Monday, August 26, 2013

Unwanted Guest Aboard - BSR Alert

The night that we returned from Ranguana Cay, we shared lobster with Termite and had a great time!  Of course there is several ways to eat lobster, and there is not a wrong way.  Termite pulled off the tail, and dug out the meat, eating it with in a few minutes, and he was done!  My mom and I take a different approach to lobster or crab, and we have to go through every leg and possible piece to pick out any size morsel that we can find.  Well, in doing this, it makes quite a mess, with butter and lime scattered around!  Obviously we had a good meal on three little lobsters!  We did a modest job of cleaning up, but were tired, so the hosing off can wait until the morning!
 
In the morning I noticed that the bread that was on the counter had been moved, and that there was a large section eaten.  We had the doors closed on the salon, so if some critter came aboard, he didn't come through the doors.  I dismissed it as a one time event, and the next night I left out a piece of bread to see if the critter was still aboard.  Well, the bread was eaten again, so we definitely have some sort of critter living on the boat with us!  This is not a good thing!  (I can hear my wife, Maria Paula screaming all of the way from Arkansas after reading this!) 
So I talked to the guys at the Moorings to see if they have a little mouse trap that I can borrow.  Luckily they had a trap and I went to pick it up, and was really surprised at the size of the trap.  I tried to explain to them that this was just a little mouse, but they said that it would work. 
 
The large rat trap that the Moorings guys let me borrow!
So I drug the trap over the boat and put some peanut butter on the hook, setting the trap.  Now all we had to do is wait until morning!
 
Early this morning about 1:00 am, I heard a large pop!  Of course I knew what this noise was, and instantly ran up into the salon to check the trap!  Yes, we finally had our little stowaway!  I was amazed at the size of it, as it was definitely not a mouse!  I guess I will call it a Belize Swap Rat for a better name.  That is BSR for those techies out there. 
 
BSR (Belize Swap Rat)
 
This morning while I was waiting for the guys from the Moorings to show up and help dispose of my little friend, Termite and Riley come by for their morning walk!  Of course Riley had to torment my little friend for a few minutes, until he knocked over the cage, almost letting Mr. BSR out!  I then took the cage over to the guys to dispose of.  They were all impressed that we actually caught the BSR inside the boat!  It still gives me chills to think that we had this guy running a muck on the boat as we slept! 
 
Moral to this story....always hose down the lobster fest before you go to bed!!!
 
 

5 comments:

  1. You did not like competition, did you, Dale? :-)

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  2. Yes Vadim, I am the only captain of this boat, adios rata!!!

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  3. Here you go! Wish I was there sailing...

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  4. FUN TIMES ON THE BOAT AT LEAST. :)

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  5. You are living the dream Dale. I am envious. You need to get yourself a jack Russell terrier for those BSR's.

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