Seagull Incident

[PeteSmith]

Has anyone had similar incidents?

We were out in our rib yesterday crusing along at 40kts when a large seagull heading towards us actually crashed into my friends head. Luckily my friend "ducked" or should that be "Seagulled" and the bird hit the top of his head instead of his face.
I dont know how the seagull felt but my mate had a severe headache for the rest of the day....

[Nasher]

My son, then 9, was standing in up our Rib whilst we were doing about 30 knots across a mirror flat Start bay during the summer.

A seagul we disturbed flew towards us instead of away and attempted to scalp him with its wing, god only knows how it missed the A-Frame.

The seagul flew off and left my son woth a red mark on his forehead that went after a few minutes. Luckily he found it more funny than anything.

Nasher.

[Limey Linda]

Gull attacks are quite common. If the gull thinks you are near it's territory either food supply or nest. They always go for the head.

[codprawn]

It's the dive bombers you have to worry about. I thought chemical weapons were banned? Obvious where the WMD really are!!!

[PeteSmith]

This wasnt a seagull attack, the bird just wasnt looking where it was going!

[Limey Linda]

Nah Pete. There is no such thing as a seagull that is not looking where it is going.

[BogMonster]

A cricket bat is what you need

Haven't had a head on but I nearly ran over a shearwater once, it was gliding gracefully up the harbour about 2 feet off the water at about 20-25 knots, when it suddenly realised (when I was about six feet behind it) there was an orange boat gaining fast at about 35. I'd never seen a bird pull a turn that had contrails coming off its wingtips before but I think this one did

Ah the good old days when I had a boat that worked

[mdt]

If you go up wind they don’t hear you coming and by the time they do you can 9 times out of 10 get the wee sods, outboard takes a drop in revs for a very short time prior resuming normal operation.

[codprawn]

They always seem to get out of my way - maybe my engine is a tad louder than a 4 stroke after all.....

[Ezgoing]

Pause for one moment and think of the poor seagull.........bobbing around in the water..just had his dinner....feeling a bit sleepy........looks over his shoulder and sees this huge boat comming at him at crazy speed.........Now you know why they shit themselves....Rib Attack

[Tideway]

IMHO it can be especially risky when travelling at speed at night, you can come across large groups of resting seabirds on the water. Add one swiftly travelling RIB and any slow reactions on the part of teh bird could (and has) lead to a collision. I know a RNLI Atlantic helm who was thankful for his Gecko on a night shout, and personally I have ducked a cormorant that popped out of the water directly ahead and went through three of us between the engines and out of the back of the A frame with only the loss of a few feathers. Scared the crap out of us though.

Has the potential to be nasty though, just imagine a small chicken hitting your unprotected head travelling at 30+mph. Ouch!

So it is probably one of many other good reasons for slowing down at night....

However, having blitzed through a huge flock of gulls once in the early hours and effectively running through a tunnel of birds just lit up by the red and green of the nav lights, it did look pretty cool. That was before the RNLI helm pointed out the rather obvious danger, plus the rather un-environmentally friendly impact on the poor birds! I should've known better!

[The Jackeens]

Good stories!
Remember a cloud of feathers when Matt & Distant Grumble were doing a Solent run once

Us

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by PeteSmith

This wasnt a seagull attack, the bird just wasnt looking where it was going!

More like the driver wasn't looking where the bird was going.

You are on the water, this is where seabirds live, it's their home, you are on their territory. I personally feel we should be looking out for their and all other sea dwellers' wellbeing.

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by jwalker

More like the driver wasn't looking where the bird was going.

You are on the water, this is where seabirds live, it's their home, you are on their territory. I personally feel we should be looking out for their and all other sea dwellers' wellbeing.

I think maybe we can make an exception for seagulls there-there's more inland on rubbish tips than at sea now

The damn things are worse than pigeons and nothing better than agressive flying rats.

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

The damn things are worse than pigeons and nothing better than agressive flying rats.

I agree. I'm sympathetic to virtually all other forms of birdlife and I consciously avoid any logger ducks and kelp geese that inhabit our waters, but if I get the chance to wipe a #kin seagull out by whatever means then I will, hate 'em.

Seagulls are kind of like Argies with wings i.e. there are far too many of them, they are unreasonably aggressive towards everything, steal food from domestic animals if they can, and make far too much noise but will generally shut up when you shoot 'em a few times

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

The damn things are worse than pigeons and nothing better than agressive flying rats.

Err, psychosis.

[Limey Linda]

Run down and shoot as many shyte hawks as you can. Put them in a big arse grinder and sell as cat food. Sorry JW They are a pest just like pidgees and rats, but pidgees taste better in a pie.

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Err, psychosis.

??

By the way Limey Linda, what's an arse grinder?

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

By the way Limey Linda, what's an arse grinder?

I guess it is what you get when you don't know your arse from your angle

[Limey Linda]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

??

By the way Limey Linda, what's an arse grinder?

Sorry Nos. in "proper English" I should have said mincer. ( meat grinder) Get the picture?
Cheers.