MICE NEVER SLEEPS - but I'll be ready for Tuckerton

[Steve Sanford]

All~

My son and a friend just enjoyed Farm Aid this past weekend. Whilst they were listening to Willie Nelson and Neil Young, I figured I'd better open up the rig and make sure all the gear was in place before I hauled the JAMES CAIRD down to Jersey this coming Friday. I restored her last year - so figured there was little to do.....

It seems that some White-footed Mice enjoyed my new spray dodger - both as a comfortable "hammock" and as food. Thanks to Neil Young, we all know that "Rust never sleeps". Well, mice, too, stay industrious all year.....



They chewed 5 holes through the 1000-denier Coyote Cordura - and left some vivid stains beneath each nest - in the folds of the dodger which was collapsed for the Winter. I have a full canvas cockpit cover but never made the hard cover I like for off-season storage.



The stains were "significant"....



At first blush, I hoped the holes would allow me to save the hem - and the 12 snaps so carefully placed last October. I could maybe just patch the holes - or splice on all new canvas above the hem.



Alas - this meal foiled my Plan B....right on the coaming and between 2 snaps.



Fortunately, I have more canvas and snaps on hand - and a few days to do the work. I'm thinking the new canvas with take me 4 or 5 hours - once I clear off my sewing bench.

The first job was washing and scrubbing the inside of the hull. Round 1 was warm soapy water with bleach. Later, I towed her to the local self-serve car wash for its high-pressure hot soapy mix. Worth the $3, in my opinion. Tomorrow the decks get their final coat of Parker's Marsh Grass.

Note the Model Perfect duckboat sponge and bailing bucket. The former is sawn (band saw) from 4-inch mattress foam. It soaks up its whole volume in water - at least so it seems to me. The bucket is from Tractor Supply. I replace the steel bail with nylon line - to avoid rust. The flat side would be helpful if I ever had to remove an errant sea from inside the JAMES CAIRD.





Happily, the varnished Mahogany shell racks did not attract any rodent incisors!



I finally scrubbed off most of the chalk layout lines on the aft coaming.



Going forward, all vessels with get dosed with one of these repellents prior to storage.



On a different note - as I am up to my elbones in others' gunning rigs these days - I have been using one of my favorite, time-tested products for boat trailers. Pettit no longer sells TRAILERCOAT - but the same product is now available as RUSTLOK. I was told by Pettit's sales rep that there is no difference. I just finished the pint and will break open the quart tomorrow (my local hardware store shook it for me this afternoon). The TRAILERCOAT on my primary duckboat trailer is more than 20 years old. Good stuff for galvanized trailers!



Still plenty of prep before I head south on Friday. I hope to see some of you there!

SJS

 

[MIKE-SID]

Steve, I have nightmares of mice getting into my boats! What a shame them little buggers ruined your work of art.
Tell me more about the trailer coat. You paint over the galvanized? Thanks

 

[Eric Patterson]

Oh man no way! Right before the show. I hope you can get her ready in time and not go sleepless. Time for a little RODENTICIDE!

 

[D. Hinton]

@Steve Sanford
If you buy rodenticide you want to purchase the anti-coagulant kind. Last portion of actual chemical name usually ends in xxxxdione

Stay far far AWAY from Bromethalin or Cholecalciferol baits. If your dog happens to get in them there are no realistic antidotes or treatments and can lead to death.

At least with the -Dione brands there’s antidotes and treatments that can be performed with good expectation of return to normal life function. Just expensive

 

[tod osier]

All~

My son and a friend just enjoyed Farm Aid this past weekend. Whilst they were listening to Willie Nelson and Neil Young, I figured I'd better open up the rig and make sure all the gear was in place before I hauled the JAMES CAIRD down to Jersey this coming Friday. I restored her last year - so figured there was little to do.....

It seems that some White-footed Mice enjoyed my new spray dodger - both as a comfortable "hammock" and as food. Thanks to Neil Young, we all know that "Rust never sleeps". Well, mice, too, stay industrious all year.....

View attachment 58673

They chewed 5 holes through the 1000-denier Coyote Cordura - and left some vivid stains beneath each nest - in the folds of the dodger which was collapsed for the Winter. I have a full canvas cockpit cover but never made the hard cover I like for off-season storage.

View attachment 58674

The stains were "significant"....

View attachment 58675

At first blush, I hoped the holes would allow me to save the hem - and the 12 snaps so carefully placed last October. I could maybe just patch the holes - or splice on all new canvas above the hem.

View attachment 58676

Alas - this meal foiled my Plan B....right on the coaming and between 2 snaps.

View attachment 58677

Fortunately, I have more canvas and snaps on hand - and a few days to do the work. I'm thinking the new canvas with take me 4 or 5 hours - once I clear off my sewing bench.

The first job was washing and scrubbing the inside of the hull. Round 1 was warm soapy water with bleach. Later, I towed her to the local self-serve car wash for its high-pressure hot soapy mix. Worth the $3, in my opinion. Tomorrow the decks get their final coat of Parker's Marsh Grass.

