Keeping birds off boats. How?

[MikeJohns]

The gulls learn to associate humans and food. And they also get used to machinery vibration and noise.

A friend tried an ultrasonic device on a 50 foot sailboat, it didn't work when mounted on the cabin top and the manufacturers recommended he try it up the mast and it worked a charm when the sound came from above.

I moved my mooring recently and have been attracting a few cormorants, we stuffed some old wet weather gear made a large eyed face from a white float and paint, stuffed in the hood. We hung the effigy from the boom in the cockpit where it sways around a bit in the breeze and that's worked well on the cormorants for 3 weeks now.

The problem boats I initially posted about had all their hassles solved when a mesh grating topped floating platform was put on a mooring nearby. All the cormorants shifted to it within a half mile radius and never went near any of the boats after that.

[JLIMA]

There was a boat around here that used to get pelted with birds while at anchor, the solution, simply put wires sticking up from the spreaders. They wanted very little to do with that boat in very short order.....just a thought...

[hoytedow]

Originally Posted by JLIMA

There was a boat around here that used to get pelted with birds while at anchor, the solution, simply put wires sticking up from the spreaders. They wanted very little to do with that boat in very short order.....just a thought...

Probably repulsed by the thought of all those un-grounded lightning rods.