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Arrghgh...As we near the good weather, my wife and I decided to go visit our at the storage yard to do a quick inspection before we start to get her ready for the water in a couple weeks...

As we pulled up, I noticed the ladder was down...uh oh...Sure enough, when I climbed into the cockpit I noticed that the lock was also gone...As I open the hatch, I'm envisioning some lunatic living in my boat but fortunately, it was empty! Actually, very empty since both my marine batteries were gone!!!

I must say that as criminals go, these criminals were very curteous...other than cutting off the lock and taking the batteries, they did no damage to the boat...they even unscrewed all of the electrical connections instead of simply cutting them...

My question is this...have any of you installed security in your boat? Any recomendations for a boat that will sit in a storage yard for 5 months of the year???

Thanks,
Rich.

Sounds like a visit from the 'good' thieves. I lived in Naples, Italy, for several years and a significant number of the population listed their occupation as burglary/larceny. Almost every week, my car would be siphoned of fuel. However, in their 'goodness', they replenished it enough for me to be able to get to the petrol station, for another tank.

If there were any packages or sacks visible in your car, the little corner window would be popped. All food stuffs would be gone, but your camera and binoculars would remain. The rumor was, that if you came upon these urchins and happened to injure one of them, you were liable for their support and sustenance.

Rich, is this yard fenced? What kind of rent are you paying? Is there a 'contract'. Check with one of your attorney pals to see what exposure the yard, or it's carrier has to insure against such loss.

I am very fortunate to have my boat ten feet from my front door. But, if I had it stored, I think I'd just choose a place based on it's record of security issues! If you think about it, thieves are just that...dirty rotten thieves! I would just say you were in fact lucky that they didn't tear the boat up in the process of making off with your batteries. I am sorry to hear about your loss though. Time to upgrade those batteries? Yea, my cup is half full!

I was on vacation in Fla. a while back, and the scoundrels knocked off my rental car by smashing the window, and making off with very valuable items. Although we lost several thousands, it could have been worse....I suppose, as carjacking seems to the norm out here lately. We have had several in the past few weeks, and no one really injured yet, but I am sure that will happen soon also, as it has in the past.

Sometimes I suppose you just count your lucky stars, get good insurance, and let the bad karma impose it's brand of justice for those who tresspass against us....do it's deed!

If ya think about it, if a thief wants in bad enough, they will just destroy any method you have to try and foil him! A cheap small lock is all I use, and figure it just keeps honest people, honest!

A common MO of thieves is to simply use a chainsaw to cut the transom away and haul your outboardoff in a truck. Whole process takes but a brief usage of the saw, cut the control cables and its gone. Some storage yards lose several outboardson the same night!

Captain Steve, now that's really horrible. Those poor folks probably won't even want to salvage the boat after an antic like that. I'd sure be very dubiuos to ANY attempt at repairing a transom. That IS extensive damage! The integrity is really comprimised after something like that happening!

Sometimes I really wonder about the unsrcupulous antics of some people!

Maybe I'll start using plastic ties to lock my boat up!

I have two words. Land mines.

After a while, you won't even need to use live mines anymore. The craters around your boat should be a good enough deterrent.

Or, I saw some rather ingenious designs for IED's while I was in Iraq. I think it's time we got serious about boat security.

Jared

SPC Paul, well, as I know you a really just joking about IED's and land mines.....uh, I keep the SS shotgun loaded with slugs....yea I'm that good of a shot! The 'ol rock salt loads, are kids stuff!

We had an oppertunity to move to a large Canadian city a few years ago, and although we have grandchildren there, we decided against it fo a number of reasons. I was chatting to a chap at the local resevoir ,where they sail in the middle of town, and asked him awhat it was like as far as security . He told me , that unless you had a moor you had to pull your boat, and dry store it, but you had to take everything off it, they dont allow motors, but sails and everything that wasn't nailed down had to go with you. Even the boats that were moored weren.t safe. One chap had some fairly scarse parts stored on his for a boat he was re-fitting,and the "little criminal bastards" got a dingy, rowed out, broke into his boat and threw the parts overboard.We keep ours in a slip for the summer, and I usually lock it, but never worry about anything going astray.The joys of small towns.fair winds..Jim in Canada

Rich,

Have you considered asking the police to check for fingerprints? Don't know if they'll do that over a couple of batteries but depending on the type of batteries, hull, you could be talking $400 or more. Not too far away from grand theft. sounds like pros who probably wore gloves anyway.

Remember Guys, Boobytrap theft prevention is illegal!!

And accidents do happen.

My problem with booby traps is that with advancing age my memory is failing... liklihood is, that if I left a trap like a rusty nail through a board on the companionway step, it would be me that would end up stepping on it!

I hear ya, Kevin! Good insurance and locks that break before what they're locking.

--
Moe

Thieves cost me $1,000 last year. Once they broke into the boat and once into the gear locker behind it. Boat on trailer and next to a low stone wall separating our sailing club from the city park in the near-to-bad-district of town. Twisted the locks until they broke open. They took stuff they could carry and pawn easy. Did NOT take two outboards in the locker. Did NOT take the VHFs or a remote from the boat. DID take new binocculars, am/fm/cd radio from its mount, swim fins, wheeled motor carrier, gas tanks and hoses, and the PFD bag to carry stuff in, etc.

Since then the club has installed perimeter lighting. Since then we moved boat and locker to lighted center of yard away from city park. Since then I have installed an electric fence charger (works for cattle) in the locker wired to all external metal parts. For a while I had an old Radio Shack motion detecting security system in the boat with an external siren and strobe light but it would go off for no good reason and bother people so I stopped it. I plan to look for a newer one someday, after the horse is gone.

About anything you do to light up your boat and/or call attention to it if it is boarded will help to deter theft. The brighter and louder the better. There are countless 12 volt automobile security systems available and most 120 volt AC home systems have 12 volt DC backup. You can make these systems as simple or complex as floats your boat. Insurance is a poor remedy for damage to the boat or loss of prized possessions. Marine insurance often does not cover "personnel" items and the marine and homeowners deductibles may be too high to help. They were for me and I couldn't claim anything.

Scott wrote:Remember Guys, Boobytrap theft prevention is illegal!!

Yes it is, but I'm still picturing a James Bond movie where the bad guy walks up to the Lotus, reads the "Warning, protected by security system" sticker on the window, lifts the door handle anyway and BOOM! Giant Fireball!

At least they didn't damage your boat too much.