Rat Damage

Bill Gillespie

Bill Gillespie

Member
Apr 20, 2007
222
Danville, CA
Boat Info
2006 44 Sundancer
Engines
Cummins QS5
I have not posted for some time. Rats have invaded the boat. Access was obtained through the space used by the power cord. Anyone know of a product to block this access point. Same for the access hole to the area for tv cable and water hose. Or, any thoughts on how I could make one?

Bill
 
We have a plug that fits the opening, less a very snug slot for the cord.

The previous owner had it made up. It appears to be UHMW or HDPE.
 
Hopefully you caught this early.

At a previous marina, we had a rat problem. They got inside the ER of a boat near us and did some serious damage to the electrical system by knawing on the insulated cables.
 
Stainless Steel and/or bronze wool stops them from coming through holes. and it's pliable enough to fill any shape hole.
 
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Are they crawling aboard via the cables? I assume these work, but have you ever seen large ships with discs (think a big dinner plate) hung in the middle of their tie-off lines? Basically, the line passes right through the disc. Rats could follow the lines from the dock, but can't get past the disc. I would try and do whatever possible to keep them from even reaching your boat - else they might just find another means of entry. I would imagine this might be as easy as cutting a hole in the middle of a 5-gallon pail lid that is the same size as the cord. Then a narrow slit, from the hole to/through the edge of the lid to allow the disc to slip over the cord. Then some means of repairing the slit (going the simple route, could just be duct tape). Lastly, tape a small weight to the edge of the lid so it stays vertical. All that being said, there's probably already a ready-made product for this.

Steel wool will rust quickly and stain the boat - use SS or bronze wool instead.
 
Just make sure that it is stainless steel wool so that it won't rust. I used this in the weep holes of the brick exterior of my home. It stopped the mice, insects, etc. and still allowed drainage for which it was intended.
 
This is what Dennis is speaking of:

8132610297_bbfb857b39_z.jpg
 
Molson said:
This is what Dennis is speaking of:

8132610297_bbfb857b39_z.jpg
Click to expand...
The previous owner of my boat had those on the lines when I first checked out the boat. Had no clue why. Later after I bought the boat I noticed on the POs service records "remove rats". I had missed that when I first reviewed them. Then about 6 month later I finally opened the electrical panel. Behind it laying on all the electrical connections was the skin and bone of a long dead rat.

Now I know why those were on the lines.
 
Back when I was young I rented a place that had rats, real big smart ones. Those rats would have just grabbed the dock lines, pulled the boat over and hopped aboard.:smt043
 
I have to chuckle at the contraptions you guys are posting and asking if the rats are crawling up cables. Have you ever seen a rat jump? Also, to presume they are getting in the boat through the cable hole and the rest of the boat is rat proof is just as funny. A rat can get through a quarter sized hole or a crack less than an inch wide. Got any AC duct work on your bridge? You should see the crack between my sliding door and helm. No rats yet, even though they are regularly seen on the dock, because I think like a rat and look at every crack as an entry point.
 
JV II said:
I have to chuckle at the contraptions you guys are posting and asking if the rats are crawling up cables. Have you ever seen a rat jump? Also, to presume they are getting in the boat through the cable hole and the rest of the boat is rat proof is just as funny. A rat can get through a quarter sized hole or a crack less than an inch wide. Got any AC duct work on your bridge? You should see the crack between my sliding door and helm. No rats yet, even though they are regularly seen on the dock, because I think like a rat and look at every crack as an entry point.
Click to expand...
Hanging around a more affluent neighborhood maybe your rats are fatter and can't get in.:lol:

How do rats fit through small holes if they have a solid skeleton? Rats can fit through some surprisingly small holes, but it isn't because their bones are soft or come apart. Rats can fit through small holes because their bodies are long, flexible and cylindrical in shape. They are burrowing animals that spend their lives running down tunnels and through tight spaces.
Rats determine whether they can fit through a hole using their whiskers. A fleeing rat makes this judgment very quickly, by just poking its nose into a hole and dashing through if it is large enough, and darting on to another one if necessary.
Note that an overweight rat has different proportions from a healthy one: overweight rats tend to put on fat around their abdomens, leading to a large girth and an inability to fit through holes as small as those a healthy rat could fit through.

Can rats really fit through a hole the size of a quarter? Small rats can, large rats cannot.
A quarter is just under an inch in diameter (0.96 inches). Not all rats can fit through a hole the size of a quarter. Large rats and overweight rats are too big. But some rats are small enough to fit through -- especially juvenile rats.
The smallest diameter hole a small rat might fit through is an important consideration when rat-proofing an outdoor structure against wild rats, and when choosing a cage which will house baby rats. Generally, wire mesh with 1" x 1" holes is considered too large a spacing for young rats, while 1" x 1/2" and smaller dimensions are narrow enough to keep even the smallest rats inside. For rat-proofing an outdoor enclosure the recommendation is usually 1/2" x 1/2" mesh or smaller.
 
See what happens when you change slips Bill? Scott told me about this when I was slumming at Willow Berm Saturday night. Although we don't have this sort of issue at Perry's, I have been known to just stuff a rag in the openings. Even if one were to get into my transom locker, there would be no way to get into the bilge. Good luck and let me know if you need any help if the "pro" doesn't resolve your issue! Don't forget about Grindstone Joe's in April... Scott & Kelly may come.
 
I will wait for one week before I declare victory. As Humph indicated, one of our Sea Ray Club members is a 20 year professional in vermin control. He thinks we have eliminated the invaders, one dead resident that I got and a roamer that is probably checking all of the boats in the area. On our boats there are two spots that make our boat vulnerable, the large hole that leads to the storage locker in the stern and the cable in/out area which is more than adequate for roof rats (the issue on our marina). Roof rats can do a 4 foot vertical jump from dock to boat and home again. Once through the cable access point he is sitting on the waste tank and he has free access to the entire engine area and more cabin areas than you want to know. Good news: according the expert this is a winter issue. Answer, plug up the holes. One of the previous respondents has plugs that were made by the previous owner. Can you provide more information. Humph, should we get our heads together for out boats?
 
Absolutely! Let me know when you're down next and we can barnstorm over a beverage!
 
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