BLUEMOMENT

Hmm Jimlad, I think you may have spawned an idea...
A car ignition coil triggered by a trembler device would provide the neccessary discomfort, and not draw any current unless activated.
May also provide respite from neighbours pets that invade our property to practice howling at night.
Time for a visit to my favourite scrappy methinks.

It is with great pleasure that I report a clear deck.
The device I have designed, produced ( and now tested successfully) consists of a paint cannister lid (on another thread I had wall problems, so they are abundant) Added to this, are radial stainless wires (old rigging unravelled) and the whole hoisted like a rodent stopper on a mooring line, so as to 'sweep' the upper surface of the radome.
The main halyard was ideal for this purpose, as it needed to be up front to stop the mast slap noise anyway.
The device is easily stored before hoisting the main, and I have saved the cost of a gun.

Slept aboard last night after a surfeit of refreshments.
A few drops of guano had been noticed, and the effectivness of my anti-gull device was called into question - however, as dusk fell, a couple of crows settled on their respective spreaders for the night. Seems they think they can take over now the gulls have gone, so now we're back to fishing line between the capshrouds again. ~Ho hum.

I have oft considered taking my small arsenal of air rifles & pistols to the boat to eliminate the gulls. However they never bother me in remote anchorages, but are endemic in the busy harbour. As it is illegal to shoot in a public place and there is a significant risk of some prat reporting me to the RSPCA this is not a good idea.

Any one see the item on BBC news today where a guy was fined for drowning a Grey Squirrel? I mean, it is illegal to release the things & drowning is about the simplest & most humane way to kill them. RSPCA suggested he should have taken them to a vet & paid £30 to get it put down! Next time I catch one I shall give it to the RSPCA to dispose of.

I agree, the do-gooders can go too far.
As (british) humans, we are the only ones not allowed to participate in 'nature in the wild' where if something annoys you or is slower, you can eat it.

I was assured by an ex-andrew that feeding shy-talks alkaseltzers wrapped in pellets of bread added to the amusement on long voyages. He claimed, and who am I to disagree, that the birds have no method of releasing excess stomach gas and can literally explode. I don't think there's a law against feeding birds.

Gentlemen,

I come today as your saviour, snakes - rubber snakes as big and as colourful as you can get them, no more seagulls. I have them on my coachroof, sprayhood, liferaft and deck, all tied on with a little bit of string. Even have one on the dinghy seat when left on the mooring, the only poo maybe from a passing bird. This glorious information came from a real old salt based on the clyde, who even made me two to prove it worked, try them and lets have your comments. I am based in the Kyles of Bute.

I have 2 quite realistic snakes & the seagulls poo on them.

Actually, to be fair, one on the foredeck & one on the cabin top keeps those areas clear, but the feathered rats sit on my mizzen & excrement on my new cockpit cover. Duh!

Just returned from the Kyles - in fact the snailstrails on my plotter have just about got the place totally coloured in.
Never saw any snakes or even a trace of their oil, but there again, nor did we get sh@t upon.

sahona wrote:Just returned from the Kyles - in fact the snailstrails on my plotter have just about got the place totally coloured in.
Never saw any snakes or even a trace of their oil, but there again, nor did we get sh@t upon.

Unfortunately, we have just returned to our mooring at Kames after nearly 3 weeks away and lo and behold, there was our feathered friend sitting atop our mooring buoy awaiting patiently our return so they could recommence their domestic bliss on our afterdeck. Of course as soon as we rowed away from the boat, there he was politely moving the snake aside in order to get a more comfortable position to crap.

There is nothing we can do. The happy campers that pick up the Kames Hotel moorings next to ours take great delight in feeding the ba$tard$. Some times it is just soul destroying. I had to remonstrate once with a couple of holiday homers who were happily feeding the gulls loaves - yes LOAVES of bread form the shore.

We are not alone. All the boats in Kames are suffering to some extent. Will someone lend me a gun? For the gulls of course - not me.....

Donald

Aja wrote:There is nothing we can do. The happy campers that pick up the Kames Hotel moorings next to ours take great delight in feeding the ba$tard$. Some times it is just soul destroying. I had to remonstrate once with a couple of holiday homers who were happily feeding the gulls loaves - yes LOAVES of bread form the shore.

Donald

It's not just the tourists in the Lakes, and they are bad enough with the copious quantities of bread and "Lucky Duck Food". One of the cooks at the local hotel turns up each evening and feeds the ducks/swans/geese/gulls a bin full of bread.
There is duck doo everywhere.
The population is vast year round.
The annoying people don't eat the weed from the bay so sailing through it is like mowing a hay field.

[/rant]