Mooring basics

[bobkatfly]

Originally Posted by WinterHarborGuy

Mast buoy is an absolute “must”.

Does your marina have a bird problem? If so, you will need to be prepared…

By investing in a lot of cleaning products? A mechanical owl? What do you do?

[WinterHarborGuy]

Originally Posted by bobkatfly

By investing in a lot of cleaning products? A mechanical owl? What do you do?

I was on a mooring in Wolfeboro for two or three years and we had a big bird problem. First thing you need to buy is netting which is relatively cheap. But I ended up spending a few hundred dollars for diversionary stuff like spinning spider things, etc..

However, we still ended up with Cormorants standing on our swim platform and they **** all over it. It’s not so much the expense.. It’s the annoying part of having to put all that stuff on your boat after you tie it to the morning ball. It gets a little tiring. Hopefully you won’t have bird problems.

We have a bowrider, and they are a little trickier to cover with netting then a pontoon boat. A pontoon boat is less of a challenge when it comes to keeping birds off.

[tis]

Originally Posted by WinterHarborGuy

I was on a mooring in Wolfeboro for two or three years and we had a big bird problem. First thing you need to buy is netting which is relatively cheap. But I ended up spending a few hundred dollars for diversionary stuff like spinning spider things, etc..

However, we still ended up with Cormorants standing on our swim platform and they **** all over it. It’s not so much the expense.. It’s the annoying part of having to put all that stuff on your boat after you tie it to the morning ball. It gets a little tiring. Hopefully you won’t have bird problems.

We have a bowrider, and they are a little trickier to cover with netting then a pontoon boat. A pontoon boat is less of a challenge when it comes to keeping birds off.

The moorings close to the WCYC have a terrible bird problem. I feel so bad for those people when we go by.

[WinterHarborGuy]

Originally Posted by tis

The moorings close to the WCYC have a terrible bird problem. I feel so bad for those people when we go by.

That was me. 😝

[camp guy]

With respect to birds..., probably a losing proposition. Ducks, and other "prolific" flyers view a moored boat as a floating toilet, and once they get used to its location, I'm sorry, but there is very little you can do.

[bobkatfly]

Have to admit, I didn't think of the bird issue. I should have, given the amount of techniques I've seen on swim rafts to get rid of them. I'll have to speak to the marina about their experience.

[ApS]

I posted a picture here of about a dozen large birds perched in front of two giant plastic owls.

I'd suggest a "gull sweep", which uses breezes to rotate a wide thin metal sweep around the center of your dock or float.

In my travels, I saw a plastic reptile (Iguana-like) that seemed to work.

[tis]

Originally Posted by WinterHarborGuy

That was me. 😝

Oh no. Well I feel sorry for you. I know you tried everything!