Apparently bees and wasps like to sail :) I had dirt dauber nests at the *bottom* of my mast, I discovered. And also in a place or two up under the deck / hull joint. And bee honeycombs in my trailer taillights.
It appears dirt daubers' range is throughout North America. My boat was in an arid high desert climate the last four years (before it was mine), which is probably where it picked up those nests. Cheers, Randy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis C. via CnC-List" <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> To: "CnClist" <CnC-List@cnc-list.com> Cc: "Dennis" <capt...@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, April 25, 2016 8:46:17 PM Subject: Stus-List Masthead surprise! I was aloft putting a Windex light on Touche' today. I drilled a hole in the side of the mast about 4 inches below the masthead to drop the power cable. When the drill burst through, a lot of dust and dirt came out. A bit of exploring and digging with a screwdriver revealed a bunch of dried mud. Since to my knowledge, nobody has ever buried Touche's mast in the bottom of Lake Pontchartrain, I decided on a different scenario. I guess a bunch of dirt daubers had filled the top 4-5 inches of the mast with mud nests. Had to dig under the hole with Special Tool WCH (wire coat hanger) to clear a path to drop the messenger line. Couldn't help but think about all the racers (including me) who try to minimize weight aloft only to have a bunch of pesky insects negate some of your efforts. :) BTW, we broke the messenger line so we'll give it another try Wednesday. That was a first. Dennis C. Touche' 35-1 #83 Mandeville, LA _______________________________________________ This list is supported by the generous donations of our members. If you like what we do, please help us pay for our costs by donating. All Contributions are greatly appreciated!
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