Your story caused a flashback to age 15 when I read all the "Stainless Steel Rat" sci-fi novels by Harry Harrison. (Hey! It's a really slow Christmas Eve morning.) The hero was a thief who had been caught and recruited as a spy - sort of a 23rd century version of "It Takes a Thief".
The nickname of the high tech thief was based on the premise that, as buildings and technology evolve, the rats get smarter and more capable - until you reach a highly evolved rat that can exist in a world built of stainless steel and glass. Similarly, thieves have to get better and better as technology and security measures get tougher and tougher to overcome, until you get to the ultimate thief. Guess your rat hadn't had a chance to evolve yet. And I guess I probably should add "Rat Guards" to the list of boat projects to do while cruising. Rick Brass Washington, NC -----Original Message----- From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Martin DeYoung Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2012 1:46 AM To: w...@wbryant.com; cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Re: Stus-List boat pests (redux) Back in 1981, hanging around Lahina waiting for the start of the Sauza Cup regatta I spent an hour or so in the middle of the night chasing a rat off our boat. I suspect it crawled up a mooring line. The first sign of trouble was the sound of gnawing from under a bunk. The boat was built out of aluminum (Frers 49, Bravura) and that damn rat was running from compartment to compartment between the ribs. I was armed with a winch handle and wearing only tighty whities. Eventually the rat decided to leave and all aboard could go back to sleep. The next day we added rat guards to the lines. Martin Calypso 1970 C&C 43 _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com