frankS Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 This is going to sound a bit strange. My mate for the second time after retrieving my boat from the Foreshore ramp Botany bay has developed a very bad and irritating rash which he has to go to the doctors for. It starts off with just a tingling of the feet then spreads all over his body. He told me he noticed other guys retrieving their boats were very reluctant to getting their feet wet, I thought at the time he was being a bit paranoids and his imagination was running a bit wild . Has anybody else had this happen after getting their feet wet at the ramp, OR any other ramp ?. Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 Hi Frank. Yes it’s common. Google pelican rash or pelican itch. It’s caused by microscopic parasite larvae. I’ve had it a few times from Parsley Bay and Ermington. cheers Zoran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 Sure sounds like "Pelican itch" I never get it, but I have a friend gets it all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xerotao Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 Having used the ramp on anzac day. I didnt get any itches. But i did rinse my legs when rinsing off the boat at the boat wash area Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankS Posted May 18, 2022 Author Share Posted May 18, 2022 Thanks guys. I can't believe after nearly 60 years of fishing from a boat I haven't come across this before. Mostly about 95 percent of the time I would drive boat on and off and only the very rare occasion I would get my feet wet via a winch retrieve. Too old to handle a winch these days so let my co boater do all the hard yakka. Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankS Posted May 18, 2022 Author Share Posted May 18, 2022 38 minutes ago, xerotao said: Having used the ramp on anzac day. I didnt get any itches. But i did rinse my legs when rinsing off the boat at the boat wash area Damn good idea and I will keep this in mind for next time I launch. Thanks. Frank 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmarlin62 Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 I would bet he suffers from sandflies if pelican itch gets him that bad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 1 hour ago, rickmarlin62 said: I would bet he suffers from sandflies if pelican itch gets him that bad I suffer badly from sandflies too...is that another nail in the coffin for any of my boat/kayak ownership aspirations? 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 12 hours ago, xerotao said: Having used the ramp on anzac day. I didnt get any itches. But i did rinse my legs when rinsing off the boat at the boat wash area Rinsing may help but the larvae are only active under certain conditions just like with sandflies - sometimes they’re there at other times not. 10 hours ago, rickmarlin62 said: I would bet he suffers from sandflies if pelican itch gets him that bad As I understand it, the two reactions are related. The bites cause a histamine reaction- so taking a Zyrtec or Other anti-histamine may help (perhaps Donna @mrsswordfisherman can comment). I believe there is also a cumulative effect- once bitten you become more prone 11 hours ago, frankS said:. Too old to handle a winch these days so let my co boater do all the hard yakka. Frank Frank happy to loan you my battery drill gizmo until my new rig arrives. If it turns out my new rig doesn’t need it you can keep it Cheers Zoran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankS Posted May 18, 2022 Author Share Posted May 18, 2022 Zoran. Thanks for the offer of a loan of the devise, I'm sure it would do the job. Next time I take the boat out it will be drive off/on so there will be no need for a winch. I have one of my home made boat catch gismo on the trailer so just drive on till catch holds boat then tilt motor up and driver drives off the ramp. Can retrieve boat in about 2 minutes using this system. and driver doesn't have to get out of car. I turn on nav light once catch has caught to tell driver of car that boat is secure. The catch also acts as the safety chain, although I may install a safety chain just as a back up. Frank 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmarlin62 Posted May 20, 2022 Share Posted May 20, 2022 Little flatty fish waterways that arnt prone to pelican itch spots where water flows are usually ok lake edges with shallows n weed where birds sit are worst 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campr Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 Pelican itch can be extremely painful. Many years ago I got a bad dose fishing the mangroves down at Currawong. I'm tall andI was red and inflamed from half way between my thigh and my knees to my toes and the itch nearly drove me insane. My poor mate is very short and had it just past his nuts and was in so much pain the hospital had to sedate him. We (me) can laugh about it now but he wasn't very impressed. Ron 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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