Conference vicki::boats

    I've pretty much solved my gull problem by using a long "streamer"
    run around the outside of my boat. The "streamer" is a bunch of
    small flags like you see at gas stations. They don't completly 
    solve the problem, but its not like it was. In the stern I used
    short pieces of wood in rod holders to keep the stuff above the
    rail. Any flag shop should carry it.
    
    good luck
    Steve

    UP HERE ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN I HAVE A MORRING IN A  VERY SMALL BAY
    APPLE TREE  BAY IN SOUTH HERO VT THIS IS A VERY SMALL MARINA
    APPOX. 40 BOATS. AND LOADED WITH GULLS MY TWO GULL SWEEPS ARE
    WORTH THERE WEIGHT IN GOLD (ONE ON TOP AND ONE ONE THE BOW RAIL
    THERE ARE BOATS AROUND ME THAT ARE COVERED COMPLETEY WITH THE 
    SHIT. THEY WORK EXTREAMELY WELL IN ANY CONDITION. EVEN IF ITS
    DEAD CALM. AS FALL AS THE OWLS GO, THERE ARE BOATS AROUND ME
    THAT HAVE THEM AND THEY DON"T SEEM TO WORK AT ALL. GO WITH
    THE SWEEPS.......
    

    When I moored my small Repco Lobster Boat in Newburyport, Ma and
    Danversport Ma, I was always having the damn gulls cover the cabin
    top and decks with reprocessed fish.
    
    I then went to the dump and found two old fashion steel floor lamps.
    I cut the vertical part of the lamp off about 6 inches aboce the
    base. Then painted the base with a good boat paint to match the
    cabin tops and built a wirlygig with a nail in the center. I then
    stuck this contraption (really didn't look all that bad) on top
    the shelter top and cabim top. NEVER HAD ANOTHER GULL STOP OFF AGAIN.
    
    I felt that they thought I was a fishing boat and so was fair game.
    
    I now have a sailboat that I moor in Cape Porpoise, Maine. This
    is a small fishing village (working Harbor) of some 50-60 fishing
    boats and only about 10 pleasure boats. I have done nothing to my
    new boat and have had no problems with the Gulls. 
    
    There are two Gull nesting Islands less than 500 feet from where
    I moor and there must be over 10,000 birds that nest on each island.
    
    Not to have any problems with them must mean that my boat is blessed.
    
    The cost of my solution for my Lobster Boat was $0.
    
    Paul

    I recall this subject was well covered in this file back in 1987.
    Rick Mr. Moderater: Where did the archive go?
    
    Anyway: another question? Why is it that some boats attract gulls
    while others never have any poop on them? Mine rarely has bird sitting
    on it? (Steve its not because I never catch any fish eather)
    
    Can any bird experts explain this?
    
    BTW : I have a white hull, Black Canvas. Maybe it has some effect?
    
                                     Walt
    

    
    Walt,
    
    	The old file went south, sorry! And yes your memory is correct,
    there was a lengthy discussion about bird droppings...
    
    Rick

    IN REPLY TO 473.4 GULLS ARE ALWAYS ATTRACTED TWO BRIGHT COLORS REDS, 
    BLUES, ETC.. MY BOAT IS BRIGHT RED AND WAS GETTING PLASTERD UNTIL
    I BOUGHT THE SWEEPS.....

    I bought a Gullsweep TM. and installed it this weekend. It half worked.
    There was some poop on the canvas, but I feel that is because one of
    the arms got flopped over and it (obviously) stopped turning. I
    tightened up the nuts holding the arms a bit (they are supposed to be
    loose so it folds up to stow it) to keep it from happening again. We'll
    see how it works this week. I spent quite a bit of time cleaning the
    sh.., ah, stuff off my canvas and I don't want to have to do it again! 
    
    Now I need to get a bow staff or something and put a windsock on it to
    keep them off the bow deck. At least that is easier to clean. 
    
    From a bird's eye view my boat is white (ok, yellowing, dirty white).
    White deck, white canvas. White on dark water will stand out. To them
    it's a smooth, flat rock that floats. 
    
    The man at the place where I bought it said that gulls don't like
    things over their heads, which is the reason they work. As good a guess
    as any I suppose, but I noticed that the sail boats moored next to me
    don't appear to have a lot of stuff on them (in any) and I wondered if
    all that rigging serves the same purpose. The rigging also vibrates and
    makes noises, that may keep them away too. 
    
    john

The effect of a gull sweep, properly positioned and installed cannot be 
underestimated.  It is very effective.

Prior to finding this solution, my boat was covered.  Covered with 
droppings as well as shells from crabs etc.  After installation. I had no 
problems except in the outermost area on the bow deck.  I installed a cheap 
windsock on the bow rail.  Now I have zero problems.  No exceptions.

By the way the gull sweep needs very little wind to scare a gull.  My
conjecture is that the reason that gulls keep away is as much the two 
lateral wires, the red flags, and a little motion as is any clear 
rotational movement.

The only downside to the gull sweep was the mental anguish in poking a hole 
in an undamaged, perfect condition, bimini top.  

Carl

    I had to ask myself that question: "Which is worse, poking two small
    holes through my perfect canvas top to install the Gullsweep, or keep
    allowing this muck to build up and have to clean it off or put up with
    the appearance and smell of it?  I didn't hesitate for a moment. 
    
    john

    Generally sailbaots are saved from this problem. I hear tell that
    the standing rigging limits the direction of takeoffs and landing.
    This increases the risk for the "rats with wings". Every so offen
    I do get hit by a "fly by dump". Gullsweeps are proven to work.

    I've looked at some of the boats moored in my area with Gullsweeps.
    They seem to be 99% effective. Mine seems to be about 80% effective.
    The gulls, judging from the evidence, settled on the canvas over the
    windshield, just out of reach of the `sweep. Also something, I am not
    sure what, had used the rear of the canvas as a latrine. What I am
    trying to say is that on other boats the presence of a `sweep seems to
    keep them off the whole boat, whereas one mine the only area protected
    is directly under it. Still, a whole lot better than before.
    
    My forward deck was a really a mess after the last week. I got that
    windsock installed on a bow pennant staff and I'll see how that works.
    (Probably just should have got another Gullsweep, but this is cheaper
    and not a large loss if it doesn't work - can always use the windsock
    for decoration elsewhere.) 
    
    john

An update. The first windsock disappeared. Whether this was accident or theft I
can't be sure. The second one wasn't disappeared and worked reasonably well. 
Though I'd find it uselessly flopped down the front of the bow from time to time.

Though certainly not in response to the gulls, I found that moving my boat to 
another location was the biggest improvement I made in regards to the gulls. 
Befor my boat was out on Pleasant Bay, a fairly wide open body of water with
lots of feeding opportunity and only I was the only power boat nearby. Now
the boat is in Ryder Cove, next to a nice big flat topped house boat. I didn't
have a gull sweep (the one I got last year tore itself apart in the same storm
that wrecked my boat) right away, but even so there was less gull residue in 
two weeks there than there was after one day on Pleasant Bay. I still got an-
other Gullsweep though, and haven't had any real problem since.

So the secret is to moor close to other boats that are more attractive to
seagulls than yours is :-)

john