Does my yacht look like a tree?

[andaj]

I know that sounds like a silly question, but, imagine for a second you are a bird, does my yacht look like a tree?

Ever since I put my headsail covers on, the boat has been a target for relentless attacks from our feathered friends who have mistaken it for a toilet. The headsail covers are beige so maybe to a bird they kind of look like trees?

Last year the same thing happened and when i took the genoa cover off there was a birds nest in the top….

Has this happened to anyone else? does anyone have any ideas? a shotgun would help but probably damage the sails thus defeating the purpose of the sail covers…..

Thanks!

Andy

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Andy.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Andy,

Welcome to CF!

Well... It kinda looks like a tree falling.... But... You got all them nifty spreaders, and I think it's too enticing for the birds! Nice rig... What boat?

[andaj]

Hi,


its a farr 56 but its not mine so I can't be any more specific than that I'm afraid!

should I get a toilet trained hawk or a scarecrow? I'm really bored of cleaning up bird C!!!

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by andaj

Hi,


its a farr 56 but its not mine so I can't be any more specific than that I'm afraid!

should I get a toilet trained hawk or a scarecrow? I'm really bored of cleaning up bird C!!!

Silly me... I missed the boat in the profile... Lots of methods to discourage birds... It's really hit and miss what will work in a particular situation...

[andaj]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

Silly me... I missed the boat in the profile... Lots of methods to discourage birds... It's really hit and miss what will work in a particular situation...

I only have the problem when the covers are up though. And the problem is all over the yacht. Its as if the birds are flying nearby and see a new tree in the marina, fly over to have a look and at the last minute realise that in fact ITS A YACHT not a tree and empty themselves…….

I don't have an issue without the sail covers………….. In fact the rig is covered in spikes to stop unwanted visitors which works very well!

[sailorboy1]

I makes sense that birds like to poop on boats. After-all they swim in the water and you don't poop in the pool you are swimming in ....................... do you?

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by andaj

I only have the problem when the covers are up though. And the problem is all over the yacht. Its as if the birds are flying nearby and see a new tree in the marina, fly over to have a look and at the last minute realise that in fact ITS A YACHT not a tree and empty themselves…….

I don't have an issue without the sail covers………….. In fact the rig is covered in spikes to stop unwanted visitors which works very well!

While it's annoying to clean off sail covers... It's worse if they hit the sails!

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I makes sense that birds like to poop on boats. After-all they swim in the water and you don't poop in the pool you are swimming in ....................... do you?

Right?

[barnakiel]

It does.

b.

[goat]

I think most of us here would poop on your sail covers. Right? Anyone? Just me then. O.K.

Sent from my SGH-I257M using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[reed1v]

Yup, looks like a tree to me. You should be proud your providing facilities for the birds.

[canyonbat]

It might not be your boat that is the problem. A couple of weeks ago we were in Chula Vista marina and an osprey kept catching fish and landing on the boat next to our friend's boat to relax and enjoy his dinner. The prevailing winds were such that the poop and fish parts all missed the boat he was sitting on and instead landed on our friend's! They ended up changing slips and problem was solved.

[uhu]

hang a plastic owl
- keeps the feathered friends at a larger distance ...
for a while, anyway

[TrentePieds]

Birds have no sphincter control. It's basically a "flow through" system :-)

TrentePieds

[senormechanico]

A couple of weeks ago, my cat caught and killed a small bird.
I hung it on the flag halyard and now, no bird will even get close to "the Boat of Death".
It remains to be seen how long this will last.