Bird strike...

[Boomshanka]

Decided to overnight in the marina for the first time last night (knowing what the forecast was), young daughter and I exchanging stories, and there's an almighty bang, the boat lurched forward and we had to hang on, then a lot of secondary bangs then quiet. My immediate thought was that another boat had broken free from its mooring and was clattering its way through the marina, or someone had falling onto our boat from the pontoon and into the water. Heart pumping, I grabbed the searchlight, top washboard out only to see an adult swan swimming off up the marina... it had obviously hit our rigging square on as it came in to land, bounce off our deck and then into the water (this was at 9pm... I didn't think they flew at night?). It gave us both a real fright at the time as the noise and boat movement was pretty intense and most unexpected. On first glance, the boat appears unscathed, should think the swan's a bit sore this morning.

 

[damo]

Swans have quite a high mortality rate from flying into cables etc, especially at night. I have seen one fly into a chainlink fence in the daylight.

 

[EdWingfield]

If you ever go into Dunbar the HM will put you on the north wall underneath the old castle wall. - a favourite for kittiwakes to nest. This is all very charming as you are so close you could almost touch the sitting birds.

But I had a similar fright when 'TWAAANG', I rushed on deck to find nothing.

ps. if you can take the ground, the HM will let you use the opposite wall.

 

[ex-Gladys]

... when rowing at college it was quite common to hit a swan in an eight with the blades on one side or other. At a light paddle, the first blade would knock it into a somersault coming up just in time to be got by the next.... etc... 4 forward rolls and a very angry swan at the end. Good job they couldn't see straight by that stage

 

[Superflid]

Night sailing in The Wash, I was surprised by birds flying past the boat in the dead of night.

Maybe some of 'em work shifts.....

 

[Searush]

I wish the seagulls in Caernarfon would go on strike.

 

[justdrifting]

Just put a rubber snake on your cabin top no more seagulls