A shag (cormorant) has recently decided to take up residence on my mast. It's not vindictive to my VHF aerial or wind instruments, unlike cockatoos or crows. However, the crap it likes to deposit is of a particularly nasty consistency, and bleaches straight into the gelcoat.
Any suggestion, please, on how to remove the stains without damaging the gelcoat? This is probably also telling me I am due to apply some more polish afterwards to provide a better seal.
—
Paul and Heather Griffiths
Sarah Sue C36 Mk11 #2220
Mandurah, Western Australia
Paul,
Not sure what to suggest, TSP or actone followed by wax. Someone else may have a better idea
Comerant should be cooked in a slow oven, pour a little burgandy in the pan to mellow the gaminess, wild rice and carrots will go well with this.
Cepheus dream
C36 MK I # 825
MK I Tech Editor No Mas
Your photo doesn't look like a cormorant to me, but maybe they're different down under.
Where is the cormorant parked when it causes this problem? On the spreader? On the windex? Seems to me a little preventive cure would be better than cleaning up the mess afterwards. Can you tie a terrier up there? Train a hawk as a guard bird? Adapt the zapper of an electric fence - no, just kidding about this idea. Pray for a lightning strike?
Maybe place plastic spikes like we occasionally see over here that are designed to keep birds off of structures.
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
Thanks, you pair of ratbags. Larry, that is a gorgeous osprey that my wife took a photo of. Him, I don't mind him, as he scares off any other birds and doesn't crap everywhere. The shag likes to perch on the very top of the mast. I have been forbidden to use an air rifle etc, by she who must be obeyed.
Steve, I think you missed one ingredient in the soup: a large stone. Then, when the stone has dissolved, throw out the cormorant.
Thanks, guys, I will probably try a diluted phosphoric acid to start with
Paul and Heather Griffiths
Sarah Sue C36 Mk11 #2220
Mandurah, Western Australia
Hi Paul:
If the osprey tends to scare off other birds, perhaps you can find a "plastic" replica and hoist it on your halyard up to the spreaders so it looks like it is perched there. Just a thought as some folks up here use plastic owl replicas for the same purpose.
Tom & Janis Grover
C36 #0949
SR/WK, M25XP
Midland, ON
Tom has a good idea. Here's a photo of one I saw at a marina in Olympia, Washington that looks to be effective.
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
Larry,
Is that a spotted owl?
Cepheus dream
C36 MK I # 825
MK I Tech Editor No Mas
In the US, there is a paste like product intended to give roosting birds a "hot foot".
Not sure how effective it is, but thought it worth mentioning in case a product like this is also used in your parts.
We have also used a spike type product, but that might be difficult to install.
With flocks of starlings and crows, it is effective to disrupt the roosting time period with loud noises, such a sirens, air horns, or banging pots and pans. If you do this consistently at that right time of the evening, it can encourage the birds to move somewhere else.
We have used all of these in our schools to cut down on bird problems.
Ah, the things I have learned about pest control! Today, a colleague brought me cockroaches on a glue trap.
Laura Olsen
Past Commodore
S/V Miramar
hull 938 (MKI 1989, TR,WK, M25xp)
Edgemere, MD
Try McGuires nonskid cleaner comes in a blue spray bottle.
Had my boat stored in yard next to a rail yard that moved a lot of scrap metal, needles to say everything on the deck turned brownish color. This was the only thing that would work. Ive used it to remove seagull and goose crap also
Mark Middleton
S/V Lunacy
SW Michigan
2002 C36 MK II TR WK M35B
I know of a sailer that would sprinkle a large smelly stink boat with bread crumbs every morning. It encouraged the birds to roost on the stink boat.
I am not endorsing this practice, but it is another solution:D
Cat375 - Rock The Boat - Hull 54
Lake Macquarie - NSW - Australia
If the birds are roosting on your spreaders, I once read that you can keep them from doing so by stringing a piece of fishing line from the shroud to the mast a couple inches above the spreader. It keeps the bird from being able to balance itself over it's feet as it's chest will hit the fishing line.
Top of the mast is a whole other problem.
My main problem is purple martins, which sit on the lifelines and the jib sheets. I've seen people do the fishing line trick with little plastic things made for that purpose; clip on the lifelines. Seems like a lot of trouble.
Gary and Cathy Price
1997 C36 Mk II Tall Rig/Wing Keel Imagine...
Hull # 1617
Worton Creek, Md.
Northern Chesapeake Bay
Is the culprit really on the mast or on the spreaders?
We had a big problem with Cormerants on the spreaders, never saw one on the mast head though Ospreys do seem to like mast heads, particularly on Bennetas (sp?).
The best solution was to fasten a "U" fitting to the mast about 6" above the spreader, then run heavy fishing line ( 80 pd tst) from that "U" fitting to the stay running up in three layers at an increasing angle. This keeps them from landing on the spreader. Some people use seizing wire, which last longer, but I was concerned about the jib rubbing against any loose ends so went with the monofiliment and it works great with no in-season maintenance.
Chuck Parker
HelenRita 2072 Mk II
2002 Tall Rig - Winged Keel
Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Thank, everyone, for your help. It will be about another week before I have a chance to try any of the fixes; will let you know how it went.
Paul and Heather Griffiths
Sarah Sue C36 Mk11 #2220
Mandurah, Western Australia
Well, I haven't yet tried to deter the buggers, but I did have great success in cleaning up the mess. I used a very wet mixture of Gumption cream cleanser and a microfibre cloth. With plenty of light rubbing, it all came out well. Tip: this is also the easiest way to clean up the vinyl coating on your lifelines.
Since cleaning the deck, I spilled half a cup of black tea all over the foredeck this week at sea, which made more mess than the bloody shags, and is a lot harder to remove. So, I guess I will be asking everyone in this forum, how to get rid of a clumsy skipper. Thanks again, guys
Paul and Heather Griffiths
Sarah Sue C36 Mk11 #2220
Mandurah, Western Australia
Put the bloody tea away and have some damned coffee, it will wake you up and you won't be stumbling around spilling your tea.
Cepheus dream
C36 MK I # 825
MK I Tech Editor No Mas
Or switch to chamomile.
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
There is a beverage called a 'Long Island Iced Tea,' which if you happen to spill it on your deck, will likely not leave a stain at all. I say this because you will be on your knees slurping it off the deck rather than waste it.
Duane Ising - Past Commodore (2011-2012)
s/v Diva Di
1999 Catalina 36 Hull #1777
Std rig; wing keel, M35B, Delta (45#)
Punta Gorda, FL
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/diva-di/(link is external)
And the reason they invented white wine was to remove red wine stains in the cockpit...
Stu Jackson, C34IA Secretary, C34 #224, 1986, SR/FK, M25 engine, Rocna 10 (22#)