Boat U.S. - March 2009 - (Page 10)

s Scott Rainey, a BoatU.S. member from Virginia, was watching a yard worker power-spray the bottom of his boat prior to winter lay-up, a family of four muskrats hopped out of his boat’s exhaust, and waddled indignantly across the parking lot and jumped into the water. It was quite a surprise for Scott and even more of a surprise for the yard worker, whose face was only inches from the flying rodents. After making sure there were no more Nature's little troublemaker. surprises, Scott peered into the exhaust and found grasses, oyster shells, assorted crab Jane Christen, a marine surveyor in Washington State parts, and—no one can explain this—a Phillips has investigated many claims for boats that have been head screwdriver. He also found a large hole had damaged or even sunk by a lot of different rodents, been chewed in the exhaust just above the waterbut none that are quite as persistent as muskrats. line. Scott has since vowed to visit his boat more The question for anyone who owns a boat near often. muskrats, which is just about everyone, is how do you keep Muskrats usually make their homes by burthem out of your boat’s exhaust? rowing a few feet into marshes and riverJane says that in New England, banks and then building a nesting area just she’s heard that commercial above the waterline. Sound familiar? The fishermen place paint cans over long, dark passage in a boat’s exhaust must the exhausts with lines into the be business as usual for a muskrat, at least cockpit. The lines are used to until someone starts the engine. Just what pull out the cans whenever the goes through their furry little heads when engines are started. Other skipthey hear a loud rumbling and smell smoke pers have devised screens to is anybody’s guess, although it doesn’t appear to fit over exhaust openings. As a more shipshape altercause much concern. native, or when exhausts are hidden beneath swim platforms, Jane recommends “muskrat guards” sold A muskrat living in a boat’s exhaust near Seattle, by Dunato’s (206-547-7852) in Seattle. A muskrat guard Washington, didn’t budge when the owner fired up installs in an exhaust with threaded bars that can be the twin 6-71 diesels, let them idle for 20 minutes, adjusted to hold it firmly in place. At $245 to over $400, and then shoved the throttle forward for a 40-mindepending on the size of your exhaust, they’re pricey ute run to a marina. It wasn’t until the boat was but a lot cheaper than replacing your boat. hauled out ashore that the muskrat, covered with soot, reluctantly dropped to the ground and wadNote: Marine insurance policies typically exclude damdled quickly back to the water. (Muskrats can tolerage caused by “vermin,” which includes muskrats. If a ate noise and soot but they clearly don’t like being muskrat chews through an exhaust hose, the BoatU.S. away from water.) Like its counterpart in Virginia, policy will pay for all consequential damage caused by the muskrat had chewed a hole in the exhaust just the sinking, but not for the damage to the exhaust hose above the waterline, which, given a little more time, itself. If your boat isn’t insured by BoatU.S., check your could easily have sunk the boat. policy language or talk to your underwriter. BoatU.S. Magazine March 2009 A Photos: Jane Christen Muskrat Love . . . Gone Bad

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Boat U.S. - March 2009

Boat U.S. - March 2009 Contents Reader Forum Boat U.S. Reports What’s New In The Brew? The Perfect Paint Job Launch Into Spring Boats Gear Wheels One Mom, Two Teens, No Exit So, Nigel Had This Idea Ice Devices It Was A Club Of Their Own Expanding The Boating Universe Tech Connection A Case Study In Getting Results Let’s All Do This Together Classifieds Member Benefits/At Your Service

Boat U.S. - March 2009

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