docs: def connect(self):
          """connect to the various databases, the credientals and settings of which are found in the sherlock settings file
  
          **Return:**
              - ``transientsDbConn`` -- the database hosting the transient source data
              - ``cataloguesDbConn`` -- connection to the database hosting the contextual catalogues the transients are to be crossmatched against
              - ``pmDbConn`` -- connection to the PESSTO Marshall database
  
          See the class docstring for usage
  
          .. todo ::
  
              - update key arguments values and definitions with defaults
              - update return values and definitions
              - update usage examples and text
              - update docstring text
              - check sublime snippet exists
              - clip any useful text to docs mindmap
              - regenerate the docs and check redendering of this docstring
          """
          self.log.debug('starting the ``get`` method')
  
          transientSettings = self.settings[
              "database settings"]["transients"]
          catalogueSettings = self.settings[
              "database settings"]["static catalogues"]
          if "pessto marshall" in self.settings[
                  "database settings"]:
              marshallSettings = self.settings[
                  "database settings"]["pessto marshall"]
          else:
              marshallSettings = False
  
          dbConns = []
          for dbSettings in [transientSettings, catalogueSettings, marshallSettings]:
              port = False
              if dbSettings and dbSettings["tunnel"]:
                  port = self._setup_tunnel(
                      tunnelParameters=dbSettings["tunnel"]
                  )
  
              if dbSettings:
                  # SETUP A DATABASE CONNECTION FOR THE STATIC CATALOGUES
                  host = dbSettings["host"]
                  user = dbSettings["user"]
                  passwd = dbSettings["password"]
                  dbName = dbSettings["db"]
                  thisConn = ms.connect(
                      host=host,
                      user=user,
                      passwd=passwd,
                      db=dbName,
                      port=port,
                      use_unicode=True,
                      charset='utf8',
                      client_flag=ms.constants.CLIENT.MULTI_STATEMENTS,
                      connect_timeout=3600
                  )
                  thisConn.autocommit(True)
                  dbConns.append(thisConn)
              else:
                  dbConns.append(None)
  
          # CREATE A DICTIONARY OF DATABASES
          dbConns = {
              "transients": dbConns[0],
              "catalogues": dbConns[1],
              "marshall": dbConns[2]
          }
  
          dbVersions = {}
          for k, v in dbConns.iteritems():
              if v:
                  sqlQuery = u"""
                      SELECT VERSION() as v;
                  """ % locals()
                  rows = readquery(
                      log=self.log,
                      sqlQuery=sqlQuery,
                      dbConn=v,
                      quiet=False
                  )
                  version = rows[0]['v']
                  dbVersions[k] = version
              else:
                  dbVersions[k] = None
  
          self.log.debug('completed the ``get`` method')
          return dbConns, dbVersions