That’s right, orange construction fence. We kept our boat in a mooring field on Long Island Sound that was dominated by ornery New York City seagulls. They probably cut their teeth working landfills and weren’t intimidated by any traditional gull repellents. On the launch ride out, I could see the white splatter all over the hard top and the crushed shells and crab parts on the bow. The dockmaster at this establishment, a great guy also named Pete, came up with a great system for keeping the sonsofbitches at bay.

You can buy a 50′ roll of orange construction fence at the hardware store for about $20. I hooked one end to the bow cleat, rolled it over the hard top, getting elevation off the top with a fender snugged underneath, and tethered the other end off the stern. I cut the extra from the roll and stowed it in a locker for backup.

When it was time to boat, I just unhooked the installed piece, rolled it up, and stowed it away. The whole process took less than five minutes and the seagulls never got purchase on the hardtop or deck again.