Snakes on a boat

[SaltyMetals]

RIP cat !

several years ago my brother was sailing with his boat on Lake Kariba, Zim and was woken by someone on deck. He grabbed something heavy thinking it was a burgler. Turned out to be a lion!


Andrew

[Elie]

Yeah, except that pythons are very lethal even for young humans. In New Brunswick, Canada, a few years ago, A 10ft snake got out of its cage at night and killed two 9 year old boys in the house of the owner of the beast. Il did not tryed to devour the poor kids!: Just killed them both!. Nobody heared a thing.
Once in Abidjan(Ivory Cost), just out of a local restaurant an night a crowd started to try to liberate a fairly large stray dog just attaqued by a 10 feet python. Thing went fast and the python just let go the poor dog. But it was already too late: The dog was dead. Constrictors are very dangerous animals for pets and small humans. I hope you killed the beast!

[Reiheld]

We have engine wells every spring full of overwintering Northern Water Snakes. These fat dark guys are positively known by our NC good ole boys as Water Moccasins. Them’ll gitcha!! (Pointless to explain that these non-venomous critters, while startling, are part of the indigenous cleanup crew, feeding mostly on diseased fish, harmless to people and cats..) And they don’t swim mostly on top of the water, like (venomous) Cottonmouths, but partially submerged. We use a pine cone grabber to relocate them, and then take a hose to their quarters.

[SeaScribe]

Yes, screen all openings.... RIP Fuzzball, the hero cat who sacrificed life for their human.

[flyingnut40]

I still have not read how the OP dispatched the snake????

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by flyingnut40

I still have not read how the OP dispatched the snake????

please and with all the gory details. and did it taste like chikkin as proclaimed...
as for the lion-- heck would make a great boatkat.... i would train it . hahahahaha best security on planet.

[smbdyiam2]

I was in small 12' rowboat northwest Ohio. Cousin Donnie with me. 4' black snake dropped out of tree into boat. Donnie went over side , snake went over side. Donnie was 20'up the bank when he yelled back did you kill it? Nope. He walked home . I don't think he got feet wet.

[skenn_ie]

RIP unfortunate kitty.

[Cbourne200]

Rieheld - not sure of your location (you probably told it), but in my locale (TN as a kid), a water moccasin IS venomous.
Now I live in Fl panhandle. About 3 yrs ago, I found a copperhead on the bow of my boat. I had just been there and needed some tool to do something to forestay. Went below to get said tool, came back and there it was. Not sure if it came out of anchor locker or just up dock line. Being a country boy I tried to catch it, but was unable to pin down his head so he wouldn't bite. Finally wriggled off my boat and into water. Could only watch as he swam across the marina fairway. Never saw another one.

[admikar]

Originally Posted by Ted and Relinda

And people wonder why they should carry a machete on board.
RiP dear Kitty. We are sorry for your loss.

Machete? Forget that, big chainsaw with at least 25in bar!
Texas chainsaw massacre would be child's play. If I don't sink my boat by slashing it open, I would need to sell it to pay for my family psychiatric treatments from watching me go berserk.
Honestly, I have catch quite a few snakes, both non and venomous ones (although, not as dangerous as in rest of the world), but snake that big might present a worthy opponent, even with machete. Most of the snakes will not attack unless in defense, so gently nudging it out with looooong stick would be my preferred action. If it comes after me, then, game is on!
And, sorry for your loss.

[Gavinwr]

Two years ago I found a 2m python in the cockpit when sailing back to Langkawi from Phuket. It hid in a cockpit locker and I thought that I would place it ashore at the next landfall, but it disappeared! I believe that it was placed on the boat by a pissed-off Thai dive-boat skipper in Chalong harbour. His boat dragged anchor in the night and rested up on mine for several hours before he reluctantly came from shore to do something about it.
He was 'scolded' for his attitude by one of the two white female crew on board (I was not there). A mistake, I think. I do not believe that a python would have swum about 1km from the shore on its own. I never knew what happened to it, could never find it or any remains. I presumed it went overboard again when we were at anchor, way north of Langkawi (Rebak). Very unlikely to be the same one.....
Sorry about your cat.

[Luc bulterys]

When we sailed in Brazil and the Guyana’s, we had 3 times a snake on board in less then 3 months, but never a big one like you.
One was curled around the furler, and fell in the water when I went over there. Another time a green tree snake fell from the bimini on my wife, and in the water and swam away.
The most scary one was when on passage from Brazil to French Guyana: One night I was looking for a dead fish in the liferaft-locker when I discovered the snake (and the smelly dead fish). I managed to get the snake in a bucket and kept it well closed till we arrived. We let it free in the jungle of Cayenne ...
Yes, I love snakes, but not on a boat. Still, I would never kill it. Of course, loosing a cat or dog feels really bad. But as someone already suggested: That is what most snakes do. Sorry for your loss though.

[JPA Cate]

A number of posts have been removed due to political content. Please keep comments to the subject of the thread. Political rancor disturbs the politeness of the Forum, offends even apolitical members, at times, and will not be tolerated. The moderators expect you all to follow the community rules.

JPA Cate

[SAColes]

I heard of somebody who had left their cat on the boat in Rebak marina and came back to find a large python on board with the cat inside. Could this be the same python who is making a habit of eating boat cats? In both cases poor pussy cats!!! I sailed past Rebak island in Langkawi several times but never went in. I mostly anchored in Kuah or Telaga and once left the boat in RLYC marina.