scare the birds

[crui05]

sorry if this has been discussed the life out of but suggestions for keeping the birdlife (ducks and seagulls ) from crapping on my moored rib. the mess is one thing but it also makes the deck greasy.
ive used the multi coloured reflective tape but that doesnt hold up much when it blows a little.
guns tend to put holes in my tubes so thats out. im fed up with telling my crew to increase patrols but they just sleep all night.
suggestions welcome.

[Limecc]

Inconvenient but the only thing I can think is an all-over cover clipped to the rubbing strake. Lots of others do this but only for a cockpit or console.

[telecast]

Ships cat ?

[jeffstevens763@g]

Eagle owl dummy on the boat

[Brinormeg]

Real eagles clipped to the rubbing strake or buy a chip supper and throw it onto a boat at the other side of the marina

[Brian]

In my experience.......
and I have tried everything, from singing string to wires to "birds of prey" to whirling vanes to.....well just about anything you can think of.
Each seems to work for about a week, then the pesky critters get used to that method and you have to change to another.
Overall covers seem to work "better" but even then.....

I used to jet spray my boat every few days until I looked back at my boat after one wash, and saw a row of seagulls just sitting and waiting. It was almost as if they were saying to each other " that human has just washed our toilet clean again, now that it's nice and pristine we can go and use it again".

[willk]

Originally Posted by Brian

...and saw a row of seagulls just sitting and waiting. It was almost as if they were saying to each other " that human has just washed our toilet clean again, now that it's nice and pristine we can go and use it again".

If we ever need a definition of the difference between Paranoia and Diarrhea, I think you (and the seagulls) have it "covered"...