All about dinghy's

Nostrodamus

Nostrodamus

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www.cygnus3.com
Dinghy's. Often a pain to store, launch and recover but to anyone who lives aboard you would be lost without one.
So a few questions.

1) What is the best way to mark them to put off possible thieves and should you put the boats name on or something else. Obviously putting the boat's name is an indication there is no one aboard.

2) Similarly how do you mark your outboard?

3) Our outboard has one of those portable red fuel tanks. Do you leave this and the oars in the dingy when you leave it?

4) Do you disable the outboard in anyway, lock it to the dinghy and do you always try and lock your dinghy to a pontoon.

Thanks.
 
No name on dinghy, ours is old and an unusual colour. Don't like advertise that the boat is unattended.

The dinghy kit stays in the dinghy (fuel; oars; anchor; dry bag; torch; pump etc).

Once back onboard the engine comes off, is mounted on its block and locked. Weather depending we may winch dinghy up and always if planning an early sail the following day.
 
I always take the fuel line with me and chain it up with 6 meters of stainless chain and a big padlock, also a second lock on the outboard. I would like to find a graffiti artist to customise the outboard top case.
 
And here is a suggestion for the letter style.

cosa_nostra.jpg
 
Hi Mark

You not started moving yet???

About your dingy, we were advised by a friend to use our radio call sign on our tender as this is unique to the boat and to the layman does not advertise your boat name or that you are away from it! A can of spray paint and a template carefully cut out of light cardboard will do the trick, we did this in 2008 to our PVC dingy and it appears not to have had any affect on the fabric.
As for the engine, again as another poster has put, “spray the top of you outboard” a different an bright colour while masking off your call sign into the lid, if this is done in enamel paint and you don’t sand the area before you spray you will probably be able to T-Cut it off if you ever want to sell the engine.

As for locks, a trip over the boarder to Shepards for 6 meters of 4 or 6mm stainless cable with crimped ends and a piece of PVC hose over the cable before they crimp it is very smart and functional.

Don't waist your time with anything else, remember IF THE THEIF WANTS YOUR DINGY THEY WILL TAKE IT ANYWAY!!! So all you are doing is encouraging them not to take yours.....

Maybe see you in a few weeks, when we are on our way back East.

Take care

Darren & Vicki
 
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Putting "Tender To" on the underside satisfies insurance requirements and won't advertise that the mother ship is unoccupied. Also, I've etched it on the metal outboard pad. I take the kill cord with me, makes a trendy necklace.
 
michael_w said:
Putting "Tender To" on the underside satisfies insurance requirements and won't advertise that the mother ship is unoccupied. Also, I've etched it on the metal outboard pad. I take the kill cord with me, makes a trendy necklace.
Click to expand...

Generally speaking, the naughty people don't look underneath you dingy before they run off with it!!!!! Like you idea on etching your mounting plate for the outboard though. this could be done with a soldering iron on the inside of you dingy cowl as well, so if you do have the misfortune to have it borrowed that it may lead to a recovery later on.

Satisfying insurance is the least of your worries, getting back to the boat when you transport has gone could be :-)

Personally, I would not make any reference to the mothership and your departure from it known, especially from what I understand of the West Indies.

Hope this helps

Darren
 
Thanks Darren. All good stuff.
We did try to set off but the leaving drink got a bit out of hand in that I was not fit to sail. Will be leaving in the next couple of days.
 
The leaving night out has alot to answer for, has delayed trips for us many times!!! If we catch up and you have the material, I can sort this for you in five mins! Have a safe trip. We will be leaving Ibiza on Monday and heading your way so we will keep an eye open.

Have a safe trip


Luv Daz n Vic x
 
Nostrodamus said:
Dinghy's. Often a pain to store, launch and recover but to anyone who lives aboard you would be lost without one.
So a few questions.

1) What is the best way to mark them to put off possible thieves and should you put the boats name on or something else. Obviously putting the boat's name is an indication there is no one aboard.

Have a decent long secure wire (ours is 5m x10mm S/S wire with a swuaged hard eye at each end) and a combination lock (for when you loose the key). No obvious boat name connecting the dink to your boat! We've told insurance Co why we didn't and they are happy as we have marked the dink in other ways. Don't forget a nice long rope painter as well!!!

2) Similarly how do you mark your outboard?

We have taken off external markings and scratched, gouged the cover to make (hopefully) unsalable. On our other engine we sprayed gloss white (on a black engine) radiator paint on the cover. I've seen some people cover them with GRP matting, spray them yellow/red stripes, anything to make less attractive.

3) Our outboard has one of those portable red fuel tanks. Do you leave this and the oars in the dingy when you leave it?

Again a wire strop is your friend, attach to the lifting eyes/strong point, through the handle of the fuel tank and the handle of the outboard and back to the strong point and secure with another combination lock.

4) Do you disable the outboard in anyway, lock it to the dinghy and do you always try and lock your dinghy to a pontoon.

We always lock to a pontoon, regardless of whether it's wanted or not, hence the 5m wire. It can be moved around if needed but always secure to the dinghy dock/pontoon. The norm in the Carrib' is lift and lock your your dink at night. So make some lifting strops, lift the dink & engine to the gunnel and padlock it to the boat. Good practice and keeps it free of weed as well.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

nnnn
 
Personally, I would not make any reference to the mothership and your departure from it known, especially from what I understand of the West Indies.
Click to expand...

Now lets see we can go to the dinghy dock and then go around the anchorage trying to match it up with the yacht's name

OR

we just go around the anchorage looking for yachts without a dinghy. Yeah lets do that, mush easier mon.

BTW all the French yachts are required by French law to mark their dinks with the motherships name prefixed by Axe.
 
I have permanent bike-lock type thick wire attached tot boat and thru the handle of the petrol can handle. You can extend the bike lock wires by looping them together so three makes a nice long line. The ARBUS marine-type locks are good - i buy three at a time so when one goes over the side the next one fits wth same key.

The outboard needs to be a bit hammered/badly painted. The most attractive outbaords are 10-15 HP so i spose i am lucky that i can take a 25hp. Likewise dinghy length 8-10 feet are most popular so 12 feet hmm not so attractive.

Wriring threatening filth on the dinghy has worked well, eg "I will f***cking kill anyone who tries to steal this dinghy" or "DEATH awaits anyone messing with the dinghy" and maybe in various languages. I only did this once, in marker pen, and eventially it wore off - the fairer sex don't much like it.

I have once or twice lifted the outboard cowling and disconnected the spark plug.

Locking then up is the best way to get thieves to try another one instead.

The dink is a rib with little locker box forward so pump, oil all in there. Yep oars on the boat, always.
 
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