Finding a Viper on Anchor Watch

Finding adventure is one reason people go cruising; it’s the surprises that keep it all interesting. James Lane and Dena Hankins had an adventurous morning when they found a five-foot viper had spent the night curled around the bowsprit of their Baba 30 Cetacea while anchored in Puerto Real, Boricua, Puerto Rico. One good rule for sailing is “one hand for you and one hand for the boat,” but this viper looked quite secure with no hands at all. Most cruising wildlife encounters emerge from the depths rather than land or air, but occasionally unusual creatures invite themselves aboard.

In the recent RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race, the crew of the British Army Sailing Association’s Sun Fast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier was 70 miles off Great Britain when an exhausted barn owl thought that the boat looked like a great place for a rest. After a couple of attempts, it finally landed aboard, and the crew was able to provide it with food, water and rest. They called animal rescue ashore, who were able to send out a rescue boat to bring the barn owl back to land.

More common than these offshore wildlife encounters are the wildlife encounters ashore at places like Squid Roe in Cabo — but those are different stories.

James and Dena were eventually able to encourage the viper to go back where it came from. With the help of a boat hook, they were able to help it unravel itself and swim off while they stood watch until it was well out of sight. James noted it was actually a pretty good swimmer. It was one of the more unusual encounters of their more than 20 years of cruising.