Bird Poop Prevention THAT WORKS

Aug 23, 2020
33
Catalina 310 323 Mamaroneck
My harbor (Mamaroneck, NY) is inundated with cormorants. While they're graceful and beautiful, they love sitting on spreaders and projectile pooping from stem to stern. They also eat fish on the decks, leaving poop and fish guts everywhere. For the first 3 years, I just washed and scrubbed for hours each weekend. I tried lots of things including satchels of bird-repellant chemicals that professionals use (a friend is actually in that business), without successes. For the past two years, this technique has resulted in zero bird poop. Seriously - zero. I use soccer netting to cover the boat so the birds don't have a comfortable spot to land. It take about 20 minutes each time I leave the boat, but it's sure better than 2+ hours scrubbing!

I hope you find it useful:

(1) Spikes on the spreaders - on all the spreaders, so the birds don't sit there. Some people say this is enough. I'll keep putting the netting up as I see other boats with spikes on spreaders and bird poop.
(2) Netting stretched out over the entire boat so birds don't have a place to land. I bought two soccer nets - about 2" x 2" square holes in the nets. One soccer net is about 10' x 10' (for the bow, forward of the mast), and the other is 10' x 20' for aft of the mast. I looked at 'marine netting' but it was outrageously expensive. Netting for soccer goals was reasonably priced (I think I paid like $50 or something like that).

Before leaving the boat, I start at the bow and attach the smaller net to one set of lifelines using carabiners shown in the photos. Whichever side I start on, I just wrap around the lifeline and clip the net to itself without worrying about tension. Once one side it done, I go to the other side and I wrap the netting around the lifelines but this time I pull the net so it's taut enough that a bird cannot land comfortably on it for stability. I test with my hand to ensure that the weight of a bird cannot allow it to touch the deck but it's not so taut that the net itself gives a firm platform. This way, any bird landing on the net is off-balance and flies away. I clip the middle of the aft end of the small net around the mast.

I then put the larger net over the boom, attaching one of the shorter ends to the mast, connecting the front of the large net to the back of the small net around the shrouds. I also wrap the back of the large net around the backstays. I do the same trick with tensioning the larger net. There are some gaps near the shrouds where a bird could land on the deck, but it's not been an issue so far.

After 2 years of having zero (and I mean zero) poop, while watching others around me struggle to keep their boats poop-free, I'm convinced this works.
 

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Jan 1, 2006
7,568
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
They are a pestilence! Looks like you've hit on a solution. Other techniques I've seen have mostly failed as the birds learn how to defeat them.
In our former harbor the birds knew that to get a good spot on the spreaders they had to land there before the boat was even moored. You'd yell at them but they didn't care.
At least they are not seals!
 
Jun 21, 2004
2,874
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
Wow! :yikes: Makes me thankful that I only have to deal with purple martins when they are on location for a few months.
 
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Kermit

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Jul 31, 2010
5,673
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
Only 9 years too late for me.

I ended up hoisting a pig stick and added a line diagonally across the spreaders to discourage ospreys. It seemed to work. The one thing I found that truly caused the issue was the fact that I was happy it was Robert Lang’s boat they were on the first time I saw them and not mine. The lesson I learned was *NEVER* be happy that it’s your friend’s problem and not yours.
IMG_3309.jpeg
 

dmax

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Jul 29, 2018
1,202
Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
I had the same problem with cormorants, nasty mess. The solution I used that finally worked was to attach 5' long pieces of ribbon to a line every 4', hoist that up along-side the forestay (it was the length of the forestay). The ribbon moving around kept them away like a charm. Only takes a couple of minutes to rig. Fortunately, I don't have that problem anymore.
 
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Aug 23, 2020
33
Catalina 310 323 Mamaroneck
I had the same problem with cormorants, nasty mess. The solution I used that finally worked was to attach 5' long pieces of ribbon to a line every 4', hoist that up along-side the forestay (it was the length of the forestay). The ribbon moving around kept them away like a charm. Only takes a couple of minutes to rig. Fortunately, I don't have that problem anymore.
Did that 5' long ribbon up the forestay protect the cockpit area? I can see how it would protect the bow, but not aft of the mast. Glad you found something simple that worked.
 

dmax

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Jul 29, 2018
1,202
Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
No, just in the fore-triangle - the ribbon was shiny and I think all the reflections just made them want to go to someone else's boat.
 
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Likes: dhandzy
Mar 6, 2008
1,338
Catalina 1999 C36 MKII #1787 Coyote Point Marina, CA.
Yes, ribbons work. For the bow I have two lengths on left and right side tied to the bow pulpit back tied to the standing rigging near the mast. And one from the mast starting just above the main cover aft to the end of the boom. No more birds landing on the main cover.
 
Sep 24, 2018
3,401
Catalina 30 MKIII Chicago
We have an issue with birds sitting on the lifelines. I'm thinking a solid piece of fabric to form a tent from the boom to the lifelines would prevent this and more. We've seen a reduction with metallic streamers and fake owls
 

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
23,127
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I hear parking the boat in a garage is a sure thing with a cover. Damn pigeons have found a roost in the barn eaves again.
 

colemj

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Jul 13, 2004
610
Dolphin Catamaran Dolphin 460 Mystic, CT
The only place birds do not sit and poop on our boat is the deck. The spreaders and mast top are the favorite places, followed by the lifelines.

I assume the birds in your area don't rest in those places?

Mark
 
Jul 8, 2025
3
Catalina 22 Rush Creek Yacht Club
Ive never had that problem before but boy we have some ducks that love our our dock. duck poop up and down for days. Thankfully they stay off the boats.