Plagued by birds...
Viridian
Sun 26 Mar 2023 13:31
COG: 236
SOG: 6.6kn
Wind: 120 8.5kn
Current: 300 1.0kn
We had light easterlies through yesterday but managed to continue to sail using the asymmetric spinnaker.
We changed to genoa at dusk as the wind veered to the south east.
The wind continued from SE at 5-8kn with occasional 10kn puffs overnight.
Similar conditions this morning - hope it stays like this for a while….
Since we are the only floating thing out here for hundreds of miles, we have become a magnet for lazy seabirds.
Last night be had a load hitching a ride on board - on the radar dome; the dinghy davits; both sets of spreaders; the mast head tricolour and several were on the pulpit.
There are quite a few more seabirds than there are perches on the boat, so its like a constant violent game of musical chairs with the interlopers making occasional forays to try to unseat the incumbents - who defend their positions with lots of noise and aggression.
Sadly with lots of seabirds comes lots of seabird shit so we have to scare them off the boat. This morning I managed to get rid of all of them bar one, I used the spinnaker halyards to move the ones on the spreaders. Shame I didn’t think of that last night because they were the ones in the best position for the maximum distribution of guano…and they took full advantage of their opportunity.
The one remaining seabird is a very smug looking blue beaked booby. It has defended its position on the pulpit from the other birds with enthusiasm and vigour and clearly wants to stay with us. Whenever I scare it off with the boat hook he simply flies around the boat a few times until I go back to the cockpit and then returns. I need a cunning plan!