Well, I’ve been on and around boats for more than I care to think about, but I haven’t heard this one.
Yesterday I was a retrieving a wrench that had slipped under the bunk board in the forward vee berth. I noticed something that at first appeared to be a section of braid-reinforced hose. Couldn’t account for that particular hose, then I realized- it was a snake skin. No snake.
I have no idea how long it had been there. It got my attention- about five feet long.
We’re in
Texas, with a fair amount of slithery critters. I’ve never heard, around here at least, of snakes climbing an
anchor chain or boarding via
dock lines. My theory is it came aboard during a haul-out or during a 4 year re-fit. The re-fit was in the yard of a
boat dealer that was adjacent to a pretty overgrown lot. When hauled out, my practice is to remove the 1 inch garboard drain
plug to allow all the accumulated
bilge crude to escape. I’m thinking the critter boarded while hauled out, and found a place to shed its skin.
We’ve never seen signs of mice or anything that would attract a snake, nor anything else that would indicate it’s presence. We’ve been sailing with our beagle for the last couple years, and it seems like her beagle sniffer would have alerted her- and us- if it were still aboard.
Naturally, at various times I’m all over the
water closets,
bilge, stowage areas, etc. and don’t relish the idea of surprising it and scaring the liver out of me. If it were still aboard but dead I think the
odor would have been ferocious. I sprayed for insects a month back with a pretty powerful mix. I’m wondering if a snake would react to that in any way.
I take some comfort in knowing the skin was under my wife’s side of the berth.