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If you can't laugh at yourself.................

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Dev75

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NYS Finger Lakes Region - Skaneateles Lake
Where to start.....so, after three years of boating, as my wife and I are heading to the boat Sunday for a day on the water I make the comment that I thought we were no longer rookie boaters.

We then arrive at our boat (on a mooring ball) to see a neighbor who makes the comment "not sure you are going to like what you see". As we walk down the stairs to the mooring field we see about 20 sea gulls in what I can only describe as a bird version of a frat party on what was once our beige boat cover which now looks white from this army of gulls relieving themselves. When I get to the boat I find enough feathers inside the boat to make a few pillows. I have no idea how so many feather got inside under the cover.

Here's the kicker, it was this moment that we realized that those lines of different flashy streamers and flags dangling across other boats we had seen over the last 3 years were, in fact, not attempts of other boaters to be festive.

We are still laughing at ourselves today. I can still hear my wife last year commenting "ooh look at that festive boat".

My list of "Things we forgot to plan for when buying a boat" continues to grow, lol.

Having said this, I'm open to any and all ideas you all have on keeping birds off the boat :oops:
 
Glad you can laugh it off. And...…………………..you might want to follow your neighbors.
 
Too funny in the most un-funny kind of way. :confused::eek::mad:

We moved our lift from our dock to about 250’ into the lake just over a week ago due to low water levels. Mind you, never one problem with birds last year dockside. The FIRST day its out there, 4 seagulls on top of the lift canopy, and a troop of about 8-10 birds swooping through the canopy boat area, and then periodically perching INSIDE the lift canopy. This continued non-stop for two days. I knew then and there nothing good would come of it.

For what its worth, this is what I bought and did (caveat, we have a lift with a canopy so this may not be helpful in a moored up situation:

1) Hung a cheap dollar store wind chime inside the canopy. Any wind or movement creates noise - no motion sensors or electricity required.

2) Set up and secured a Dori Pole extending about 2’ above the lift canopy top. It has a 12’ flag that flutters in all directions based on the wind to create overhead movement.

* This was the only expensive item, as those dang Dori poles are a fortune. I think someone could make their own with small diameter pvc pipe, ingenuity with lightweight 360 degree spinning flag mount, and a long and light flag.

3) Took metalic gold reflective ribbon (the non-cloth kind bought for a $1 per roll at a dollar style store). Cut it into 1 meter strips. And tied it on the bottom lift canopy rails every 3’ around the lift. It hangs down and dangles in any sort of breeze, regardless of how gentle the wind is at that moment.

I am hopeful it does the trick. Being up here since then, I have not noticed any more intruders. So far, knock on wood, it is working.o_O
 
Take your pick from this site. https://www.birdbgone.com/

We had a heron eat and well, relieve itself multiple times on ours so we bought plastic spikes off Amazon and I have them held on with ball bungees. So far so good. As for the mooring cover, we’ve been lucky so far, but as soon as I see any attempt at gulls roosting I’ll be trying the metallic ribbon. Seems to work on other boats on the marina.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EJXMJU8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_r9AtBbCYW1TYN

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073R3L44B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_ZDibAiP5JT9sM
 
Yeah, I passed by your group of boats on Saturday, saw that bird fest, and was hoping that it wasn’t your boat.
 
I hate birds.

My buddy who bought our place in MI is battling with them as well. He had some sparrows building a nest under his deck within a week of it being on the lift.
 
Joeb14 said:
Yeah, I passed by your group of boats on Saturday, saw that bird fest, and was hoping that it wasn’t your boat.
Click to expand...
Ha, Joe, if it was the beige boat it was mine! The guy who owns the blue one about 25 ft out from mine got so fed up he took his cover off and loaded his entire deck full of flags and spinners.
 
I have been told covering with a fishing net also repels them as they don't like to get their feet tangled. Just throw it over the cover. Haven't tried it yet as our birds (seagulls) seem to come later in the fall.
 
At my old marina in Virginia I hung foil pie plates from the Bimini. It worked!
 
Thankfully we have never had a problem with birds. But one season we had an issue with lake otters, relieving themselves on the dock right in front of our slip. No matter what the marina did it did not solve the problem. The next season, no otters to found.
 
Wow. This would be my reaction

 
sjhorner9475 said:
Thankfully we have never had a problem with birds. But one season we had an issue with lake otters, relieving themselves on the dock right in front of our slip. No matter what the marina did it did not solve the problem. The next season, no otters to found.
Click to expand...

Sounds like someone solved the problem.
 
We have a heck of a bird mess that we’ll need to clean off of our lift canopy. Ever since we moved it further out two months ago, seagulls have made it their perch. Doris Poles, flakes, chimes, etc...nothing worked. It is now covered in bird droppings. My wife and I are dreading taking it down to clean next month. DREADING IT...
 
Have you tried throwing some rubber snakes up there?
 
Lake- is it a hoist with a canopy and cover as part of it? If so I’ve got the solution. If not it may take some additional work.
 
Thanks for the idea. Do you think it will have enough pressure to clean off dried on bird droppings? I did buy one of these when we first got the boat, so I certainly can give it a try. I’ll see how it does Labor Day weekend.
 
lakeliving said:
Have you tried throwing some rubber snakes up there?
Click to expand...

I haven’t. Good idea. Think it will work? Maybe I’ll give this a try next year.
 
Spartan, I meant to say Spartan on last post vs. Lake..
I’m also a Spartan.....anyway if you have a hoist with canopy, I’ve got a solution (for next year). Visibly fine, and works. If no canopy on hoist, won’t work. Go Green!!!
 
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