muskrats sink boat

[GaryNW]

Looks like a slow day on the website---so here we go.

Yep, seems that muskrats crawled into exhaust outlets of 39' Bayliner, ate thru a hose and sank the boat at the dock! The bow pulpit caught on the dock and held the boat at a 45 deg angle. Harbor patrol divers apparently plugged the exhaust and eventually refloated her. Seems that lots of marine policies have exclusions for vermin damage, and they don't mean politicians. So the owner is on his own. Another reason to have the exhaust outlets above the WL!

If you want details including pics check out Seattle YC news.
http://www.seattleyachtclub.org/News

Did I successfully paste the link?

Gary










g

 

[Genesis]

This is actually fairly common on I/O boats, where a "thing" gets up into the bellows area and munches on it. That area leaves a REALLY BIG hole if penetrated.....

I've never heard of it happening on a straight inboard, and it calls into question exactly what sort of exhaust system was involved. While I'm sure a muskrat could eat through a silicone high-temp exhaust hose, on my Hatt he'd have to climb through and up the muffler first, and even if he did, the hose is a good foot or more above the waterline....

 

[Trojan]

I too find it kind of hard to believe. I if it was in there nature to crawl into exhaust pipes. I would think there would be a lot more sunk boats. I find it doubt full. I've heard they will eat out drives boots too. But I wonder on that also. Some people just never change them until they rot. Most don't know to store the boat with the outdrive down. I wonder ,wonder,wonder. Show me the proof. Bill

 

[GaryNW]

Well, I admit that this is the first I have heard of this in all my years. However,
if it is some kind of hoax, there are a lot of conspirators! Just google the subject and check out the hits you get. There was a point in time where you could speak of osmosis and FRP and most folks would think you were nuts.

We currently have sea lions on the Columbia who are climbing their 1200 lb asses over the fish ladders and raising hell with the salmon run. The ladders have been there maybe 50 years, yet this particular sea lion behavior is something new. Its a mistake to underestimate mother nature! The proof you require Trojan, might be muskrats spitting out rubber.

Finally, the (2) typical ways of exhaust thru the transom are vernatube glassed in or some kind of metal penetration bolted on and then the vernatube connected with hose. I'll bet there are a lot of boats with the latter method that have the bottom portion of the tube/hose a bit below the WL.

hey, if it wasn't a slow day, I never would have brought it up... Gary

 

[Genesis]

I've seen a sunk I/O boat where the munch-marks on the bellows were clearly visible and obvious. That definitely wasn't rot......

 

[captddis]

A customer of mine bought a 61 MY a while back. When hauled for survey, the exhausts had SS grates installed in the tube. The boat came down from the Michigan U.P., The capt. said that the muskrats sink boats in the winter so he had these made as the boat was wet stored.

 

[Nonchalant1]

Mine has stainless grates over the exhaust and a circular stainless trim plate to hold it on. I thought it was standard!

Doug Shuman
1978 53MY

 

[ADaily3224]

I don't know about muskrats in salt water but they can be a hazard in fresh. Michigan seems to be having more problems than anywhere else but here in Buffalo it happens too. For a while we had one in our marina, almost every time I would start my boat a glob of seaweed, mud, and zebra mussel shells would fly out of the exhaust. Many of the boats with 6" or larger exhaust have grates installed to prevent entry. A 46 Grand Banks sunk at Michigan City Marina when a muskrat ate the rubber connector hose between two fiberglass sleeves. It happens.

ADaily

 

[Trojan]

I have lived in Michigan almost my entire life.I believe in old age rubber and sun UV rot rubber. Not rubber hungry muskrats. I have seen 2 year old boots with holes from not being stored proper. We have musks rat in our marine with over 600+ boats. Maybe the 39 ran over his house, rat revenge. Maybe someone needed a new boat. Insurance. I think rubber would be hard to swallow along with this whole idea. Bionic muskrats? They do taste good. Bill

 

[GaryNW]

The 39' bayliner was sunk in Portage Bay which is on Lake Union in Seattle and is fresh water. I am sure the owner and his attorney would love to prove that it was not muskrats, as apparently the insurance company is denying coverage because this was caused by a vermin- and excluded in the fine print.
I understand grates or mesh on the outlets are not uncommon for this reason. I'll bet that business will really pick up around here! I found out about this in the May issue of "Yachting Northwest" which is one of those freebee's ya pick up every month at West.
cheers, Gary

 

[SKYCHENEY]

My 53 has grates installed too. I thought it was odd, but I left them in there since they don't cause any problem. Now, after hearing this, it all makes sense. This boat was always wet stored (for 18 years) in the Detroit River. They must have a muskrat problem there too.

FYI, I only use heated indoor storage--on the hard. No muskrats in there!

 

[Trojan]

You guys are probly right.I just have not seen any of it in my 60 years of boating. I do remember when O/Is first came out there was talk of it happening then. But the manufactures were to add something to the rubber to deture the little rats. Its has to be rare or there would be a lot more of it and information on the subject. I don't know of anyone around here with screen on there exhaust. Screens won't keep the Zebra museles out. I would be more concerned about museles growing behind the screen blocking off the exhaust. Bill

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I'm not so sure that the screens are to deter the eating of hoses as they are to keep them from building nests in there and blocking off the water flow.

 

[MikeP]

This is most disturbing....

My only knowledge on this subject came from the Captain and Tenille when they sang "Muskrat Love." I am vexed to find that these creatures are quite different than they were portrayed in the song.

 

[Traveler 45C]

Apparently The Capt. didn’t have any problems with those muskrats…

Mike you crack me up!!!

Greg

 

[MarioG]

"Captain and Tenille" ?

your giving away your age Mike

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Now I know why the previous owner installed screens in the exhaust!

While I was installing a new sink faucet in the midship head on my 53EDMY, I spotted it--an exhaust leak where the rubber exhaust hose connects to the the fiberglass tube. Apparently a muscrat had plugged this exhaust at some time, then the boat was run until the leading edge of the fiberglass tube got so hot that it melted and sagged on the top. This little sag has put soot all over the underside of the head cabinet and while running it spits a little bit of water out. The two clamps on the rubber hose are all rusty from this water leak and now I'm stuck with a "fun" repair. And, of course, my surveyor never found this problem. I just can't believe (well I guess I can) that a serious safety issue like this that could easily sink your boat could be missed.

Anyway, on to my questions:
1) Where should I go for hose and clamps? I think this is 18" hose.
2) What is the best way to fix the fiberglass tube? Cut it off by 2" and reinstall with a longer hose? Refiberglass the top of it?
3) What is the best way to get that hose back on? It seems it would have to slide over the metal (monel?) tube coming out of the ER and then be pulled back over the fiberglass tube. Will the monel elbow in the ER have to come out to do this?
4) Is there any way to get to this to fix it other than that small access in the bottom of the sink cabinet? Or will I have to cut open that cabinet to get to it?

Has anyone done this before? Any advise appreciated. Thanks.

UPDATE: Okay, I called Steve Mcpherson and he found the T-bolt clamps for me. What a knowledgable guy!! What will we do when he retires? Anyway....I think I will try to pull that hose off (slide it forward) and see what that fiberglass pipe looks like. Then I'll decide what to do with it after that.