How on earth do I get rid of...

[Dave_Snelson]

Seagulls!!!!!

Damn the wretched things. Cr@pped all over my new canopy, they have. OK, it dries and can be flicked off, but I would rather they didn't land on my boat at all. My knackered old grey tonneau never suffered like this, how come they have taken a shine to my new maroon canopy??

Anyway, the real point of this post is to find out (other than shooting / poison / etc.) what will deter Seagulls from landing on my boat in the first place.

Has anyone got the real proven answer (please!!!!).

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[Roy]

Dave...... Down at your local gunshop they'll sell Owls - like plastic ones..? Stick one on your roof and see if it keeps away the gulls. Some people up here use em and say they are brill.. Roy

<hr width=100% size=1>What does this mean then?

 

[Dave_Snelson]

Thanks Roy - there's a gun & tackle shop nearby the harbour. Next weekend...

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[SparklyBlueThing]

They don't like change. Seriously. They bombarded your new canopy because it was different from the old one. Once they've got used to it, you won't have any more problem than with the old one.

I have gulls nesting on the roof of my home. If an unusual car parks on my drive, or if I leave shopping on display through the rear window of my hatchback, the gulls crap on it.

Any ornathologists here to back me up? (No crapping please!)

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[hlb]

Put bread crums on the boat next to you.

<hr width=100% size=1> Flags Solly MFBR</font color=red>
Haydn

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

I have heard that seagulls don't tend to crap on grey boats. We have grey decks and do not have a problem, the boat next to us has blue and scrubs every weekend. With you saying that maybe there really is something in it.

Maybe they mistake it for rock and don't foul their perches, so fly on to the nice wine coloured variety of rock /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Sorry I seemed a little ignorant of you this weekend BTW. Very confusing, I saw Coney Island in the anchorage and looked for you, decided in the end you must have been napping. A little later I saw this guy laid back in a speed boat that looked like you, well blow me it was. I asked Tanya and she said oh yes some one from that boat waved as we approached but I thought they were just being in friendly. I tried a few times to catch your attention after that but you were very engrossed. Must have been the stubby.

That had to be the least relaxing time I have ever spent at Llanbedrog, we were having a great sail and then the wind fell away. Unfortunately there were a lot of power boats out and each wake meant my rig was banging from side to side and throwing any smitten of air out of it. So we thought we would anchor. The noise of engines and wakes from the skiers and jet skis coming amoung the moorings was horrible. I actually left more stressed and wound up than when I entered. Will be avoiding it in the future and head over toward Cricceath or Harleck.

See you soon.

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

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[longjohnsilver]

I've tried all sorts, bits of string, CDs, but by far the most effective for me is 2 pieces of fishing line stretched from the top of the mast to the front rails. It hums in any breeze and I guess the seagulls can't see it but then get confused when they try and land. It's really the simplest thing I've tried and after 2 seasons by far the best.

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[Dave_Snelson]

Hi Jools - yes it was me!! A friend of mine has just bought that Searay 190 that you saw me in. He was previously a Dart sailor, but I managed to lure him over to the dark side

. In fairness to my friend Tony, he had the boat only two days before completing his PB 1&2, so he has had some good tuition, which he seems to use very well.

Yes, the usually pleasant anchorage of Llanbedrog was a bit of a nightmare and we stayed only for sandwiches and beer, then moved on. We mistakenly thought that Samson's Bay or Borth-y-Gest would be quieter - but no, it was worse. Full of lunatic jetskiers doing 60kts in a 6kt limit. I did report them to the Harbourmaster and the CG. Haven't a clue how far that got me.

May God help us all at August bank holiday!!

BTW - if you are looking for a quiet(er) anchorage over our way, try mooring off the number 7/8 at low water, its on the Harlech beach side and shelves steeply into deep water. You can anchor close in to the beach and still be in 10' of water at low tide. Remember though, you will be committed to staying there until the tide returns and you can get back over the bar. And while Black Rock is full of holiday makers, no-one goes over that side and you have 2 1/2 miles of beach all to yourself (unless I'm there

). Take a BBQ, its good fun. Some jetskiers go out that far, but not many, and those that do are less prone to "dickhead-ism" than those that stay buzzing around in the bay.

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[theguvnor]

They certainly do work. My neighbour has one and it scared the gulls so much they shat on my boat in fright

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[Roy]

Ha ha hah - brilliantly funny crack that. Roy

<hr width=100% size=1>What does this mean then?

 

[KevB]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Seagulls do not have control over their "movements" and just poo when their bowels are full?

If that's the case they must just love sitting on your new conopy....

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[sloshed]

Do you know if the Owl works with pigeons ?

There is a large tree on our mooring and the bu**ers cr*p on the boat constantly. I spend almost as much time cr*p clearing as cruising. Grrrhhh !!!

Thanks.

<hr width=100% size=1>Champagne aspirations - Beer money.

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Owls don't work with seagulls either.

here is either a brave seagull, or one which realises he is in no danger from a lump of plastic!

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

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[adarcy]

Methinks the owl has to be on the topmost rail, that one looks as if it's nice + warm inside!

We thought our owl was VG but only scared them for a season or so + then they twigged it. Lots + Lots of shiney CDs strung across the flybridge are still working in 3rd year (make sure you replace them if they don't reflect any more)

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[Roy]

Got that problem myself!! oH GOD. HAVE TO GO...

<hr width=100% size=1>What does this mean then?

 

[Roy]

Don't know bout the pigeons - perhaps you need to get a plastic 'hawk' for them. Before long you could have so many decoys on the boat that the gulls will ignore it due to lack of space?? I would rig up the cds lines too - they also work.

<hr width=100% size=1>What does this mean then?