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Old 19 July 2004, 15:23   #1
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Securing boat afloat

Considering the number of reports on the RIBs stolen forum I'm hoping someone can give me some advice.

I'm go to be trailering the boat down to the bay of Roses where we have rented a villa with its own mooring in September. As this is the first time I will have left the boat afloat (even overnight) I am a little bit edgy.

Has anyone any good advice on things I can do to reduce the chance of the boat disappearing in the night.

Obviously removing GPS etc is a must.

As it seems pretty easy to hot wire the control box is there anything I could remove from the engine (easily) to make it inoperable (spark plugs spring to mind but is there anything else ?)

Is it worth trying to chain the boat to the jetty ? (obviously have to remember to allow for any tide.)

Cheers

Mike
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Old 19 July 2004, 15:38   #2
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Hide a cut out switch well out of sight, install a flashing LED light on the dash, keep them guessing
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Old 19 July 2004, 15:45   #3
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Being a Scouser......

..........if you remove the spark plugs, battery or even the control box ain't going to stop me from nicking you prize and joy as I'll be tootling along in my own boat and simply towing yours away to some dark and distant corner where I'll do whatever's necessary to get her going. Therefore, you need to be making it near impossible or at least extremely time consuming for me to have her away. Think high quality locks and chain, however, I'm sure the more security conscious will advise better on what to use, however, regardless of all that if your mooring is only a bit of old mild steel and rope all they need do is heave it up and cut it at the weakest link. So, choose your spot well and make sure you're well insured. Why not try and find a friendly marina or similar such traveller / resident you can link up with. Good luck, but hey, I'm staying at home that week so you should be ok
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Old 20 July 2004, 08:31   #4
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Security

My Ribcraft lives and has been there for 3 years on a mooring at Hayling Island Sailing Club and I have a stainless wire running through the mooring chain and an eye bolted on the foredeck with a good padlock , the fuel line is joined using 2 different types of joiner one Merc style and the other end an old style merc , I take this section out which makes it difficult to replace and lastly I have a battery cut out switch . Also as the bilge pump seems to have a mind of its own it usually half full of water !None of the above will stop it being towed away but it does I hope deter the joyrider element . I also moor it next to a much nicer RIB !!!
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Old 20 July 2004, 08:45   #5
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I ve been to the bay of roses - nice area, gets rough in the afternoon ideal for wave jumping. Unfortunatly, I was in a sailing dinghy not a RIB.

When leaving the boat afloat even on a pontoon I chain the bow eye to the pontoon. An engine lock is a good idea but its unlikely anyone is going to lift a 55HP off when the boat is floating! I always take off the fuel, kill cord and on my boat I have a secret, hidden battery isolater switch. I also always cover up the engine and put a taurpaulin over the boat, with some added bird crap which makes the boat look worse than it is
The most important thing however is insurance.
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Old 20 July 2004, 10:31   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MeMe
..........if you remove the spark plugs, battery or even the control box ain't going to stop me from nicking you prize and joy as I'll be tootling along in my own boat and simply towing yours away to some dark and distant corner where I'll do whatever's necessary to get her going. ok
MeMe sounds like your up to your old tricks again.....

the old addage comes to mind......send a thief to catch a thief !!
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Old 20 July 2004, 11:14   #7
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All, sorry if I am about to sound shitty!!!!

I think we should all keep the details of how we attempt to secure our boats or slow down thiefs off this public domain. If I was a thief I would be reading forums like this for a number of reasons:

1/ To workout what boats are hot
2/ To locate the boats
3/ To read & learn the sort of stuff you have written above

Now this presents us will with a problem, how do we share ideas if we dont talk about them .... maybe a members only security forum could be one way, but that does not stop a thief from becoming a member. Its a difficult call.

As far as securing a floating boat goes .... its real hard to stop it being taken, especially when afloat. Yes make it as hard as possible by dissabling the engine etc, however I have read of many occasions where the theif has caused damage trying to get a dissabled boat working, and others where they have vadalised the thing in frustration - but the boat was not taken.
Some are simply towed off ... but this makes getaway hard.

I think you have to take steps to aid recovery. Mark the boat parts up well, by punching serial numbers on engine blocks etc. UV pens with postcode and address on engine parts etc. Paint your address on the airducts under the engine cover. Mark up the tubes, hull etc. Take photos and good records of serial numbers, many people don't have a clue what the serial numbers of their boats are. Consider fitting a tracking device (this is what I am researching for mine at the moment).

Get good insurance, and review it each year to ensure upgrades to electronics etc have been covered.
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Old 20 July 2004, 12:34   #8
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Thanks all

Alot of very usefull info there.

Andy - unfortuantely you are probably right - it is shame that we have to be this paranoid. I didn't think of that.

Cheers

Mike
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Old 20 July 2004, 12:52   #9
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You also have to understand what the thief wants and why they are specifically targetting a rib, most security devices including a heavy chain and padlock will detter a casual thief looking for and easy opportunity, but some come prepared to take your craft no matter what you do to secure it on water or land !! its a fact... !

I had Daniel tow me home a few months ago after the southend air show, we got back to my boat which we'd left on a swinging mooring with other boats, rigged up a bridle and tow line and towed it off out to sea and no one challenged us or ask any questions, in fact no one took a blind bit of notice as to what we were actually doing...is it really that easy to steal a boat, simply drive up, tie a line on and tow it away....we couldn't believe it ourselves, had we been real thieves we'd have had a trailer tucked up on some remote slipway some place, towed it in, trailered it up and away we'd have gone !!!

So ask yourself the question, what do they really want:

the engine
the VHF or electronics
the kit left on board
and is it really that easy to sell on a stolen boat in this day and age ?
or are they stealing them for a more sinister purpose, ie smuggling or whats becoming more popular....people smuggling ??
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Old 20 July 2004, 14:00   #10
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Some very good points........

.....there, especially from Andy. It's given me some food for thought especially in making some additional notes of serial numbers, identifying marks (chips/repairs/scratches) etc to assist in determining recovery.

One little tip on a similar subject...

I can't tell you how many times I've mislaid my mobile telephone, lost a walki talki or even my treasured writing pen. Recently I've started affixing little notes inside these items with my address, email and telephone number on. For example, if you take the back off of my mobile phone, VHF, GPS, WalkiTalki or even unscrew my pen you'll find a little not saying "Reward if returned" contact......

Last month in Cyprus I left my mobile in the airport lounge without realising it I proceded to the gate where I was greeted by a lady with the phone who had taken it out of its case, seen the note, punched my name into the computer, found my flight and retuned the phone. Wierd but true.
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Old 20 July 2004, 14:37   #11
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These all are sensible precautions but the reality is you`ll NEVER stop a determined thief.

My best suggestion is keep your boat out of sight when stored, but I`d also put all sensible precautions you can on it, and have a good insurance policy!

Chris
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Old 20 July 2004, 21:06   #12
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Lots of good points on this thread. My 2p's worth.

Make your security unusual if you can.
Have it howl really loud if there's tampering with your boat
Keep it to yourself.
Never have your post code displayed on your boat. It would take 2mins on the internet to find out where you live.
Look into tracking YOU have complete charge of. No reliance on others.
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Old 20 July 2004, 23:08   #13
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If you are really worried and have a spare £600.00 fit a GPS tracking system......

ie, the boat tells you where it is......


regards

Gazza
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Old 21 July 2004, 00:11   #14
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If they want it they will take it.

As CJL says ,at the end of the day if a decent theif wants to take your boat he will, no matter what lengths you go to in securing it.They do not need to read this forum to get tips. You are only going to stop the little oppertunist scroats. Good insurance cover is my advice.
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