Hi: I have tried just about everything and I have just about given up. In August and September the cormorants completely destroy my sailboat. I keep the boat on a mooring in a small harbor in Cape Cod. It is almost impossible to clean all the droppings day in and day out. Here are some of the things I've tried: -I have permanently mounted spikes on the top of the mast. -There are parellel lines above the spreaders. -I've tried: flags around the lifelines, fake snake and owl in the cockpit, a whirlybird on the deck,googly eyes balloon. All of these gizmos were to no avail. I am ready to sell my boat unless someone out there can give me other ideas that have brought him or her success. I love sailing and have done so for 40 years on and off. I hate to abandon ship because of the cormorants. Bril
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Two by four
I read somewhere that a 2 x 4 stud may help. No, not to whack the birds but to fasten to your bow pulpit. Apparently it easier on the birds' feet than the spreaders, rails, deck or anywhere else on board. They will hang out up there rather than on the boat and all the droppings go immediately into the water. It sounds bogus to me but apparently it works. Your only problem may be convincing the local marine patrol that you're not violating any no-discharge laws. Good luck. Peter H23 "Raven"
I read somewhere that a 2 x 4 stud may help. No, not to whack the birds but to fasten to your bow pulpit. Apparently it easier on the birds' feet than the spreaders, rails, deck or anywhere else on board. They will hang out up there rather than on the boat and all the droppings go immediately into the water. It sounds bogus to me but apparently it works. Your only problem may be convincing the local marine patrol that you're not violating any no-discharge laws. Good luck. Peter H23 "Raven"
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Paul Akers
Relocate?
Bril, I know it's asking a lot, but check around other harbors to see if there is a problem there. If there isn't, you may be able to relocate in town. Talk to the local harbormaster(s) to find out if they also experience the problem. I have seen the cormorants on the BB side (Red Brook Harbor), but not in some of the other harbors (Onset). Strange, but there may be some sort of difference in harbors that attract the buggers. They are persistent and certainly growing in numbers. I remember about 30 years ago when it was strange to see a cormorant. Good Luck.
Bril, I know it's asking a lot, but check around other harbors to see if there is a problem there. If there isn't, you may be able to relocate in town. Talk to the local harbormaster(s) to find out if they also experience the problem. I have seen the cormorants on the BB side (Red Brook Harbor), but not in some of the other harbors (Onset). Strange, but there may be some sort of difference in harbors that attract the buggers. They are persistent and certainly growing in numbers. I remember about 30 years ago when it was strange to see a cormorant. Good Luck.
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Dave
Swan at B.I.
Last summer I was at Block Island and there was a beautiful Swan 50+ feet on a mooring next to us. The Cormorants would swoop in and land on the spreaders and start their business. The sail was flaked on the boom without a cover and it was completely covered with Cormorant droppings. The dodger and Bimini were equally effected. Just about every square inch of the deck was covered in droppings as well. Apparently the owner left for a while (days) and I'd hate to see their face when they came back. I would estimate 5 to 10 thousand in damages to the boat. I think the key is the distance between the spreaders and the shrouds. The angle formed by the wire may be too shallow to allow the cormorants to land. They never once landed on my 35. I'd suggest run a line between the spreader tip and the masthead so they cant effectively land in the space. For multiple spreaders do this for each one. dave
Last summer I was at Block Island and there was a beautiful Swan 50+ feet on a mooring next to us. The Cormorants would swoop in and land on the spreaders and start their business. The sail was flaked on the boom without a cover and it was completely covered with Cormorant droppings. The dodger and Bimini were equally effected. Just about every square inch of the deck was covered in droppings as well. Apparently the owner left for a while (days) and I'd hate to see their face when they came back. I would estimate 5 to 10 thousand in damages to the boat. I think the key is the distance between the spreaders and the shrouds. The angle formed by the wire may be too shallow to allow the cormorants to land. They never once landed on my 35. I'd suggest run a line between the spreader tip and the masthead so they cant effectively land in the space. For multiple spreaders do this for each one. dave
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MArk
A fine line
Hey Bril, A local indoor/outdoor restaurant was having problems with gulls landing on tables and badgering customers. They completely solved their problem by extending monofilament fishing line at about 2 foot intervals over the eating area. The gulls don't come anywhere near it anymore. Link below is an example. For more search Yahoo for "gulls monofilament". Cleaner sails _/), (and Happy Mardi Gras) MArk
Hey Bril, A local indoor/outdoor restaurant was having problems with gulls landing on tables and badgering customers. They completely solved their problem by extending monofilament fishing line at about 2 foot intervals over the eating area. The gulls don't come anywhere near it anymore. Link below is an example. For more search Yahoo for "gulls monofilament". Cleaner sails _/), (and Happy Mardi Gras) MArk
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MArk
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Larry W.
birds be gone
Bril; Some skippers use those AOL discs you get in the mail. String them together on a light line, about four feet apart and hoist the center of it to the masthead on a halyard. The twinkling light is supposed to upset the birds vision and they avoid it. Good luck.
Bril; Some skippers use those AOL discs you get in the mail. String them together on a light line, about four feet apart and hoist the center of it to the masthead on a halyard. The twinkling light is supposed to upset the birds vision and they avoid it. Good luck.
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Sean Herron...
12V and 120 Volt ultrasonics...
Hello... You can get these at industrial suppliers, used to keep birds out of warehouses, I have one in our bay door, does not bother my pooch... There are 12V versions, above is a hardwired 120... See http://www.weitech.com/ ... SH.
Hello... You can get these at industrial suppliers, used to keep birds out of warehouses, I have one in our bay door, does not bother my pooch... There are 12V versions, above is a hardwired 120... See http://www.weitech.com/ ... SH.
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Gregg
Here's how I did it......
This past summer was my first as a new owner (290). We have a major problem in Huntington with cormorants - my boat looked like a haz-mat site when I left it for more than a day, and required 2 hours of scrubbing each time I came back to it. Not fun. I tried the AOL disk-on-a-string thing. Didn't do squat. Spikes on the mast head and spreaders helped, but not completely. So I went out and bought enough linear feet of spikes to tie to the boom, bimini frame, arch, and pedestal grab rail, and that did it! For about 70 bucks of material and 10 minutes on each end of my sailing day, the boat is now poop free.
This past summer was my first as a new owner (290). We have a major problem in Huntington with cormorants - my boat looked like a haz-mat site when I left it for more than a day, and required 2 hours of scrubbing each time I came back to it. Not fun. I tried the AOL disk-on-a-string thing. Didn't do squat. Spikes on the mast head and spreaders helped, but not completely. So I went out and bought enough linear feet of spikes to tie to the boom, bimini frame, arch, and pedestal grab rail, and that did it! For about 70 bucks of material and 10 minutes on each end of my sailing day, the boat is now poop free.
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