Birdscare Humming Line?

Amulet

Active member
Joined
25 Jun 2007
Messages
1,837
Location
Oban
www.flickr.com
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

Well-known member
Joined
8 Aug 2007
Messages
6,756
Location
Suffolk
Visit site
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. :D
 

zalophus

Member
Joined
9 Feb 2009
Messages
52
Location
Emsworth
Visit site
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

New member
Joined
9 Feb 2007
Messages
1,102
Location
Solent
Visit site
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

Well-known member
Joined
10 Jul 2008
Messages
2,685
Location
,home Portchester
Visit site
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
 
Joined
17 Jan 2009
Messages
66
Location
Now lurking around a port near you - maybe.
Visit site
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!
 

Clyde_Wanderer

New member
Joined
15 Jun 2006
Messages
2,829
Location
Glasgow
Visit site
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

Well-known member
Joined
30 Aug 2001
Messages
1,556
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
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

Well-known member
Joined
12 Nov 2007
Messages
17,545
Location
Me Norfolk/Suffolk border - Boat Deben & Southwold
Visit site
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.
 
Top