Aggresive Gulls + Shags,and even Ducks have taken a liking to our Contessa,in the mooring field. Are nesting on some of the vacant boats,but are even landing,on the cabin,when you are in the cockpit . Had to chase them off when rowed out today !?
Have ribbons on ropes/plastic owls + hawks,with one suspended in the rigging .
Frustrating as some boats,with no protection,are clean and clear .
? Any 12v Ultrasonic/Snakes/Nets worth the effort ? or keep scrubbing ?
Mason
Select to expand quotePLanter4 said..
Aggresive Gulls + Shags,and even Ducks have taken a liking to our Contessa,in the mooring field. Are nesting on some of the vacant boats,but are even landing,on the cabin,when you are in the cockpit . Had to chase them off when rowed out today !?
Have ribbons on ropes/plastic owls + hawks,with one suspended in the rigging .
Frustrating as some boats,with no protection,are clean and clear .
? Any 12v Ultrasonic/Snakes/Nets worth the effort ? or keep scrubbing ?
Mason
Get a cat they are incredibly effective ??
Select to expand quotePLanter4 said..
Aggresive Gulls + Shags,and even Ducks have taken a liking to our Contessa,in the mooring field. Are nesting on some of the vacant boats,but are even landing,on the cabin,when you are in the cockpit . Had to chase them off when rowed out today !?
Have ribbons on ropes/plastic owls + hawks,with one suspended in the rigging .
Frustrating as some boats,with no protection,are clean and clear .
? Any 12v Ultrasonic/Snakes/Nets worth the effort ? or keep scrubbing ?
Mason
Fishing line is good deterrent to the gulls string it tight along obvious landing spots, top of the boom etc. I bet the shags are roosting on the spreaders, some sort of flag / ribbon flapping on the shrouds a bit above the spreader annoys them a bit, likewise a flag at the mast head deters the top sitters and ducks are edible, if you try and collar them you probably won't succeed but they will disappear. But most importantly be onboard as often as possible 
Seagulls are right royal bastards near my boat and she has to get covered with netting. It takea a few minutes to cover her up but stops them. As stated by Woko, shags are probably resting on the spreaders. I don't have spreaders so now problem for me, but for a mate's bosat next door I went up his mast with a drill and put saddles on his mast just above the spreaders so we could install light pieces of spectra just above the spreaders. It works well to prevent them from perching.
Thank You .
Went looking at birdcontrolaustralia.com.au - have ordered x2 of their 4ft Bird Spiders - also have solar ultrasonics,but wary of them being nicked,as have to be visible,and could annoy a fisherman !
Bunnings Plastic Birds have been good,for a moment,but now seem to be bonding with the gulls !!
Also, a tilt on the solar panel should reduce landing/fouling ?
Talking about birds and boats my nasa wireless wind instruments have had me stuffed for the last couple of sails so today I went out for a sail determined to fix the issue which is the nasa is indicating exactly the same degrees as the windex but on the opposite side . Windex 45 port which is correct ,nasa 45 starboard. Winds 8 to 15 so recalibrated multiple times , did tight circles etc.etc. with no luck. Took photo to send to nasa asking for help when I realised looking at it it is upside down ! Probably bloody sea eagle. Have had no issue for years so can't really complain. I can lower mast and the head unit can be unbolted in seconds .
I use fake plastic snakes. You can buy them cheap in $2 shops and flea bay.
They work for me moored on Hobsons Bay Melbourne. when packing up I leave 2 on the fore deck and 4 aft in the stern and on the cock pit seats. Along the boom a piece of VB cord with three orange floats tied on....... stretched to the end of the boom keeps them from ****ting on the boom sail cover. Works for me! Occasional drop from a gull but otherwise I swear by it. Snakes' pure evil for birds, and humans going as far back as Adam and Eve.
Shop 6Pcs Fake Snake Model Realistic Simulation Snakes Figures Plastic Snakes Simulation Snake (Random Style) - Dick Smith
sorry link not working.
Interesting - Use snakes at home to deter Mynah birds,but have been doubtful about using on the Boat.,as gulls would see them as a challenge = attack
- But,will get some new big snakes,and try them out !?
Would love to hear your results.
I would say even with a big boat (mines a Columbia 22) place them strategically ie ...just a few not a heap on fore deck and cockpit seats ect.
I move them around a bit ... you only need 5 or six.
Select to expand quotePLanter4 said..
Interesting - Use snakes at home to deter Mynah birds,but have been doubtful about using on the Boat.,as gulls would see them as a challenge = attack
- But,will get some new big snakes,and try them out !?
Having seen how various birds of different species make an alliance to gang up on a real snake on land, it'd be interesting to hear how you get on!
Crows, cockatoos, magpies, peewees, all creating a fuss together around one snake. (No seagulls here though.)
It's the same in Careel Bay. I put nets up religiously, but due to a back operation didn't go near the boat for about 6 weeks between September and late November. On arrival, the net had actually been opened and clipped up to allow the seagulls into the cockpit and lay a nest. Cr@p everywhere and the smell was atrocious. Thankfully the chick had fledged and whilst I did chuck the nest, I didn't have to chuck an egg... which you're not supposed to do.
I'm not the kind to think ill of other boat owners in the bay, but it didn't look like it would have been possible for a strong wind, or a bird to remove three clips from the safety lines, then re-clip them up on the back of the boom.....leaving a man sized space to enter the cockpit. The only other thought is that someone decided to have a picnic on the boat and didn't bother to put the nets back correctly. Either way, it was an unholy mess that took all day to clean up. I replaced the nets and put up two owls, one in the cockpit and one on the boom. At last visit, there seemed to be no further ingress. Still have some cleaning to do though.
We've been in Careel since 2009. No need for nets or any other bird deterrent until we went overseas for three months and the boat lay idle. Of course, once they've moved in, they keep coming back every year. B@stards...
You can always try this bad-boy! The "Bird-Zapper 3000"...!!
Terrific value for money at $20K!! 
Had the similar issue as MichaelR - couldn't get to the yacht for abut 10 weeks and they took over, laid the nest and the egg. Just had to wait till it hatched and they went away. Cr_ap everywhere, large garbage bag to clear the nest. Got one of these - excellent
birdcontrolaustralia.com.au/shop/marine-and-boat-bird-deterrent/bird-busta-bird-repeller-2m/
Plus Bunnings hawk strung up above centre of boom - works well but the wing to body needs to be adhesive/sealant glued together - Selleys Marine Flex - and the string replaced with spectra.
www.bunnings.com.au/jack-450mm-pest-control-wide-hanging-hawk_p3041143?store=7302&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuoj3v_qfgwMVitIWBR1qPATyEAQYASABEgKpMvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Plus cheap flags from bow to kite pole snotter on mast.
Has worked very well for over 6 months.
Ribbons/Snakes/Bunnings Owls + Bird Spiders (from birdcontrol } = Clean Yacht - at this point in time !!
Was away for a week,as no evidence of any activity .
A bit of a fiddle to dismantle,but better than the mess/smell.
Best deterrent is to be there regularly .
Mason
