Solar Panels and Seagulls

[motion30]

I am anchor in Key West Harbor aboard my 44 foot powerboat. I have a nice big fiberglass hardtop that I mounted 825 watts of solar panel. I noticed the other day I was not putting out much current. So I climbed up on the roof to look at the solar panes,l they were covered with seagull droppings. it took an hour to clean up and it was totally disgusting. So my question is if I can just drink some fishing line up there will that keep to see calls from landing I'm pooping all over my hardtop and solar panels?

[dwoodall]

I suppose if the seagulls saw a drunken sailor lying atop his solar panels they might stay away, but wouldn't you cast a pretty big shadow yourself?

[Reefmagnet]

Lol gotta love auto correct.

Can't help with the seagulls. In my area, they tend to favour one boat/spot over another and simply moving to another nearby spot can be enough to rid yourself of them.

But fishing line, or maybe even that bird deterrent humming line or old CD's suspended nearby are worth a shot.

[Uncle Bob]

Hi been there done that, the birdscare humming line works very well however doesn't last very well, monofillament fishing line carefully positioned works fairly well but is a pain to put up and get right and CD's I haven't tried.
What has worked the best for me is fine netting hung above the cabin, seems that the little darlings can't handle the soft and unpredictable surface. A pain to rig and remove each time I use the boat, butt ugly as well but does work.
A boat moored nearby swears that a dead seagull left on the deck or rigging is the most effective, convinces the rest of them that they need to stay away. Yet another owner simply takes his boat for a run at least twice a week, seems to work well also.
Whatever you find that works in your location is probably the best.
Cheers

[Reefmagnet]

Ah, I thought the the OP was aboard the boat when all this skullduggery was going on. If not, the best solution by far is to throw light netting over the top. For some reason, birds are very reluctant to stand on it even if there is a perch beneath. We use the netting designed to protect fruit trees which we hold in place with a loop of bungy cord.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by motion30

I am anchor in Key West Harbor aboard my 44 foot powerboat. I have a nice big fiberglass hardtop that I mounted 825 watts of solar panel. I noticed the other day I was not putting out much current. So I climbed up on the roof to look at the solar panes,l they were covered with seagull droppings. it took an hour to clean up and it was totally disgusting. So my question is if I can just drink some fishing line up there will that keep to see calls from landing I'm pooping all over my hardtop and solar panels?

Not seagulls... cormorants. I call the ones that **** all over my boat in KW by the name of "fred"... my old boss.

The only advise I can offer is to clean you panels sparkling clean and then treat them with REJEX. Although this won't stop the birds from pooping on the panels it does create a pretty slick surface that helps (but not prevents) the poop from sticking to the panels - Subsequent rain helps wash the poop off. Or you can hose them down.

[Capt n Ron]

Maybe a "rubber chicken" instead of a dead SeaGull, less mess and smell

UOTE=Uncle Bob;1967942]Hi been there done that, the birdscare humming line works very well however doesn't last very well, monofillament fishing line carefully positioned works fairly well but is a pain to put up and get right and CD's I haven't tried.
What has worked the best for me is fine netting hung above the cabin, seems that the little darlings can't handle the soft and unpredictable surface. A pain to rig and remove each time I use the boat, butt ugly as well but does work.
A boat moored nearby swears that a dead seagull left on the deck or rigging is the most effective, convinces the rest of them that they need to stay away. Yet another owner simply takes his boat for a run at least twice a week, seems to work well also.
Whatever you find that works in your location is probably the best.
Cheers[/QUOTE]

[Nanamuk]

We have the same problem here in the Pacific NW and for the last 2 months have solved the problem by making a wooden frame, tying a fishing line net with 4 inch squares and suspending it 4 to 6 inches above the panels.

[senormechanico]

If you think seagull crap is bad, just be glad it's not a Blue Heron.
It's like half set polyester resin.

Here's my fix for Mister Old Blue.

It's just heavy gauge baling wire like the stuff you would use to fix fences.

It doesn't really affect the output and if it should come off, it's not going to break the bank or cause problems.

You need to put up enough to prevent them from having even a small place to land without banging into it.

[DDabs]

lol looks great!

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by motion30

I am anchor in Key West Harbor aboard my 44 foot powerboat. I have a nice big fiberglass hardtop that I mounted 825 watts of solar panel. I noticed the other day I was not putting out much current. So I climbed up on the roof to look at the solar panes,l they were covered with seagull droppings. it took an hour to clean up and it was totally disgusting. So my question is if I can just drink some fishing line up there will that keep to see calls from landing I'm pooping all over my hardtop and solar panels?

Howdy!

I am currently looking at boats with hard tops (decks and/or hard Bimini) as a place to put multiple solar panels to maximize solar energy captured. Would you please post a photo of your setup, as I like to see how things are looking on a variety of boats (sail or power). Also helpful is an idea of the brand or size dimensions of the space and units.

Regarding your question about bird prevention, I recall participating in a lengthy thread discussing the same topic, so I did a quick Google Custom Search of the forum threads and found many discussing a wide range of devices and also how to remove the poo.

Here is a link to those threads:
https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=011403...ird&gsc.page=1

[Kerry1]

Originally Posted by dwoodall

I suppose if the seagulls saw a drunken sailor lying atop his solar panels they might stay away, but wouldn't you cast a pretty big shadow yourself?

Now drinking fishing line on a solar panel, that takes some beating!

[Rustic Charm]

I've got a set up similar to yours with solar panels on a pushpit out the back. When I first moved from a marina to a mooring, my solar panels were covered in seagul **** to the extent they stopped working, and it only took two to three weeks to happen.

I then found a solution that has so far worked for the past three years that I have been there and I kid you not, they don't even seem to fly over my boat any more, they go around. I found a dead seagul and I tied it to the middle of the solar panels (after I cleaned it). Couldn't see it from the boat, unless you climbed up and there is no smell. Immediately my boat seemed to become a death zone.

For the past year I have not had the carcass on the boat and it's still bird poop free. Though, it's only now working at my mooring, not if I visit elsewhere. So I suspect, it will start wearing off soon. I'll know at Christmas time when I return it to it's mooring. I might have to find another dead bird. An old chap suggested it's a generational thing. Perhaps.

But it certainly works. It's not unsightly, doesn't smell and protects the entire boat from Seaguls and Starlings.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

If you think seagull crap is bad, just be glad it's not a Blue Heron.
It's like half set polyester resin.

Here's my fix for Mister Old Blue.

It's just heavy gauge baling wire like the stuff you would use to fix fences.

It doesn't really affect the output and if it should come off, it's not going to break the bank or cause problems.

You need to put up enough to prevent them from having even a small place to land without banging into it.

I was thinking RAZOR WIRE - perhaps with a dead gull in it.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

I was thinking RAZOR WIRE.

This is what he needs