Unfortunately, into one's life -- and onto one's boat -- some bird poop is going to fall. Whether it's seagulls dropping shellfish, blackbirds depositing mulberry seeds, or swallows lightening the load prior to take-off, birds can make your life and boat miserable. How do you handle this? Have you found a way to keep the birds away from your beloved boat or at least reduce their visits? What products or processes do you use to restore your deck to it's pristine condition? Share your secret with the rest of us sufferers and then take the Quick Quiz on the homepage. (Discussion topic and quiz by Warren Milberg)
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Can you ay free standing spar!
In our neck of the woods the seagulls and comerants are just increadable. The bio-hazards that are created are absolutely depressing. We have been very lucky. we own a Hunter Vision 32 with a free standing spar. Since we have no spreaders the guano does not get spread upon our beutiful boat. I can not say the same for the Beneteau and Catalina in our mooring field. They have even put flags at the spreaders to help. works a little. One thing our yard has done recently is put fine wire on large spikes on the breakwater. This has evicted the seagull union meeting and has helped our neighbors. Thanks Brewers!
In our neck of the woods the seagulls and comerants are just increadable. The bio-hazards that are created are absolutely depressing. We have been very lucky. we own a Hunter Vision 32 with a free standing spar. Since we have no spreaders the guano does not get spread upon our beutiful boat. I can not say the same for the Beneteau and Catalina in our mooring field. They have even put flags at the spreaders to help. works a little. One thing our yard has done recently is put fine wire on large spikes on the breakwater. This has evicted the seagull union meeting and has helped our neighbors. Thanks Brewers!
Argh! Spike This!!!
My neighbor on his Hunter 420 'Take Two' sailed to La Paz, Mexico for three months. With an empty slip next to me and the tallest mast on the finger, the birds came with gusto. After seeing my masthead fly and wind transducer broken away, I had spike strips put on the masthead (after $250 of repairs). They would still come to the spreaders, but I didn't need to rig fishing line above them since it diminished the problem to manageable levels (and Take Two came home). Rick D. PS: Good to see you back, Gary!
My neighbor on his Hunter 420 'Take Two' sailed to La Paz, Mexico for three months. With an empty slip next to me and the tallest mast on the finger, the birds came with gusto. After seeing my masthead fly and wind transducer broken away, I had spike strips put on the masthead (after $250 of repairs). They would still come to the spreaders, but I didn't need to rig fishing line above them since it diminished the problem to manageable levels (and Take Two came home). Rick D. PS: Good to see you back, Gary!
Bird-x
"Bird-X". It's like toothpaste, you use a caulking gun to apply it to the top of the mast,spreaders,ect. Jack
"Bird-X". It's like toothpaste, you use a caulking gun to apply it to the top of the mast,spreaders,ect. Jack
Predators
Ospreys began nesting on one of the marker beacons to our harbor this year, and the Cormorants decided the fishing was better elsewhere. This held up until the Osprey nest was either cleared off by the Coast Guard, or blew away with the arrival of a 40 knot frontal system in late September, and the Ospreys left. Maybe someone from the local Audubon Society can hook you up with some Osprey eggs.
Ospreys began nesting on one of the marker beacons to our harbor this year, and the Cormorants decided the fishing was better elsewhere. This held up until the Osprey nest was either cleared off by the Coast Guard, or blew away with the arrival of a 40 knot frontal system in late September, and the Ospreys left. Maybe someone from the local Audubon Society can hook you up with some Osprey eggs.
Owl Guard
We have what seem to be 50 Pound Blackbirds. The crap you can hose off but the broken transducer feathers and bent windex cost money. So far I have been lucky and I give credit to my owl which I tie to the boom. I think it also helps to have a power boat repair operation nearby as noise seems to drive them away.
We have what seem to be 50 Pound Blackbirds. The crap you can hose off but the broken transducer feathers and bent windex cost money. So far I have been lucky and I give credit to my owl which I tie to the boom. I think it also helps to have a power boat repair operation nearby as noise seems to drive them away.
