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Otter problem, help!

16K views 75 replies 35 participants last post by  Audrybass 
#1 ·
I have an otter problem. They love my boat and really like to use my cockpit as a head. This is a recent issue maybe because there has been a high turnover of boats in our marina lately. Their favorite hangout might have moved on so they had to find a new place. What can I do? Never had this problem before. I have some ideas but I would like opinions.
 
#2 ·
buy fox pee. should be available at local agricultural supply house. comes with little bottle that disperses smell or can wet small sponge/cloth and lay on piece of tin foil on sole of cockpit. I put some under where I store canoes on shore of my pond. Had otters or muskrats or who knows. now gone.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I think they are likely coming through the open transom. Not sure. Although these are very healthy, monster sized River Otters. I've seen them on the dock in the early mornings. At first I thought they were dogs until they hissed at me and ran off. Not sure if they could fit in the transom opening.

There is a horizontal stainless bar the runs the length of the opening that bisects the height of the opening. (not shown in photo)

 
#8 ·
put otter food and party favors on your neighbors boat.
the fox urine granules should work. they worked on our power boat that is on bainbridge. they got in while the stern door was off for repair and had a party.
 
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#13 ·
It might be easier to make your boat otter-proof by covering the opening through which they get in. If one of your otters is a dominant male, the fox urine will not deter them one bit. Most likely just make them mad and eager to cover up fox urine with their own scent.
 
#17 ·
Google "ScatMat" or try PetSafe.com. A few harmless but painful electric shocks might do the trick. Be glad you're not in Newport Beach, Ca. dealing with sea lions!
 
#20 ·
We have a scatmat at home, I may try that but I did not think it was water proof.

Plan B, Coyote urine, a lot of coyote's around here, the River Otter may take notice of this. And the Coyote is listed as a natural predator to the River Otter.


Plan C,


Plan D,
 
#18 ·
Boy didn't realize what a sheltered life I have up here in New England. Killer river otters, and angry sea lions . Sorry about suggesting fox pee. Clearly not up to the task. My bad. If anybody has a suggestion about preventing the cormorants from crapping on the boat as they fly over or find no place to land I'd be appreciative. Maybe we can import river otters to eat the cormorant eggs. Nothing as tenacious as bird poop.
.waddu tink
 
#19 ·
...replace copper-based VOC-emitting bottom paint with cormorant
poop?

(see this thread in the gear section:

sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/97863-first-they-took-tbt-now-they-want-paint.html)
 
#21 ·
If you have two otters on board, they would make a nice pair of mukluks for winter sailing.

:)
 
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#24 ·
No detail too small....
 
#25 ·
Are river otters covered under the Marine Mammal Protection Act like their cousins the sea otter? How can you tell the difference between the two? Down here in Cali, people put up plastic mesh barriers to keep the critters out – our problems with unwelcome sea mammal guests go all the way up to thousand pound sea lions.
 
#26 ·
Are river otters covered under the Marine Mammal Protection Act like their cousins the sea otter? How can you tell the difference between the two? Down here in Cali, people put up plastic mesh barriers to keep the critters out - our problems with unwelcome sea mammal guests go all the way up to thousand pound sea lions.
so it's one problem or an otter?
 
#27 ·
My father in law got tired of the river otters getting in his power boat while it was on a mooring here at the island. Someone suggested putting pieces of plywood on the floor with tacks driven through from the bottom so they would land on them and immediately jump out (I know, cruel, it was a different time). Didn't work as planned, the otter got mad and ripped every bit of vinyl in the boat to shreds (thousands in damages, true story).
We've had good luck spraying Simple Green on our mooring lines so they don't crap all over them on the cleats. Best defense is to put plywood up so they can't get in.
 
#28 ·
In Mowat's "Never Cry Wolf", he uses his own urine to carve out
his camp right in the middle of a wolf pack's territory. Might be worth
trying, and the cost is right...
 
#31 ·
If you can manage to wait until fall, Otter season opens on November 1st in Washington. You can rid the marina of pests, be a hero to your fellow boaters, and pad the "cruising kitty" a bit. http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00769/wdfw00769.pdf

Okay, so that probably isn't in your plans. Just an alterntaive!!!

Good luck with your project.
 
#36 ·
I certainly agree that non-lethal means of dealing with these creatures is much preferable, which is why I suggested the use of ScatMats in Post#17. My second post, above, was to disabuse any of the misconception that these animals are cute and cuddly in any respect. They are not. Imagine your wife or child emerging from the companionway in the dark during a night aboard to walk up to the lavatory and inadvertently stepping into the welcoming teeth/claws of an equally surprised, frightened, and accordingly dangerous Otter.
 
#38 ·
Well, it gets worse. Depending on the area and the type of otter, apparently it may be a protected species, which means you can't harass it, you have to abandon the boat and good luck putting in the insurance claim. You'll never be able to use the boat again, unless you get a crew shirt for the critter.
 
#39 ·
In our neck of the woods it seems there is an all out war against them. In a neighboring marina one guy put in electric fence all along the finger pier where his boat is tied. It looks like his boat is inside prison walls. At first we did not know what it was for. Now we know:) I need to get some pics of that and post it, it is quite funny.

I did not hear the familiar click click click of the typical horse fence charger. I was wondering if it was constant voltage. I think the guy is aiming to fry the beasts.
 
#40 ·
One year in the continual battle against these vile beasts someone swore that if you left a bar of Irish Spring soap by your cleats it would keep them away. HA! Dozens of bars of soap on the docks and the otters started crapping all over them too. Our dog loves to chase them off the docks, but one day he's going to go over the side...
 
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