A stowaway!

On Tuesday, we moved to Beau Rivage to meet up with our friends, Alison and Steve. We arrived first after a leisurely sail from Brakey Bay. It was such a lovely day I decided we should scrub the boat. We washed down the deck, scooping water from the Lake. It was hot and sunny. Afterwards, we took a dip in the Lake. The water was even warmer than the day before and felt wonderful. 

I relaxed in the sun on the bow in the afternoon and we waited for our friends to arrive. Jay rolled down the window panel in the middle section of the dodger, above the companionway, so the breeze could flow through the cockpit. 

Later when our friends arrived we took the dingy over to visit on their boat. We returned just at dark, to roll down the sides of the cockpit enclosure to keep the bugs out. As Jay went to roll back up the dodger panel, he found a snake!

He was stretched out between the traveler which is located just on the coach roof ahead of the companionway hatch and the dodger, which covers the hatch. As I had gone down the companionway he was inches from my head, but unseen behind the curled up panel.

Now, I have a phobia of birds, but my dislike of snakes is not far behind. Jay to the rescue. He scooped the snake up in an empty container I grabbed from the recycling. It was dicey for a moment when I thought Jay would actually accidentally usher him below rather than into the container, but soon it was contained. A short dinghy ride to a nearby island rid the boat of our unwelcome stowaway.

We have no idea how it came to be on board. I don't think I scooped it out of the water when washing the deck. I think I would have seen it. I also don't think it was aboard that long, as we walk on the decks all the time and would have seen it.

However, all I could think of for the rest of the night was how close the snake was to the companionway hatch and our cabin. It took everything in me not to completely tear every inch of the boat apart to make sure no other snakes had come aboard. I am keeping a sharp eye out for any other unwelcome visitors, just in case.