what do you use to keep Rats from tightrope waliking your lines ashore

[Artic Warrior]

Hi All,

What have you found is best to keep the wire eating vermin from boarding your boat.
From old bottles or disc type stuff found in the garbage,,,or actual chandlery equipment,,,
The key is I suppose is keeping it on the line in a strong position as ive seen some flop down allowing the little blighter climb over

 

[hartcjhart]

spinning bottle then couple of feet of this
http://cactus-products.com/pigeon-deterrent-cactus
with a cable tie each end
then another spinnig bottle

I intend to use it when I get the boat

 

[1bobt]

Hi All,

What have you found is best to keep the wire eating vermin from boarding your boat.
From old bottles or disc type stuff found in the garbage,,,or actual chandlery equipment,,,
The key is I suppose is keeping it on the line in a strong position as ive seen some flop down allowing the little blighter climb over

A double 12 gauge usually stops them

 

[NornaBiron]

Cats!

 

[NornaBiron]

We have had a rat on board (pre cats), he walked up our shore lines which were well guarded (or so we thought) with drinks bottles spiked with cocktail sticks and huge funnels. He daintily picked a way through the cocktail sticks, pushing them into the bottles as he went. He left of his own accord and came back the next day! Took us nearly a week to catch him. Then we got the cats! No more rats.

 

[KellysEye]

We used water bottles with a hole cut in the bottom threaded on the warp. In Venezuela it didn't stop an Iguana jumping on board.

 

[DreamMachine]

Try buying cheap large funnels, thread your mooring lines through with the pointy end towards the boat, apparently Rats also hate the odour and taste of cayenne, pepper, peppermint or ammonia. Choose your weapon (Peppermint sounds the best to me) then stuff an old sock full and deploy into the funnel, you could just try tieing the sock to the mooring line first to see if you get a bit.

Good luck with operation 'Rat Off '

 

[SamanthaTabs]

Trusty Parsons Jack Russell, I guess cats count too

 

[Artic Warrior]

Cats!

Ahh a cat is a good call,,,we will be having a dog to eat the burglers, and a cat maybe now to chase the rats,,,

 

[Artic Warrior]

We used water bottles with a hole cut in the bottom threaded on the warp. In Venezuela it didn't stop an Iguana jumping on board.

Wow an Iguana,,bet that was slightly unexpected

 

[NornaBiron]

Wow an Iguana,,bet that was slightly unexpected

I'd keep the iguana, it'd eat the mossies!

 

[Carmel2]

After last summer's visit we have bought some of these...............we shall see.

http://www.swi-tec.us/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=50

 

[hartcjhart]

Ahh a cat is a good call,,,we will be having a dog to eat the burglers, and a cat maybe now to chase the rats,,,

Is'nt there a song along those lines

 

[sailorman]

Is'nt there a song along those lines

all you need is a 1d whistle

 

[ganter]

This. Patterdale Terrier Mk II. Though it's a tricky piece of kit to get hold of and can be temperamental to say the least.
That having been said we have NEVER had a problem with anything coming aboard whilst the Patterdale Terrier Mk II is between the boat and the hard.

Can also be used on Customs Officials.


The picture shows recent land trials of a mooring line snubber. The snubber didn't make it.


http://[url=http://postimage.org/]
how do i print screen[/URL]

 

[duncan99210]

Those large saucer like things you use to stand plant pots in. Hole in the centre, thread mooring line through it. They need to be large to deter the little darlings.

 

[RichardS]

http://cactus-products.com/pigeon-deterrent-cactus

I don't think that will stop rats I'm afraid - they're cunning little blighters.

After a rat invasion and attack "with bite" in the middle of the night in Meganisi, we threaded on large PET cola bottles and the rats didn't come back. But maybe they had just bitten enough human flesh for one night!

And if you think I'm joking, think again!

Richard

 

[Steve C Cronin]

This. Patterdale Terrier Mk II. Though it's a tricky piece of kit to get hold of and can be temperamental to say the least.
That having been said we have NEVER had a problem with anything coming aboard whilst the Patterdale Terrier Mk II is between the boat and the hard.

Can also be used on Customs Officials.

The picture shows recent land trials of a mooring line snubber. The snubber didn't make it.


http://[url=http://postimage.org/]
how do i print screen[/URL]

What about Greek New Tax collectors?
We have a pair of dissected plastic anchor shapes mounted on plastic waste pipes. Not a single rat in 13 years. However, I think your MAIN danger is from neighbouring boats who leave food scraps in their cockpits before going ashore and leaving their plank down.

 

[Happydaze]

We purchased plastic dinner size plates from the local supermarket, drilled rope size holes in the middle and then cut from the outside edge to the hole with a hacksaw. This allows them to be fitted after mooring up is finished and kept in position with washing line pegs about 2 feet behind the transom and one slipped on the anchor chain to stop them arriving from the front. I have watched a rat walk up the line to the plate and turn around and walk away again.

 

[NornaBiron]

From personal experience I think that those of you that are using drinks bottles, plastic plates, funnels, plant pot saucers and anchor balls are just lucky. We've seen and used a combination of all those things with little success. One morning in Kapali Bay, Meganisi, every boat (there were 10 of us anchored and tied to the shore) had evidence of a visit from the rats, despite using line protection, except us - our cats kept them at bay.

The best deterrent is probably to make sure that your boat is unattractive to the blighters: no food crumbs accessible, hatches closed etc.