Bird Crap

[teshannon]

So after delays because of wind and ice I finally got hauled on Monday. When I went down to cover the boat the deck was covered with bird crap. This has been a problem in my marina all summer but with me being the only sailboat left in the water for a couple of weeks there was no other rigging to share the load with(no pun intended). Seems all the Sassafras birds hung out on my boat as their bathroom. I don't know what they eat but something is purple.
Luckily I'm near the boat shed and with the help of a few hoses and a ton of Roll Off I got it all cleaned off. My question is, would it have permanently stained my decks if I left it on over the Winter? How do you guys who stay in the water all year deal with those lovely deposits if the marina shuts the water off for the winter? Just curious.

[Giulietta]

Leave a rubber snake in the deck..Val does that.

In my marina we started by killing the all the Eagles, then all the Hawks, Then all of the pigeons, then the seagulls, we're now well into shooting flyes and bees!!!

[Faster]

I'd be reluctant to leave it there over the winter.... it would have likely stained and it's good you got it off.

We have a similar problem, but it's year round as the boat is always afloat. This past season a bird adopted our radom (on a stern post) and we had a regular pile ofcrap. shells etc in the corner of the cockpit.

Adding a thin wire/line 2-3" above your spreaders will (from shroud to mast to shroud) discourage birds from perching there - I'm thinking of adding one of those (unfortunately ugly) spiky things you see on some buoys to keep them off the radome.

We moved slips recently so seem to have lost that particular tenant for now.

[erps]

Depends on the type of bird and their diet too. Geez, we got nailed one year by a flock of little birds that had been eating berries. It was terrible.

We kept previous boats on a mooring ball for several years and I tried all sorts of things to persuade the birds to go somewhere else. Plastic owls, fishing line strung over the boom, I even set a bunch of mouse traps and tied them down several places on deck but just ended up with rust stains from the mouse traps. I finally won the battle by shrouding the boat in mono-filament gillnet when we left the boat unattended. What a pain. Our kids are using our old mooring now for their boat and have resumed the battle.

[Robby Barlow]

Leaving the crap on all winter is a definite no no, the stuff eats it's way thru car paint so just imagine what it'll do to teak.
If you don't wanna go and clean every week, about the only thing that safes the decks etc is a full boat cover, and you'll probably need a new 1 every year.

[teshannon]

I've noticed the boats with the funny owls in the rigging had no better luck that I did this summer. The birds figure that one out pretty quickly.

[Giulietta]

I'm serious about the rubber snake...tie it to something that moves...they wont come in guaranteed

[teshannon]

Giu,
I will definitely try that, thanks. Maybe up the flag halyard? Maybe I'll even use a real snake for those bastards.

[teshannon]

Giu,
I'm also thinking if the snake doesn't work I may try one of your photobucket photos. Any candidates?

[Giulietta]

Originally Posted by teshannon

Giu,
I'm also thinking if the snake doesn't work I may try one of your photobucket photos. Any candidates?

You can use CD's photo, no need for photoshop...

I mean.....look at this...see what mean?? even if I photoshop YUKKKK



Or if the birds are really stubborn...this would do it..



Just print both and attach somewhere in the boat....

I mean, the one above works even if you leave the photo inside the cabin in drawer...