To encounter Ron "The Weasel" Copperhead, you must find his cabin. Defeating certain monsters in combat will give you progress in finding Ron's cabin. A Red Herring and Red Snapper will never give any progress in finding the cabin. (Needs Spading on how this works)
Sometimes, before defeating Ron, if you don't have a Red Zeppelin ticket in your inventory, you may be thrown overboard after combat, taking damage and preventing any progress you might have made in finding Ron's cabin that combat:
A ticket taker accosts you after the fight. Unable to produce a ticket, you are thrown overboard!
Once you defeat Ron "The Weasel" Copperhead, the zeppelin will stay up in flames. Every round of combat, a chunk of flaming zeppelin will hit you or the enemy, dealing hot damage.
If the chunk hits you:
A chunk of flaming zeppelin falls on you like a ton of hot lead.