have you seen the film were the robbers dig under the wrong bank

[Daniel TD5]

i came home from shopping to day to find our local met police unit sitting next door checking the garden out after a brief convesation its turns out the little f****ers tryed to take the door off her garage with a 4x4 and made the other door look like it was made of rubber it was totally bent in half the officer
said looks like they got the wrong one sir nice boat you have in your garage i
would find some wear new to keep that sir hope its insured
now i am very sad that after less than two months i may have to sell my boat
due to the scum that we have to put up with now a days who will just take what they want and f**K every one

sorry about the ** but i am so upset both my kids have been asking when the robbers are coming to take dads new rib all day

a very sad day

dan

[Nasher]

Sorry to hear that Dan, I've been having some interesting calls about my Flatacraft I'm trying to sell at the moment.

I explain to callers how the boat is kept in secure storage elseware, and that I will tow the boat to my house and have it on the drive for the viewing.

4 callers so far have insisted on arranging to meet where the boat is stored, which I have not agreed to. All of them have just put the phone down on me, I may be thinking the worse, but cannot think of any reason other than they want the boat without paying for it.

Sad that you need to be so careful.

Nasher.

[Noddy]

Just to add salt into the wound I am dealing with cases where outboards have been locked on boats with approved devices and they have been removed by thieves just chain sawing through the transom!! This is on the Thames by the way!
Although it is not the complete solution I have advised that you engrave your post code and phone number all over the engine especially on the cover just to make it unsaleable!
I was impressed at the last Beaulieu Boat Jumble when the police were there checking second hand outboards for their serial numbers etc.
So it is important to record all details you can.
Martyn

[codprawn]

Use your imagination properly and all such problems can be overcome - I actually pity the person who takes my boat(when I eventually get it)!

[Daniel TD5]

is it worth living in fear of coming home to find its gone or as you say the
ribs is recked with a chain saw for the engine

[roohairy]

Sorry to hear about this Daniel, have experienced similar things myself so I know how you feel. I hope you find some solution that allows you to keep the boat. It's a sad reflection on our society isn't it?

[Hightower]

All I can say is that you make sure you've got enough insurance to cover the cost of the complete outfit. Keep it where you will, the robbing buggers will always find a way of knicking it if they want it and if they can't steal it they'll knife your tubes instead which might be harder to claim for. Some kids tried to pull off a fire extingisher on the Jackeens RIB Zebadee just before RIBex and that was on a poontoon I belive.

It's easy to say don't get attached to your RIB, but when you've spent alot of time maintaining, cleaning and generally using her, it's very difficult isn't it!!

Dan, I'm sorry for the restless nights sleep your going to get tonight. All I can suggest is to get a very powerfull siren tomorrow, rig it up inside your garage with a 500w halogen light to a 10 second timer and a secret switch and sink a steel ring into the concrete floor to chain your trailer to. The Idiots wouldn't have thought that the trailer will be fixed to the floor inside a garage and will probably flee with the 160db sound ringing in their ears.
Andy

[EdwardH]

Hi all,

I thought I'd give a recommendation... as Hightower says - a ground anchor is a good idea - and can i recommend ALMAX chains?

I have had two of these now and they are superb - far far more resilient to bolt croppers (yes, I have lost the keys a few times) than Kryptonite or Oxford etc...

I believe they are about 100 GBP but well worth it. Ask at your local motorcycle shop...

B and Q do a good dual 500W PIR floodlight for about 30 quid...

[Richard B]

I think I've got some 10kv stepup transformers somewhere if you want one... if you get within about 3" of it, you'll get zapped and you'll tingle like hell for about half an hour!

[Daniel TD5]

the insurance company only wanted a wheel clamp and tow hitch lock

i have put the boat in a garage made of wood not the best a bunker would be better i have fitted two pad locks to each door. i allso screw the doors up
during the week i have a engine lock wheel clamp hitch lock all fitted when
in side my garage all now have a alarm fitted with door mags and two pir
ok its only from argos but its very lound with battrey back up i will all so fit
a under floor anchor but as you say if they can,t get it out they will only damage it i will let you know if it all works

dan

[Bilge Rat]

Daniel i think you've done the correct thing in arming and upgrading your security at home, make it hard for them and they will go else where, most burglaries are crimes of opportunity, if they think or know there's something in there worth having they'll have a go at it, like wise if you make it easy for them to get in they will again have a go, make it hard and they are more than likely to go next door.
The only exception to this is if they know its in there and they want it, then there's not much you can do as a dedicated thief will come armed with the right kit to get it and the determination to brake your security.

