it is
exposed. Let's see those little buggers chew through that Â*;-)
I am still not sure why they decided that was a good thing to eat. It
wasn't even easy for them to get to.

This may seem an oddity, but here at Richland County's Eastfork lake there were several boats sunk back in 'the day' because the muskrats loved to Â*chew on those big rubber gaskets on the OMC Stringer outdrives. I guess they liked to gnaw at them to keep their little teefers sharpened...

"Guys who keep I/Os in the water here get bitched at and they fight
until their boat sinks Â*;-)"


My buddy in the Virgin Islands claims that the ocean is saltier down there vs here. I suppose it wouldn't be a real good idea to keep an I/O in the water for any length of time. You'd think low useage in a short season would minimalize the problems up here.

The popularity of them up there, particularly as trainer boats is a
testament to how well they work in cool places but they are very rare
here unless someone brought one with them.
As for salinity, Here is a satellite picture from Nasa (SAC)-D,
Aquarius.
http://science1.nasa.gov/media/media...3/Salinity.jpg
It will be different when you are close to a place where fresh water
influences it so the shorelines tend to be blue.

I think the warmer water just makes everything more reactive. (first
week High School chemistry stuff)
Something that is salt water resistant in 60-80f water starts going to
hell fast when that water gets more like 80-90. The classic hot dipped
galvanized bolt that outlives the wood up north will rust out in a
decade or so here. I had to stop using HDG hooks to lift my boat
because I was only getting 4 or 5 years out of them. I never had one
break or anything, they just got too rusty to handle.

Rats!
 

On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 19:12:59 -0700 (PDT), True North
wrote:


- show quoted text -
With no rodent intervention or other calamity, rubber (plastic) parts
probably do last that long up north. The tropics change the rules a
bit.
Lots of stuff that works in a 4 month boating season in cold water
don't do as well in warm water and 12 months of sun.

"I am getting pretty good at minimizing my headaches but I am a tad
confused on this rat. He must have got in when I left the console door
open overnight and ate his way out. They usually don't work that hard
to chew their way in. With a dozen neighbors feeding the rats from
their fruit trees, I am getting to be quite a rat wrangler.
I can keep them out of the house and the screen cage but to think they
are not here is simply denial.
I really do like my snakes."


Living in a port city we do see the occasional Norway Rat. In fact one has become especially fond of the bird food that the sparrows toss to the ground from the feeder. Wife just ordered a humane rat trap from Amazon yesterday. We didn't want to take chance on killing the squirrels that come for the peanuts.

These are all roof rats (rattus rattus) AKA fruit rats, black rats,
tree rats or palmetto squirrels if you are not trying to scare the
tourists.

I doubt they are really any more dangerous than gray squirrels in this
environment but they did kill half of Europe several hundred years
ago. They are the rats implicated in the plague and they will make
themselves right at home in your house. They are pretty sneaky and you
might not even notice right away.

I haven't seen a Norway since I left Maryland. We used to see them in
the bird feeders up there quite a bit. One reason why I don't feed
birds.

I have actually had as much luck catching rats in a live trap as any
other method except, maybe a glue trap. Just wash it out well between
rats. They will pee in there with some extra pheromone and alert other
rats that this is a bad spot.