anti-bird spreader wire

[gilesfordcrush]

I have been reading on-line for ideas to keep the birds off my spreaders, and thereby keep my deck as poo free as possible. I had some excellent results with about 20 heavy duty cable ties spaced out on each spreader, cut with a sharp vertical tail pointing upwards. This method almost completely prevented bird poo on the decks. It was also is going to damage my headsail as it can brush against the spreaders and potentially get caught on the spikes.

Various people on-line have suggested the method of stringing some kind of monofilament fishing line from the mast to the shroud, a few inches above the spreader. I have no problem climbing my mast (I have a Kinleven mast ladder and very good it is too) but I don’t want to be climbing up there each week to repair broken fishing line. I am thinking of using 2mm stainless steel cable. I can attach this to the mast using small stainless p-bracket clamps. I want to avoid any potential snagging opportunities for the headsail, so I think I will simply loop the cable around the shroud and back to the mast. In order to keep some tension to the cable I think another loop from the end of the spreader up parallel to the shroud and around the horizontal loop should provide the tautness to keep the wire tight and in place. I could add another cable loop half way around the spreader.

Each loop would be closed using an aluminium talurit, next to the spreader and away from the sail. This could be enclosed in a wrap of self-amalgamating tape too.

See attached marked up photo.

I would appreciate the forum’s thoughts on this scheme.

Cheers,

Giles

 

[t21]

I have been reading on-line for ideas to keep the birds off my spreaders, and thereby keep my deck as poo free as possible. I had some excellent results with about 20 heavy duty cable ties spaced out on each spreader, cut with a sharp vertical tail pointing upwards. This method almost completely prevented bird poo on the decks. It was also is going to damage my headsail as it can brush against the spreaders and potentially get caught on the spikes.

Various people on-line have suggested the method of stringing some kind of monofilament fishing line from the mast to the shroud, a few inches above the spreader. I have no problem climbing my mast (I have a Kinleven mast ladder and very good it is too) but I don’t want to be climbing up there each week to repair broken fishing line. I am thinking of using 2mm stainless steel cable. I can attach this to the mast using small stainless p-bracket clamps. I want to avoid any potential snagging opportunities for the headsail, so I think I will simply loop the cable around the shroud and back to the mast. In order to keep some tension to the cable I think another loop from the end of the spreader up parallel to the shroud and around the horizontal loop should provide the tautness to keep the wire tight and in place. I could add another cable loop half way around the spreader.

Each loop would be closed using an aluminium talurit, next to the spreader and away from the sail. This could be enclosed in a wrap of self-amalgamating tape too.

See attached marked up photo.

I would appreciate the forum’s thoughts on this scheme.

Cheers,

Giles

View attachment 71043

Um, they're only birds, not small planes that poo on the boat? You should be fine with monofilament fishing line. I tie the stuff off everywhere to add tension. Your wire likely won't get to be that tight. You aren't (much) tryin to garrott the birds altho that might happen ... the lines simply dissuade them from flying near. They can in any case sit on the top of the mast and poo from there. You can smear polish on grp decks to protect .... or obviously go sailing...

 

[Seashoreman]

I have had some success with this. Bit of a faff to keep rigging and un-rigging across deck, but very effective.
Also probably a bit noisy in a marina.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Agralan-M551-Buzzline-Bird-Scarer/dp/B00423YKTI

 

[SteveGorst]

Something a bit more visual than fishing line might be a bit fairer to them and provide a more visual deterrent. We had a resident cormorant earlier in the season that made a huge mess. Orange line attached by cable ties from the spreaders to the mast steps has completely stopped the problem. I was in a beer garden in Caernarfon last week and they had criss crossed the entire area with orange line about 2 feet apart to keep the gulls at bay and it worked. I'm not sure that the actual colour matters its just what I had in my locker.

 

[Cactus Sailing]

im too young to be buying plastic falcons and tie-wrapping them to my mast, i just go sailing and wash the poo off

 

[[70521]]

I found moving the boat 1/2 mile up river really helped and have come to the conclusion that position is everything.

 

[tross]

All you need to do is supend a piece of stainless mousing wire from the shroud to the mast about 2cm above each spreader - they should be able to see this and it doesn't rot.

 

[garvellachs]

We've got some thin black bungee elastic stretched from one stay to the other just above the spreaders to stop things roosting up there. Working so far and easy to keep in place with a decent knot round the wire. Fine if you happy climbing up to replace it now and then, and not destructive to sails. With swept spreaders there's no need to fix it to the mast, just goes round the forward side.

 

[oldharry]

im too young to be buying plastic falcons and tie-wrapping them to my mast, i just go sailing and wash the poo off

Then you have been lucky that tour boat has not been selected as a regular roosting place. Mine was last year, taking anything up to 3/ 4 hour to clean the mess from a few days residue! It's damaged the finish now. Incredibly, in the yard last winter, the same thing happened again,and local pigeons picked my boat as a roost again making the boat filthy in a few days.