Spike strips and Bird-X
Rick and Jack - Tell us more about the spike strips and Bird-X (i.e. source and how to apply). We have tons of "crappy" birds in Lake Union... I've used fishing line on spreaders but still need to hose the deck weekly to remove the offending "berry mix". Ah, nature.... Trevor
Rick and Jack - Tell us more about the spike strips and Bird-X (i.e. source and how to apply). We have tons of "crappy" birds in Lake Union... I've used fishing line on spreaders but still need to hose the deck weekly to remove the offending "berry mix". Ah, nature.... Trevor
Oh, this is great!!!
You gotta ask Rick Webb on this one, he's got the ansewrs on this!!!!!!!!! Shotgun, M-16, cyanide, whatever!!!
You gotta ask Rick Webb on this one, he's got the ansewrs on this!!!!!!!!! Shotgun, M-16, cyanide, whatever!!!
Bird-X
Something changed in my marina and we got an osprey or two on our top spreaders. They stay away from the masthead because of all of the stuff there (tv ant, cell ant, windex, wind machine, lighting protection, anchor light, etc.) Hanging things from the rigging really didn't help. I got 10 feet of Bird-X spikes (google for website) and applied with liquid nails to the top spreaders. The lower spreaders got monofilament fishing line. Completely cured the problem. The birds moved to someother boat. Problem - Bird-X strips are fairly expensive. They work so good that I was all bloody from installing them. (Reaching into the rigging bag to get them while up the mast.)
Something changed in my marina and we got an osprey or two on our top spreaders. They stay away from the masthead because of all of the stuff there (tv ant, cell ant, windex, wind machine, lighting protection, anchor light, etc.) Hanging things from the rigging really didn't help. I got 10 feet of Bird-X spikes (google for website) and applied with liquid nails to the top spreaders. The lower spreaders got monofilament fishing line. Completely cured the problem. The birds moved to someother boat. Problem - Bird-X strips are fairly expensive. They work so good that I was all bloody from installing them. (Reaching into the rigging bag to get them while up the mast.)
Old CDs Work
No, not the one's that earn interest. Use some old compact discs and string them along a light line were the problem exists. The reflected light from the sun, combined with their erractic movement, seems to really bother the birds. It's cheap enough so give it a try.
No, not the one's that earn interest. Use some old compact discs and string them along a light line were the problem exists. The reflected light from the sun, combined with their erractic movement, seems to really bother the birds. It's cheap enough so give it a try.
Another cheap thing to try.
My wife came up with this. She bought 1/4" wide nylon seam tape of diferent colors from the sewing notions department and cut it into 2-1/2' to 3' lengths. She tied the lengths to plastic clothes pins (2 lengths per clothes pin). We hang these all over the boat as high up as we can reach from the deck. The tape blows and flutters in the slighest breeze. It is not totally bird proof but it is inexpensive and has proven to be more effective than anything else we have tried.
My wife came up with this. She bought 1/4" wide nylon seam tape of diferent colors from the sewing notions department and cut it into 2-1/2' to 3' lengths. She tied the lengths to plastic clothes pins (2 lengths per clothes pin). We hang these all over the boat as high up as we can reach from the deck. The tape blows and flutters in the slighest breeze. It is not totally bird proof but it is inexpensive and has proven to be more effective than anything else we have tried.
Cover the boat
with two "Too tuff" tarps sold by Humphrey's of Philadelphia. In addition to confounding the birds, the tarps preserve the finish.
with two "Too tuff" tarps sold by Humphrey's of Philadelphia. In addition to confounding the birds, the tarps preserve the finish.
Dead birds
At my marina the wires across the spreaders is mandatory to keeping the poop off the deck, an additional thread with cd's across the boom helps too. Alka-Seltzer inbedded in bread will cause sea gulls to explode, a sling shot with hard candy hurts the birds but doesn't break something when it lands.
