Birdscare Humming Line?

[peasea]

Has anyone used this succesfully to keep the boat clear of seagulls?

 

[Amulet]

Has anyone used this succesfully to keep the boat clear of seagulls?

Back in the days when I was on a swinging mooring I used it. It was a brief test, but it did seem a lot better than my strings of CDs and poly bags, but certainly not a complete cure.

I don't seem to have a problem in the Marina.

 

[Leighb]

I tried it a long time ago. I found that it was a fiddle to set it up each time I left the boat, it can't easily be re-used, and didn't seem very effective.

Our best solution was supermarket plastic bags, knotted at intervals onto long cords, these could be fitted quite quickly and easily lasted all season. The movement and crackly noise seemed a fair but not total deterrent.

A photo of my One Design decked out with Waitrose bags once appeared in the Waitrose house magazine.

 

[oldharry]

Worked 100% for me - not a mark on the decks after a couple of months. Birds back the day it broke!

But too noisy for marina use

 

[zalophus]

Works a treat in Langstone Harbour. One £5 reel kept my boat clear all last season after a guano disaster the previous season. I also recommend a trip wire run out from the mast to the shrouds about 100mm above the spreader, to deter cormorants.

 

[SolentPhill]

Yes I use it a lot, I have 2 ariels and I tie it between them I also tie a 2 ft length every 2 ft, so it moves around in the wind. You can get it from eBay or garden centres very cheaply. You get it on 100m rolls

Was also useful when I needed to run cable through voids, but it's not very strong.

 

[ianat182]

On another thread I read yesterday, talking about topping lifts made from 4mm Dyneema, which generated a distinct and loud humming throughout the boat when under tension, and can be unrigged for sailing or slackened; this could be a practical and permanent fix on two counts with the lift providing an emergency halyard for the main, or as suggested a secondary safety line for tools up the mast.

CD discs are another option that could be clipped on before leaving the boat about 5-6 should do the job.

ianat182

 

[VexedIllologist]

Works for me!

Best product for this I have found is extemely cheap: the thin shiny 'ribbon' used for wrapping gifts.

If this is stretched taut, even the slightest breeze seems to generate a noise that birds cannot tolerate. In a stiff breeze it howls!

Fine at our moorings, but wouldn't be acceptable in a marina, I am sure.

Good Luck!

 

[dmmbruce]

This too subtle for me.

What is a Birdscare Humming Line please?

Mike

SORRY CANCEL

Googled it and now I know!

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

On another thread I read yesterday, talking about topping lifts made from 4mm Dyneema, which generated a distinct and loud humming throughout the boat when under tension, and can be unrigged for sailing or slackened; this could be a practical and permanent fix on two counts with the lift providing an emergency halyard for the main, or as suggested a secondary safety line for tools up the mast.

CD discs are another option that could be clipped on before leaving the boat about 5-6 should do the job.

ianat182

I get this humming throughout the boat but more noticable in the main saloon and it comes from my topping lift, can be a pita.
There was a roll of this tape in the boat when I bought her, dident know if it was a joke, never had to use it due to the inherent humming
Ironically my boat make is a "Hummingbird", maybe this where they came upon the name
C_W

 

[JimC]

I've used the bird scare tape on my boat. It is very effective, not only did it keep birds away it also made it impossible to sleep aboard.

 

[LittleSister]

Some years ago we had a lovely peaceful mooring, until a neighbouring boat got one of those humming bird scaring lines. The owners didn't have to listen to them because they were only fitted when they were off the boat. The birds could fly away. But we had to listen to the endless bloody irritating humming.

There are neighbour-friendlier ways of keeping birds off your boat.