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Mouse in the house
billjnh	#1  Posted on 05/06/18 - 1:55 PM
Member Posts: 33 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/02/13	Uncovered my new last year montauk 150 and discovered 2 mouse nests in the center console. They got in through the channel that houses steering, electrical, etc under the deck. I flushed out 8 mice using a garden hose. I think i got all of them and flushed out all the nest material, etc.. I checked the nav lights, bilge, etc. and everything works. They did not chew any of the wiring under the console. Obviously i cant see the cable, wites etc. in the channel under the deck. So my question is should i do anythong else to try and verifythere is no chewing damage or just run it? Thanks bill
gchuba	#2  Posted on 05/06/18 - 4:03 PM
Member Posts: 1675 Comments: 0 Joined: 03/31/13	Its a bit of work but pulling wires and a visual inspection about the only remedy I can think of. They may work but if they chewed the insulation from a positive wire and negative wire next to each other, the wires can rub and cause a fire when jiggled underway. I was just given a "parts truck" (exact same model/yr as my 1993 Chevy) from a friend because his engine caught fire from rat/mice gnawing. If it is only an insulation compromise (where the is no loss of the wire itself which could also heat up) you can get some heavy duty heat shrink insulation. I would not put a butte connector in an area where there is no access. Edited by gchuba on 05/07/18 - 6:46 AM
Finnegan	#3  Posted on 05/07/18 - 9:31 AM
Member Posts: 1926 Comments: 16 Joined: 05/02/08	In all whalers, all years, there should never be "loose" individual wires run in the floor tunnel, for the rodent reason and many other reasons. Any wires running into and out of the tunnel should always be Ancor sheathed boat cable, which has the extra protective outer covering. You can see it here: http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/l...TM=/?ref=1
billjnh	#4  Posted on 05/07/18 - 11:21 AM
Member Posts: 33 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/02/13	There are no loose wires in the tunnel.
Finnegan	#5  Posted on 05/07/18 - 10:10 PM
Member Posts: 1926 Comments: 16 Joined: 05/02/08	Then Whaler did it right and you should not have a problem.
EJO	#6  Posted on 05/08/18 - 8:11 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 669 Comments: 6 Joined: 11/25/12	Sorry to hear but you should be OK. Just uncovered my Montauk 150 which had a full cover (engine included) and was in unheated dry storage. No rodent problem. I did clean the boat very well before putting in storage and a couple of sheets of Bounce. Ran her this weekend and all was good. I have tried many different ways to keep rodents out of all my boats offer the years and nothing really works but I always try something like mothballs, dryer sheets, traps, etc. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't. Traps outside seem to be the best solution and nothing that they can use to climb on board. Skipper E-J m/v "Clumsy Cleat" a 2008 Montauk 150
gchuba	#7  Posted on 05/08/18 - 6:46 PM
Member Posts: 1675 Comments: 0 Joined: 03/31/13	Chances are there is no damage but I am a bit conservative when it comes to electrical. I personally would check the wires and connectors, buff out the connections, etc.... It gives you an excuse to give the electrical a once over.
gchuba	#8  Posted on 05/09/18 - 4:27 PM
Member Posts: 1675 Comments: 0 Joined: 03/31/13	Interestingly this thread gave me motivation to wrap up "stripping" my Chevy parts truck still parked in the "north 40" of the driveway (my wife was extremely pleased). It was fire damaged by rats/mice chewing wires/hoses by the engine. I removed the front grill and low and behold a stash of nuts/debri in one of the headlight cavities. It may be worth your while to run an old bunched up sheet through your rigging tunnel to see what you come up with. I know when I cleaned the rigging tunnel in my 1979 22' Revenge the only things I did not find was a dolls head and a snake. It was pretty gruesome in there.
billjnh	#9  Posted on 05/09/18 - 10:00 PM
Member Posts: 33 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/02/13	I ran a stiff hose into the tunnel from ounces the console at varying lengths and flushed it out thoroughly. I did the same from the other end of the tunnel. I saw no evidence of chewed wires at all in the water coming out. I did this for a couple hours.