Note the Model Perfect duckboat sponge and bailing bucket. The former is sawn (band saw) from 4-inch mattress foam. It soaks up its whole volume in water - at least so it seems to me. The bucket is from Tractor Supply. I replace the steel bail with nylon line - to avoid rust. The flat side would be helpful if I ever had to remove an errant sea from inside the JAMES CAIRD.



View attachment 58678

Happily, the varnished Mahogany shell racks did not attract any rodent incisors!

View attachment 58680

I finally scrubbed off most of the chalk layout lines on the aft coaming.

View attachment 58681

Going forward, all vessels with get dosed with one of these repellents prior to storage.

View attachment 58679

On a different note - as I am up to my elbones in others' gunning rigs these days - I have been using one of my favorite, time-tested products for boat trailers. Pettit no longer sells TRAILERCOAT - but the same product is now available as RUSTLOK. I was told by Pettit's sales rep that there is no difference. I just finished the pint and will break open the quart tomorrow (my local hardware store shook it for me this afternoon). The TRAILERCOAT on my primary duckboat trailer is more than 20 years old. Good stuff for galvanized trailers!

View attachment 58682

Still plenty of prep before I head south on Friday. I hope to see some of you there!

SJS

That sucks, you may need to up your rodent control routine. If you don't have them already get a couple bucket traps and have them going year round.

 

[Steve Sanford]

Steve, I have nightmares of mice getting into my boats! What a shame them little buggers ruined your work of art.
Tell me more about the trailer coat. You paint over the galvanized? Thanks

Good morning, Mike~

Yes, the TRAILERCOAT (now RUSTLOK) goes right over the galvanized. It cleans it up and gives good protection. It finishes brighter than galvanized but not as shiny as silver paint. I like the clean/cared for look. As I mentioned, it lasts many years. This bow chock bracket was in fairly good shape - so the TrailerCoat was most preventive. As you can probably detect, I generally upgrade all fasteners to stainless as well.



I generally do not use it over bad rust - but the label suggests you can. I have soaked several badly rusted parts - winches, et cetera - in phosphoric acid prior to painting on the TrailerCoat. I always use chip brushes - which I clean in acetone. This coupler was thoroughly rusted on all surfaces. After a 24-hour bath it got a careful coat of TrailerCoat. In this photo, the coupler, support and tongue all have trailer coat.



I actually just used it on a brand new jack stand, too. I wiped it with acetone then brushed it on. (Perhaps I should have scuff-sanded with 220-grit first...) I have yet to find a jackstand that is hot-dipped galvanized. In my experience, it's the only thing that holds up around salt water. In this photo, tongue to left is AFTER, tongue to right is BEFORE (whole tongue has since been painted). The new jackstand was painted - and has s/s bolts and nylocks.



One of my pet peeves is "one-size-fits-all). So, I cut and ground - and the painted - these "cleats" for the jackstand.



Hope this helps!

SJS

 

[Steve Sanford]

That sucks, you may need to up your rodent control routine. If you don't have them already get a couple bucket traps and have them going year round.

Gents~

My plan now is to avoid depopulating Pencil Brook Farm of its rodents - even though my gardener (Susan) would be much happier without woodchucks, chipmunks, voles, moles..... Instead, I invoke "duer diligence" and make a hard storage cover as I did for RED-LEG a few years ago. It is 'glass over plywood (mostly) and keeps out all but small insects. And, I will still put the mouse repellent (natural oils) inside for the belt-and-suspenders approach.



All the best,

SJS

 

[tod osier]

Gents~

My plan now is to avoid depopulating Pencil Brook Farm of its rodents - even though my gardener (Susan) would be much happier without woodchucks, chipmunks, voles, moles..... Instead, I invoke "duer diligence" and make a hard storage cover as I did for RED-LEG a few years ago. It is 'glass over plywood (mostly) and keeps out all but small insects. And, I will still put the mouse repellent (natural oils) inside for the belt-and-suspenders approach.

View attachment 58704

All the best,

SJS

Admirable gesture, you are a better man than I.

I have a zero tolerance policy for rodents. If it can be trapped or shot, I'll do my best to kill them - all.

 

[roy brewington]

Put up an owl house and let them help you with your rodent problem.

 

[SJ Fairbank]

Admirable gesture, you are a better man than I.

I have a zero tolerance policy for rodents. If it can be trapped or shot, I'll do my best to kill them - all.

Steve must have infinite patience. I leave them alone outdoors as long as they stay out of my stuff. Once they do damage, I let them dance on a glue trap. Not as effective as other methods, but reasonably safe for the dogs.

 

[tod osier]

Steve must have infinite patience. I leave them alone outdoors as long as they stay out of my stuff. Once they do damage, I let them dance on a glue trap. Not as effective as other methods, but reasonably safe for the dogs.

I used to be weak and let them lull me into complacency. I try to minimize poison baits and focus on trapping, but do use poison in specific situations.