At my marina the wires across the spreaders is mandatory to keeping the poop off the deck, an additional thread with cd's across the boom helps too. Alka-Seltzer inbedded in bread will cause sea gulls to explode, a sling shot with hard candy hurts the birds but doesn't break something when it lands.
make an example of one
I think this only works for crows, but theirs seems to be the worst... execute one and hang it by the feet on a pole (I used bamboo)over the water (not the boat!). No more crows! And it lasts about a year.
I think this only works for crows, but theirs seems to be the worst... execute one and hang it by the feet on a pole (I used bamboo)over the water (not the boat!). No more crows! And it lasts about a year.
Boat two slips over uses CDROMS
Doesn't appear to help, when I got to the boat Saturday morning everyone was covered. OWls, Evil eyes, snakes, cdroms. Poop was on everything. Glad they haven't turned off the water yet. Jim S/V Java
Doesn't appear to help, when I got to the boat Saturday morning everyone was covered. OWls, Evil eyes, snakes, cdroms. Poop was on everything. Glad they haven't turned off the water yet. Jim S/V Java
Sorry, but dead birds don't do squat.
Near our marina, there is a big marker where cormorants sits and sun themselves. Last summer, one cormorant got caught on something and died hanging from the top edge. Well, for the rest of the summer, we saw bunches of cormorants still sitting on top with their wings out, and the dead one was still hanging there, slowing turning into bird jerky. Also, how often have you driven by a road kill crow, and see a bunch of other crows walking around and feeding on French fries?
Near our marina, there is a big marker where cormorants sits and sun themselves. Last summer, one cormorant got caught on something and died hanging from the top edge. Well, for the rest of the summer, we saw bunches of cormorants still sitting on top with their wings out, and the dead one was still hanging there, slowing turning into bird jerky. Also, how often have you driven by a road kill crow, and see a bunch of other crows walking around and feeding on French fries?
Bird-X way to go
I have been using Bird-X for several years, and have no complaints. As some had mantioned, it's great on spreaders, if you are hesitant about liquid nails, rigging/electrical tape holds the Bird-X strip in place for atlest 1 season if not 2. It is also great at the top of the mast, just cut it to size an attach. The polycarbmaterial stands up to the sun and UV light realy well. Land on this baby!
I have been using Bird-X for several years, and have no complaints. As some had mantioned, it's great on spreaders, if you are hesitant about liquid nails, rigging/electrical tape holds the Bird-X strip in place for atlest 1 season if not 2. It is also great at the top of the mast, just cut it to size an attach. The polycarbmaterial stands up to the sun and UV light realy well. Land on this baby!
Au contraire, patrick
There are other species which your suggestion works for. It reminds me of Vietnam. The Korean detachment (ROKs) would do the same thing with trouble makers when I was at Phu Cat. The main problem was the smell sometimes made it a little hard to sleep. When I had that problem, I would just concentrate on listening to the 50s for a while and I would doze right off. We did not have much trouble with the real enemy* that is except when the South Vietnamese went on strike, captured our supply trucks, and held the drivers hostage. The Koreans did not get involved in that little three week episode otherwise it would not have gone on for three weeks. * I say "real enemy" advisedly since, as I soon came to discover, the real enemy was actually more prevalant in the US and still is. I am so hoping that they are reading this. It really is a timeless kind of thing. Seems like only yesterday... In conclusion, are you really sure of the source of your problem? I find that getting a little perspective always helps.
There are other species which your suggestion works for. It reminds me of Vietnam. The Korean detachment (ROKs) would do the same thing with trouble makers when I was at Phu Cat. The main problem was the smell sometimes made it a little hard to sleep. When I had that problem, I would just concentrate on listening to the 50s for a while and I would doze right off. We did not have much trouble with the real enemy* that is except when the South Vietnamese went on strike, captured our supply trucks, and held the drivers hostage. The Koreans did not get involved in that little three week episode otherwise it would not have gone on for three weeks. * I say "real enemy" advisedly since, as I soon came to discover, the real enemy was actually more prevalant in the US and still is. I am so hoping that they are reading this. It really is a timeless kind of thing. Seems like only yesterday... In conclusion, are you really sure of the source of your problem? I find that getting a little perspective always helps.
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