Again if you keep your boat off sight be careful who you tell where it is, IMHO i'd be more trusting going to the owners address to view a boat for sale rather than a dodgy lock up garage around the back of knowhere's vile
(no offence meant to owners of lock up garages )

lastly if you need somewhere to store it for a short while whilst upgrading security or while waiting for the immidiate threat to pass you can alwasy leave it at my place (and the keys)

[Rogue Wave]

Hi Dan your neighbour doesn't want to look after my Camel for a while does she?

It's a sad fact of life that thieves can make a tidy income nowadays and the only thing you can do is take the right precautions to make it difficult for them. ( I am not having a go at the police by the way!)

The advice here is good, you can also take of one of your trailer wheels and stash it somewhere (loft?)

when you are putting in your ground anchor....Dont mess about in b and q go to a fastening shop and tell em what you want it for and see what they come up with?

Nasher I guess those callers numbers didn't come up when you dialled 1471?

[Jono]

I have upgraded my security system... I told Keith there was a chap hanging around my boat who'd called him a poof......

Those who know Pwllheli will know how effective this can be.....

Cheers. Jono

[Matt]

I know of 'a place' with 2 high locked steel gates, barbed wire all round it, and a bloke who lives on site for security. Within a short time of him moving on site, someone broke in and nicked his wallet.

In yer garage, have you thought about setting up a webcam? You can either publish the webcam image on the internet, so you can watch it, or save it to the hard drive. You could even go posh and use a laptop, thereby having a built in UPS.

[Andy Beach]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

you can also take of one of your trailer wheels and stash it somewhere (loft?)

Word of caution - if your insurance policy requires a wheel lock to be fitted you must have one fitted with the wheel on the trailer. Insurance will not pay out if there were no wheels and hence no wheel lock, even if you think other measures are more secure (Rogue Wave - noted that you say to remove one wheel so maybe you're aware of this issue).

A hard lesson learnt by many a caravan owner (and I have checked it applies to other trailer-able items as well !!).

Andy Beach

[thorper]

Our dive club boat was stolen from a university compound last year. The compound had 10foot mesh fences and a chained padlocked gate. Due to a problem with the bearings one of the wheels had fallen off the trailer and it was on blocks. However they cut through the fence at the back to check the boat out, and when it came to being stolen, they must have had a low loader / crane truck to take it away with. Sadly the compound was a bit remote which made it easy for them.

I figure the most satisfying thing to do would be to fit a tracker and nail the people that stole it!

Ricky

[Mark Halliday]

Originally Posted by Noddy

Just to add salt into the wound I am dealing with cases where outboards have been locked on boats with approved devices and they have been removed by thieves just chain sawing through the transom!!
Martyn

A strip of stainless right across the transom, held on by the top engine mount bolts and some S/S security screws, and/or Sikaflex will break a chainsaw blade. When is brakes, one can only hope thet it does some to damage to the guy doing the cutting. I bet he won't be wearing all the saefty gear.

[Bilge Rat]

Originally Posted by Andy Beach

Word of caution - if your insurance policy requires a wheel lock to be fitted you must have one fitted with the wheel on the trailer. Insurance will not pay out if there were no wheels and hence no wheel lock, even if you think other measures are more secure (Rogue Wave - noted that you say to remove one wheel so maybe you're aware of this issue).

A hard lesson learnt by many a caravan owner (and I have checked it applies to other trailer-able items as well !!).

Andy Beach

So how does your insurance company know if a wheel lock had been fitted or not if the boat and trailer are now some place else, ? we've all seen the documentries where they film thieves removing wheel locks in seconds, so how hard can it be to someone intent on steeling your boat ! and if its been stolen and they ask you "was there a wheel lock fitted" your hardly likey to say no are you.
When mine gets nicked my golf clubs, video camera and his and hers matching mink coats will be onboard

[Daniel TD5]

bilge rat

i would not be worrie about the boat getting nicked its just the food i store
in the ice box would cost millions to replace

are we doing knock john at the weekend

dan

[Bilge Rat]

Dan

Depends what the weathers doing and what Davies is doing and of course how much food you've got in the fridge too

Dan i didn't say dont bring Bethany, what i did say was you might want to think about whether or not its suitable trip for a family outing !!! unless of course you've bought her a dry suit