[bshock]

The end of the boom on my Beneteau 361 does not have a cap on it, and I think it's designed that way. Is it customary to have the end of the boom open? The reason I ask is because I had to stop a couple of swallows from building a nest in my boom this weekend. The previous owner had the rather cheap solution of putting masking tape over the end, but that broke down in the elements and I neglected to apply more tape before I noticed the birds. Fortunately I saw no evidence of eggs yet, so I put duct tape there. There's got to be a better solution though, right? I noticed a number of Catalina 380s in the slips near me with the same problem. Is this just not a big deal that people don't care about?

The boom on my Catalina 25 had it's end capped, so I never had to worry about it.

 

[svHyLyte]

There is an end-cap for your boom end fitting.

Take a look at (click on) Rig-Rite site and there you can find the right one for your spar, which I believe is an Isomat.

FWIW...

 

[safira]

Try to look at the bright side of it ... at least you do not have bats in the boom, sails or belfry.

 

[Ajax_MD]

Plug it with a plastic water/soda bottle until you can obtain the proper cap.

 

[tdw]

Tennis Ball.

 

[paulk]

We had swallows try to build a nest in the MOB buoy tube in our transom. The sole solution: SAIL THE BOAT MORE! They won't come back.

 

[Don L]

. The previous owner had the rather cheap solution of putting masking tape over the end, but that broke down in the elements and I neglected to apply more tape before I noticed the birds.

hey I had to do that on my last boat, you don't have a Cal-39 do you

 

[Dog8It]

A piece of sponge works well for me. Easy to stuff it in, easy to get it out. Plus, it is cheap and easy to replace.

 

[chef2sail]

Bailing sponge

 

[jimjazzdad]

When I purchased my boat, there was a huge bird nest in the middle of the boom, where the bolts for the mainsheet bails pass through. (I guess the PO didn't sail much...) I had to disassemble the boom and hose the nest out. Fortunately there were no occupants. Since that time, when I furl the mainsail, I coil up the reefing lines and stuff the coil in the end of the boom. As others have suggested, a peanut sponge would also work.

 

[bshock]

Thanks All, I like the sponge idea; actually I like the "sail the boat more" solution the best. Alas, I have a long drive to the marina so only get the pleasure of sailing on the weekend.

and don, no, it's not a Cal. My third boat was a Cal, but a 21, not a 39.

 

[svHyLyte]

Bailing sponge

Putting anything in one's boom that would retain water would be unwise.

 

[dvuyxx]

We always get mud wasps in our stack pack and folded main sail in the early spring right before we are about to get launched. They really make a mess. I always loosely raise the main a few times around that time but inevitably I have to hose and scrub the beginnings of their mud houses off before they get too far.

 

[redline]

We use a crumpled wad of aluminum foil in the end of the boom. There's a plastic cap, but still an opening around it. Birds don't peck out the foil.


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[SteveInMD]

A drink coozie fits perfectly for me. Plus it's in easy reach when sailing.

 

[chef2sail]

Putting anything in one's boom that would retain water would be unwise.

Sponge pulls out easily, funny never felt it wet so it must dry quickly, so in fact doesn't retain water. End caps mess up our in boom reefing system

 

[svHyLyte]

Sponge pulls out easily, funny never felt it wet so it must dry quickly, so in fact doesn't retain water. End caps mess up our in boom reefing system

In that case, your solution is a good one for you. A few days of wet during the drying process, however, can have a cumulative adverse effect. Check your sponge a day after a rainfall and see if it is dry. If so, you're good to go.

 

[Sabreman]

We stuff a rag loosely in the end. Allows water to get out and keeps birds from getting in.

Before we did that we had a nest and eggs about 2' in from the end. Used our all-around-best-boat-tool, an opened coat hanger with a hook at the end to dig it all out.

 

[pdqaltair]

Early one morning my wife heard me bellow "what in the hell was she thinking!" and hid in bed for an additional hour, waiting for the smoke to clear. When she finally got up, I was calmly hosing the deck down, while she was afraid to ask what had happened.

I had been cleaning out the boom and got 2 rotten eggs in the chest, just below my nose. The rear opening to the boom is now covered.

 

[chesapeake1]

let them stay, it's free entertainment