Otter on board

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kalanka

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I like having a mooring in a bay with resident otters but one of them has discovered how to run up the transom on my boat (a neighbour saw it doing this). Its favourite spot seems to be under the spray hood. Unfortunately it leaves lots of very smelly droppings and fish debris behind - all over my reefing lines and halyards.

I cleared all the muck away last week and spent a night on board - the otter visited again while I was below and left a further contribution.

Does anyone know a humane way of discouraging this visitor?
 
My Moody came from a mooring on Strangford Lough, with the sails there was a semicircle of dark blue acrylic canvas and around the transom lip fitted with little stainless steel eyes at about 1 foot spacing. The vendor explained that this was made up to counter the otter problem you describe. They used to come up and over the transom, eat and defecate under the spray hood. Common problem there.
The cover is in my garage and if your transom is anything like a similar shape you would be welcome to it, or you get someone to make one up, they are quite nimble so it would need to be a good fit.
 
I have a similar problem, last summer was the worst, very difficult to get rid of the smell.
I left my spray hood down which helped a bit. I have a full cockpit cover, but I don't think it would keep them out, it fact I think it would encourage them more.
Interested to hear if anyone has solved this problem.
 
kalanka said:
I like having a mooring in a bay with resident otters but one of them has discovered how to run up the transom on my boat (a neighbour saw it doing this). Its favourite spot seems to be under the spray hood. Unfortunately it leaves lots of very smelly droppings and fish debris behind - all over my reefing lines and halyards.

I cleared all the muck away last week and spent a night on board - the otter visited again while I was below and left a further contribution.

Does anyone know a humane way of discouraging this visitor?
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Otters are fully protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and are a priority conservation species.

You’re breaking the law if you:

intentionally capture, kill or injure them,
damage, destroy or block access to their places of shelter or protection (on purpose or by not taking enough care)
disturb them in a place of shelter or protection (on purpose or by not taking enough care)
possess, sell, control or transport live or dead ones or parts of them


If you’re found guilty of an offence you could get an unlimited fine and up to 6 months in prison.

.

.

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or am I thinking of water voles. :)
 
Would a net round the pushpit deter him/her/it? Or would a net hanging from the sprayhood at least keep him/her/it off the coachroof?
 
Sandy said:
What a wonderful problem to have says huge fan of Gavin Maxwell.
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It is of course possible to be a fan of someone's writing without being a fan of their personality or behaviour. Maxwell was even by the standard of his day not much of an ecologist, attempting the extinction of basking sharks for financial gain. I don't think he is even remotely to be admired for that, although his schizophrenia was perhaps more to be pitied than censured.
 
Scotland, plagued by Midges and Otters - you’d be far better taking a mooring in the Solent where there are no irritations at all, it’s all just so relaxing and peaceful, you know it makes sense.
 
We successfully use pea netting to deter seagulls and ducks, might just be worth spending £1:00 on a packet from your local gardening shop.
Donald
 
They have been biting chunks out of kayakers in Florida. Friends had their large, very macho dog chase and follow them into the water .He had chunks bit out of him.
Moth balls or crystals sounds a good solution. My sister had a problem with racoons taking up residence under her porch, so every night she would spray the area with ammonia. They quit coming there. My father had the same problem with bears, so he sprinkled home heating oil on the gravel in his driveway, After that, they raided the neighbour's garbage cans, but not his.
Campers sometime discourage bears by sprinkling "Pine Sol" around their tents. Appearantly, it smells like the territorial markings of a huge bear. They don't argue.
 
My neighbour on my winter dock has quite a problem but doesn't come to his boat very often. It smells pretty bad covered in otter crap under his tarp.
Now the little bugger is coming on to my boat. I clean it away regularly. I enjoy seeing them. I like to know they are around and will come or stay quite close. Unfortunately they have some rather anti social habits.

I don't have a tarp they can get under. So they haven't bothered my boat most of the winter.

A friend has them visiting his dock regularly. He enjoys their presence. But would rather they crap else where. He washes his dock with a mild bleach solution. keeps them away for a while.
I find a couple of buckets of water wash it away so I have not tried the bleach or moth balls yet.
When I go back to my mooring the problem will resolve itself.

Unfortunately. This is how otters mark their territory. And why they keep coming back to crap in the same spot.
So my theory. It think it works but not quite proven. If I keep cleaning it away. They will find a better spot to mark.

I used to see them so rarely in Scotland I still consider it a privilege to see them in the wild. Flushing a bit of crap off is a small price to pay.
 
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Brent Swain said:
They have been biting chunks out of kayakers in Florida. Friends had their large, very macho dog chase and follow them into the water .He had chunks bit out of him.
Moth balls or crystals sounds a good solution. My sister had a problem with racoons taking up residence under her porch, so every night she would spray the area with ammonia. They quit coming there. My father had the same problem with bears, so he sprinkled home heating oil on the gravel in his driveway, After that, they raided the neighbour's garbage cans, but not his.
Campers sometime discourage bears by sprinkling "Pine Sol" around their tents. Appearantly, it smells like the territorial markings of a huge bear. They don't argue.
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Cant say I have ever heard of kayakers getting attacked. Cute, still wild animals with sharp teeth (so are racoons) if cornered they will defend themselves. I certainly wouldn't try and pat one.
Dogs, My dog is stupid enough to chase them. Its what dogs do. so we don't let her of leash when we know there are otters around. Otters will turn on a dog which chases them. Its a wild animal not the otters fault. Or even the dogs. Stupid dog owner lets his dog chase otters.
 
I’d install one of these pir camera traps and get some footage to show the kids& grandkids.

Which led me to consider a pir security light. If you could modify one to activate a sounder as well as the light that might act as a safe deterrent
 
Wandering Star said:
Scotland, plagued by Midges and Otters - you’d be far better taking a mooring in the Solent where there are no irritations at all, it’s all just so relaxing and peaceful, you know it makes sense.
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Sorry but you are wrong - there are thousands of irritations in the Solent - mainly other boat users and (especially) the hoo-ray-henries that spawn and swarm there.
 
Halo said:
Sorry but you are wrong - there are thousands of irritations in the Solent - mainly other boat users and (especially) the hoo-ray-henries that spawn and swarm there.
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I thought Wandrin Star was perhaps being facetious but it is surely racist to suggest that South Coast sailors are worse than otter sh1t.
 
Quandary said:
I thought Wandrin Star was perhaps being facetious but it is surely racist to suggest that South Coast sailors are worse than otter sh1t.
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Some of my best friends are S Coast sailors and whilst they are a special breed but I don't think they count as a race - so my usual high degree of political correctness can be watered down a bit !
 
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