Please accept my apologies to all of the people who have emailed me with an
interest in this topic.  The response has been waaaaaaay more than I
expected, and it would take a ton of time to respond to everyone
individually.
 
Yesterday I wrote about some of the preliminaries involved in sailing with
ferrets.  Today I would like to tell a bit about how things have actually
worked out.  Do the best you can with sailing terms.  If you aren't yet a
sailor, it may sound like a mystery, but that is a whole book in itself.
 
First of all, there have been NO problems entering other countries with the
ferrets.  In Belize (San Pedro on Ambergris Cay) a customs officer came
aboard and paid almost no attention to the ferrets.  The rest of the
check-in was done in town where I presented their health certificates and
the "permission paper" signed at the Belizian consulate.  No one wanted to
know any more than that.  In Honduras, all of the check-in was done in town
(Coxen Hole on Roatan).  I mentioned that I had two small pets aboard and
started to hand over the papers.  The official said, "I don't need to know
about that." In Guatemala, (Livingson on the Rio Dulce) four officials were
aboard the boat and the ferrets were out in plain sight playing with each
other.  No one asked for papers even though several of the officials played
with the ferrets.  I took this as a sign of complete non-concern and didn't
pursue it further.  I certainly could not guarantee that someone else would
have such an easy time of it, but it just doesn't seem to be a big deal in
these countries.
 
In addition, I flew from Roatan to Miami on TACA to visit a friend.  Again,
I had no problems, either with the airline or with getting the ferrets into
Florida.  Florida did, however, look closely at all of the paperwork.  And I
believe that TACA may have changed their policies about animals in the
meantime.  It would be wise to check well ahead if you plan to fly in or out
of a country.  I will be flying from Guatemala to the States this summer and
know that there is a lot of 'leg work' to do before I will feel comfortable
about it.
 
The airlines are another whole topic.  I have had serious problems with TWA
and United.  Northwest has been great if you are willing to let your kids
travel with the bags.  That sounds hard hearted, but it has worked out very
well for my little guys.  When I return from traveling and settle down, I am
going to see if I can help people on this list organize in a way to educate
the airlines.  They sure need it.
 
Back to the travel.  One of my primary concerns was and still is the heat in
the tropics.  I have an accurate thermometer and don't go by my own senses.
Here are some of the methods used to keep cool.  First of all, a fan blowing
on a damp towel draped over the cage creates a fairly cool environment.  You
just have to balance the direction of the fan so you don't create an
uncomfortable draft.  Another method I have heard of but not tried (because
things on a boat tend to spill) is to use two towels, one damp on top of the
cage and the other as a wick from a container of water, thus keeping both
towels damp.  I have resorted to a spray bottle at times when I felt other
things weren't working.  Here it is necessary to hold the ferrets and do it
gently because nobody likes to be at the end of a squirt bottle.  The best
solution has been the small blue ice that people use to keep their lunches
cool.  I have eight of them in my refrigerator (up against the freezer
plate) and take out two at a time, put them in an old sock and place it
where the ferrets can use it if they want.  Strangely enough, this is
usually under the stove (not when it is in use).  The fuzzies have figured
out that this place is close to the water line and hull of the boat and
remains cool most of the time.  And Dunkin' has gone me one better in
discovering his own spot.  If I leave a bilge board out in the bow of the
boat, he can get into a small area that is dry and separated from the rest
of the bilge.  There is a big metal plate where the mast sits on top of the
cast iron keel.  There are no sharp corners, hidey holes or moving parts.
This also stays close to the water temperature and is one of his favorite
spots.
 
When the boat is at a dock or on the anchor, a big sun shade rigged over
the salon area keeps the inside of the boat much cooler than the
surrounding air.  And leaving the hatches open encourages cool breezes to
circulate through the boat.  The ferrets are kept from wandering with a bug
screen that snaps over the companionway hatch, allowing breeze but not
little ferty wanderings on the deck.
 
I have found that the main problem with heat is that you can NEVER lock the
boat for security reasons when the little guys are aboard.  There is no way
I have figured out that prevents people from getting in and provides the air
circulation needed.  This, at times, necessitates getting another cruiser to
keep a close watch on your boat while you run errrands, go for supplies,
etc.  To some, this may seem like a big pain.  To me, it is just one of the
things that has to be considered.  Having Chubie and Dunkin' with me is
worth the extra planning.
 
This is long enough.  I will finish up tomorrow with some health and medical
stuff.
 
Shirley, Chubie and Dunkin' aboard Chelsea B
[Posted in FML issue 2239]