A rope threaded through the wire inside a Feck Off Birds replica seagull nest, ready to tie onto a boat

How To Tie Your Nest Onto Your Boat (So It Stays Put)

Jul 31, 2026

The nest does one job: it makes your boat look like the spot's already taken. But it can only do that job if it's still there when the gulls come looking. A nest that blows off the bow in the first bit of weather is doing nothing for you.

So here's how to fix it on properly. Takes about two minutes.

The trick: tie to the wire, not the twigs

Every nest is held together with a wire running through it. That wire is your anchor point. Thread your string or strap through the wire, not just around the outside twigs — and now the nest is fixed to its own frame. It can't pull apart and it can't blow away.

What you tie it with

The nest doesn't come with a string, and that's on purpose. Every boat's different, and you'll already have something on board that does the job better than anything we could put in the box. Use whatever suits where it's going:

A length of string or cord — the simplest option. Threads straight through the wire.
A strap or sail tie — good if it's going somewhere it'll cop a bit of wind.
Cable ties — quick and permanent for a spot you're not going to move it from.
Bungee or shock cord — handy on rails and frames where you want a bit of give.

Any of them work. Pick what matches the spot and what you've already got in the locker.

How to tie it on

Thread your string or strap through the wire inside the nest — the wire that holds the whole thing together. That's your anchor, and it's what stops the nest blowing away.
Tie it off to a fixed point on the boat — a rail, a frame, a cleat, a fitting down on the deck.
Pull it snug. You want the nest sitting firm where it lands, not swinging around. Snug, not strangled — it should still look like a nest, not a parcel.
Give it a tug to check. If it holds against a good pull from your hand, it'll hold against the wind.

That's it. No power, nothing flapping, nothing to install.

Where to put it

Keep it low and sheltered — down on the deck, not up high. That's where gulls actually settle in to nest: tucked into a corner, out of the wind. The spots that work best:

In a corner of the cockpit, if it's open
On the side of the gunwale
Beside the anchor winch
Tucked under a seat
Any low, sheltered nook that's caught birds before

Sheltered, but not hidden — a passing gull still has to be able to see it from above for it to work. Tucked into a corner is perfect; sealed under a full cover isn't.

If you know the spot on your own boat where they always end up — that's exactly where the nest goes. You're taking their favourite address off the market.

The mistakes that let you down

Tied too loose. The number one reason a nest goes missing. Snug it up and tug-test it.
Sealed away completely. A sheltered corner is good — that's exactly where gulls nest. But shut inside a locker or under a full boat cover, where no bird can see it at all, the nest can't send its signal. Sheltered, yes. Hidden from every bird, no.
One nest on a big boat. A gull only gives a wide berth to the patch around the nest. If you've got a big deck with three favourite spots, one nest won't cover all three. Put one in each zone.

It's built to live outside

The nest is made from natural materials and it's meant to sit out in the weather — sun, salt and wind. Tie it on and leave it. You don't bring it in, you don't dry it out, you don't do anything to it. Once it's on, it's on.

Give yourself your Saturday mornings back.

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