Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Over the winter some critters got into the pontoon and made a nest out of a seat. Looks like a cat (that the owner has many of around the storage sheds/barns to keep the mice away...) followed it in and did some damage of it's own, namely piles of $hit on the floor and on the seat.

I got most of the big pieces of foam picked up, and will vacuum up the rest of the dry stuff. What type of cleaner do you think would be best on the carpet and on the seats to get rid of smell/stains? I do have a pressure washer. Would it be best to let cleaner sit and soak then wash it off, or add the cleaner to the compartment on the washer that puts it out with the water?

Is it safe to pressure wash the seats, at a lower pressure?

My insurance agent is looking at our coverage today to see if the re upholstery would be covered, hope so otherwise it's going to be about $1000.00

In case anyone wonders, the guy we stored it with said he would do it free next year. I'm sure the form I signed in the fall took any liability out of his hands so that's really the best I can hope for on that front. Next time I think we'll pay to get it shrink wrapped somewhere first then bring it to him to store. The mothballs and cats don't seem to do the trick...

20150515_204127 by Casey Paulson, on Flickr

20150515_204146 by Casey Paulson, on Flickr

I'm betting that was a raccoon, especially if there was poo on a seat. They can really wreak havoc on things. Poison is the only thing that keeps them from destroying barns & alfalfa in our area

ToonGuy wrote:I'm betting that was a raccoon, especially if there was poo on a seat. They can really wreak havoc on things. Poison is the only thing that keeps them from destroying barns & alfalfa in our area

I can't believe I didn't think of that! The poop was about the right size, similar to cat. Saw some white hairs 2-4 inches long, suppose that could fit a 'coon. Do mothballs affect racoons at all? Didn't seem to faze it...

That sucks! Coon for sure! I hope its covered.Not as bad as this one though....


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curtiscapk wrote:That sucks! Coon for sure! I hope its covered.Not as bad as this one though....


viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2199&hilit=beemer

Holy smokes that's bad! I'm hoping our carpet isn't trashed, anyone have a good product they think would do the trick for a good cleaning?

The Dollar Store, LA's awesome cleaner. we use the purple one for carpet.

They make "raccoon repellent" garbage bags. They smell like mint...and maybe some menthol or something. That's all we use on the boat.

I've heard that a 50/50 cocktail of Mt. Dew and anti freeze takes care of them...

ToonGuy wrote:I've heard that a 50/50 cocktail of Mt. Dew and anti freeze takes care of them...

Yes, you freeze it in liquid nitrogen, into the shape of an arrow, and shoot it from a crossbow.

I would be rereading your storage contract regarding damages incurred while stored just to be sure. If it happens once, it is possible something else can happen and you will be in the same situation. I would not store my boat there if damages occurred and repairs are my responsibility. Too costly in the long run and not worth whatever you are saving in storage fees.

Man!, I sorry to see and hear of that.


What is almost fool proof is a live trap and a twenty two pistol!

Did I mention the sardines or the dog food?

Man I hate to see that happened to your boat... a few years back my neighbor had his boat completely covered in his back yard for the winter... the next spring he noticed a big hole in the back of his cover and sure enough, it looked like yours... Plus the racoon(s) or squirrels also did a lot of damage not to just the seats, but his boats electrical system... they chewed the hell out most of his wiring...

It's no worse than what happens at some of our boat ramps.

Vultures just love the taste of rubber surrounding windshields on pickup trucks. They're landing on truck hoods and tops and eating the rubber. They're also scratching the paint terribly. The comprehensive insurance claims are very, very expensive to fix the damage. Many bass fishermen are coming home after fishing to find the damages, and they're not very pleased.

I work in insurance and I know for homeowners it matters what caused it. If a cat did it or mice or squirrel there is no coverage for damage. If raccoon there is coverage. So you may want to double check what did the damage.

Peedee, maybe I'm just missing the point, but why would there be coverage if a raccoon did the damage, but not a squirrel... neither are domestic.... Just curious