by Miker » Tue May 22, 2018 2:36 pm
Dism, once they find you, it's hard to get rid of them.
I've had nests laid twice now, both in August/September in Careel Bay. Funny enough, we've been there for almost 8 years and never had a bird problem until we stopped using the boat as often during our renovations at home.
An Owl may work for a while, but they tend to attack it and in doing so will drop poo like a dive bomb. A rubber snake may also work, but you must move it around each time you go out. Seagulls aren't as dumb as they seem. I've used both these methods with reasonable success, but you need to be on the boat about once a fortnight and move it from the mooring. It's only once they realise it doesn't move that they'll move in.
Others have used a humming tape, bunting, gull sweeps and even CDs strung from the rigging. Plastic shopping bags work to a certain extent because of the noise. Although you must change these often so the fragments of the worn ones don't get in the water.
All that being said, I use a full net from early August until late September. It's the only way to make sure they stay away. You get get it from Bunnings, or Whitworths. I have two pieces that run either side of the boat from stern to bow and join with plastic caribenas all the way along and also attached to the safety lines. Takes about 10 minutes to set up and take down, but really worth it for not having to clean the boat before you pick up your guests......
Michael
"Dulcamara" - MKIII
Careel Bay, Pittwater
"Order of the Tipping Dinghy" 2017