Decades ago, I remember feeling bad for a family of pinkies that I threw overboard when I found their nest in the boat made from my spiral bound LIS chart book. I found a family of pinkies a couple years ago in a decoy pocket bag, didn't feel a bit bad with their first swimming lesson. The 20 years between those episodes included multiple instances of piss covered and chewed wires in a truck, boat and multiple trailers.

 

[Eric Patterson]

This dialog is timely. We have observed a terrible stench on random evenings in the house and apparently coming from the crawl space. A skunk evidently found his way under the HVAC ducting and into the crawl space. Animal removal service wants $650 to trap. Before I cut that check I'm trying a HEAVY application of repellent around the HVAC unit and after a few days will seal off the passageway with mortar. Any suggestions for further actions appreciated.

 

[tod osier]

This dialog is timely. We have observed a terrible stench on random evenings in the house and apparently coming from the crawl space. A skunk evidently found his way under the HVAC ducting and into the crawl space. Animal removal service wants $650 to trap. Before I cut that check I'm trying a HEAVY application of repellent around the HVAC unit and after a few days will seal off the passageway with mortar. Any suggestions for further actions appreciated.

Jen caught a skunk in a havahart in the barn this summer in CT when I was in WY. She moved it outside and let it go - easy peasy (or so I'm told).

I've never caught one, but shot several .

 

[SJ Fairbank]

I used to be weak and let them lull me into complacency. I try to minimize poison baits and focus on trapping, but do use poison in specific situations.

Decades ago, I remember feeling bad for a family of pinkies that I threw overboard when I found their nest in the boat made from my spiral bound LIS chart book. I found a family of pinkies a couple years ago in a decoy pocket bag, didn't feel a bit bad with their first swimming lesson. The 20 years between those episodes included multiple instances of piss covered and chewed wires in a truck, boat and multiple trailers.

They are ruinous monsters. They sometimes chew my ice fishing shantys over the summer. One time I put one up when it was -10 and windy. I could stick my head out of the hole they chewed, nice to get some fresh air. That's when rodent gas bombs were lit in the garage. Poured myself a scotch and stood by outside. Smelled like victory.

 

[Eric Patterson]

Tod

What did she do to keep it from spraying as she approached and moved the trap? Blanket over the top maybe?

 

[SJ Fairbank]

This dialog is timely. We have observed a terrible stench on random evenings in the house and apparently coming from the crawl space. A skunk evidently found his way under the HVAC ducting and into the crawl space. Animal removal service wants $650 to trap. Before I cut that check I'm trying a HEAVY application of repellent around the HVAC unit and after a few days will seal off the passageway with mortar. Any suggestions for further actions appreciated.

Like Tod said. Buy a Havahart or similar for $60, bait with tuna or cat food. I would not go easy on the beast, but they can be released. Toss a blanket over the trap first thing when approaching. Shooting them invites a spraying, a swim less so.

 

[Eric Patterson]

Do you think the repellent will get him to relocate on his own?

 

[tod osier]

Tod

What did she do to keep it from spraying as she approached and moved the trap? Blanket over the top maybe?

I think she used a plastic tarp, which would concern me because they make soo much noise, but she did put something over it. I'll check in with her and update if it was something else.

 

[tod osier]

Do you think the repellent will get him to relocate on his own?

You can buy a lot of repellent for $650. Can't hurt.

 

[MIKE-SID]

Good morning, Mike~

Yes, the TRAILERCOAT (now RUSTLOK) goes right over the galvanized. It cleans it up and gives good protection. It finishes brighter than galvanized but not as shiny as silver paint. I like the clean/cared for look. As I mentioned, it lasts many years. This bow chock bracket was in fairly good shape - so the TrailerCoat was most preventive. As you can probably detect, I generally upgrade all fasteners to stainless as well.

View attachment 58696

I generally do not use it over bad rust - but the label suggests you can. I have soaked several badly rusted parts - winches, et cetera - in phosphoric acid prior to painting on the TrailerCoat. I always use chip brushes - which I clean in acetone. This coupler was thoroughly rusted on all surfaces. After a 24-hour bath it got a careful coat of TrailerCoat. In this photo, the coupler, support and tongue all have trailer coat.

View attachment 58697

I actually just used it on a brand new jack stand, too. I wiped it with acetone then brushed it on. (Perhaps I should have scuff-sanded with 220-grit first...) I have yet to find a jackstand that is hot-dipped galvanized. In my experience, it's the only thing that holds up around salt water. In this photo, tongue to left is AFTER, tongue to right is BEFORE (whole tongue has since been painted). The new jackstand was painted - and has s/s bolts and nylocks.

View attachment 58698

One of my pet peeves is "one-size-fits-all). So, I cut and ground - and the painted - these "cleats" for the jackstand.

View attachment 58699

Hope this helps!

SJS

Morning Steve,
As always, great detailed information. Thank you for learning me. I'll be ordering Rustlok this morning. The one size fits all boat jack bracket never bothered me...........until you pointed it out to me. I'll put that on my list of totally unnecessary, necessary things to do before the season gets cold. It does look much better cut to size.
Have a wonderful day
Mike