I keep a small john boat mostly for fishing which gets boarded by sea lions, gulls and otters. They make a mess and chew wires an decking. I’m not allowed to shoot them but short of taking my boat out of the water what can I do?
Sea lions, seals, sea otters and gulls are just some animals that can cause problems once they board your vessel. Boats at sea in use rarely have this problem but once at port or if moored for any length of time, it’s highly likely some unwanted animal will find it’s way on board. Most people think of wharf rats or other vermin to be likely boat invaders but in fact, some pretty “lovable” creatures can be just as much of a nuisance.
Additionally, many of these animals are either endangered or protected by local gaming divisions of government. For this reason it’s usually against the law to randomly shoot them. Live trapping may be an option but it’s usually not the most productive idea. Since it’s the ocean we’re talking about here, expect a never ending supply of wildlife to find your boat. That means unless you have nothing better to do with your time, expect to be relocating trapped animals most every day. So just what can a frustrated boat owner do to keep seals, otters, sea gulls or other unwanted guests off their vessel?
One of the best tools currently available to achieve this goal is our MOTION ACTIVATED WATER SPRAY. This device uses a motion sensor and once an animal boards your vessel a powerful blast of water can be set to release in a direction you control. Vessels up to 25 feet long can generally be protected with just one spray head but this will mostly be based on the water pressure available and the layout of the boat you want to protect. On land, these units are generally supplied with water from a garden hose. On the water, boat owners have been using their “on board” freshwater supply system as a water supply and when docked, the local water spigot. Each sensor head is powered by a 9 V battery so electricity is not needed.
The great thing about this device is that it’s both durable and hard-working. Once configured it will generally work flawlessly for 6 to 12 months maintenance free. And unlike many chemical or other scare frightening devices, animals tend to be and remain afraid of water being sprayed at them so it should work for many years keeping the deck of your boat “animal free”.
Here is a link to a recent newspaper article citing this unit being employed.
MOTION ACTIVATED WATER SPRAYER AT WORK ON BOATS
And the following video shows it in action.
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