Best Way to lock your boat...

[rotrax]

For us the advantage of owning our own boat is that we can leave our gear on board so we have it ready for use. Our boat has substantial 3/4 inch teak washboards and we have just fitted one of the "Hatchlatch" hasp and staples with a S/S close shackle padlock. As a previous poster said, not cheap but about as good as you can get. We use the close shackle lock when leaving the boat for any length of time and the heavy "Master" combination lock if just popping ashore for a little while-we then dont have to take any keys.

 

[CreakyDecks]

I found to my expense long ago that a really stout wash board is the first step. They kicked in the ply wash boards it is now thick Aluminium. I use a simple hasp and staple with keyed padlock. I got 4 identical keyed padlocks. One for hatch one for back locker one for dinghy one for oars int he dinghy. i't been safe for a few years now. olewill

They kicked my ply washboard in last winter. I've replaced it with one just as weak! The reason for this is that the four boats in our yard with secure doors had their fore hatches smashed through instead. £20 for a new piece of plywood or several hundred for a new fore hatch? Next winter I won't lock it, there is nothing in there then anyway.
If scum want in they will get in.

 

[wallydoo]

Try a 12 bore in the companion way

 

[Ben Dockrell 22]

If you have a modest boat like meself and you can see one or two posh boats around and you can see or you know they dont have particularly good security because the owners said so to you when you have made a bit more of an effort then you could try parking next to thier boats and hope any thief has got enough experience to see who is the juicer and easier pickings ?.

 

[Ben Dockrell 22]

Try a 12 bore in the companion way

or one or two hidden bear traps, the big strong vicious ones used on adult polar
bears.

*makes note to check on legal side of this idea*

 

[kevink 6771]

Why not make an alarm ?
a couple of contacts on the hatch and door?
Connect via a switch to a car horn hidden in the boat somewhere?
maybe with a way of activating some pepper spray too?

 

[Ben Dockrell 22]

As i said only minutes ago on a thread regarding thefts worth millions of pounds by one gang over the last few years the place where security begins and ends is with the marinas, they must greatly increase thier security measures as boats by and large are not designed to meet high standards of security.

Failing this i will affix a plank to my bow and any criminals caught in the act will be forced to walk the plank and swimmers will be videoed untill they ermm decide to stop swimming and i cant see any more bubbles.

 

[onesea]

As i said only minutes ago on a thread regarding thefts worth millions of pounds by one gang over the last few years the place where security begins and ends is with the marinas, they must greatly increase thier security measures as boats by and large are not designed to meet high standards of security.

Failing this i will affix a plank to my bow and any criminals caught in the act will be forced to walk the plank and swimmers will be videoed untill they ermm decide to stop swimming and i cant see any more bubbles.

Ben not all boats are kept in marina's... Part of the reason I did not respond to your comments...

 

[Ben Dockrell 22]

Hello Onesea

I dont recall posting any comment which was critical of you in regards to making or not making any response to me.

I am sorry if you feel that i have, may i ask why you felt the need to explain anything to me?


Choosing to repond or not to anyone weather thats in the physical public domain or the virtual public domain. its anyones choice and needs no apology

hence no worries either way

 

[Zen Zero]

Why not make an alarm ?
a couple of contacts on the hatch and door?
Connect via a switch to a car horn hidden in the boat somewhere?
maybe with a way of activating some pepper spray too?

A good while back I read a post on a US forum about rigging an automatic tear gas dispenser for use on pirates. A gun-fight on the high seas, according to the poster, would give the advantage to the pirates who can be assumed to be more familliar with the use of firearms in such conditions (quite an astute thought for an American! But I think he mentioned he was South African). The idea is you arm it, get yourself and crew into the dinghy when boarding by pirates is imminent, row off a safe distance, wait for the pirates to go below and then set it off by radio control! The pirates will retreat, coughing and wiping their eyes, to their own boat where they will bemoan their harsh treatment and you and your crew can then row back to your yacht and continue your journey (with everyone above deck and the hatches open for a few days).

I'm sure a similar system can be rigged to a motion detector for use as a tea-leaf deterrent.

 

[rogerthebodger]

A good while back I read a post on a US forum about rigging an automatic tear gas dispenser for use on pirates. A gun-fight on the high seas, according to the poster, would give the advantage to the pirates who can be assumed to be more familliar with the use of firearms in such conditions (quite an astute thought for an American! But I think he mentioned he was South African). The idea is you arm it, get yourself and crew into the dinghy when boarding by pirates is imminent, row off a safe distance, wait for the pirates to go below and then set it off by radio control! The pirates will retreat, coughing and wiping their eyes, to their own boat where they will bemoan their harsh treatment and you and your crew can then row back to your yacht and continue your journey (with everyone above deck and the hatches open for a few days).

I'm sure a similar system can be rigged to a motion detector for use as a tea-leaf deterrent.

The problem with that is that either the pirates will open fire with their AK's on you while in the dinghy or take you hostage to their mother ship as they did with a South African couple currently still been held by pirates in Somalia.

 

[Zen Zero]

The problem with that is that either the pirates will open fire with their AK's on you while in the dinghy or take you hostage to their mother ship as they did with a South African couple currently still been held by pirates in Somalia.

Yes, I don't remember that scenario being explored in the post, the poster seemed absolutely certain that things would play out as he described.

I must point out that we have no such aparatus on board Nereide. With the law enforcement measures and port facilities we have in the Tyrrenian Sea, we have no need for pirates!

However there are plenty of nasty little tea-leaves.

 

[Ben Dockrell 22]

I think the guy your talking about is assuming too much ie all the pirates would be coming to board your boat.

The ones in reserve / back up would then kill you.

Hope this clears up any rose tinted glassey misunderstandings

 

[Ben Dockrell 22]

*Makes note: Bullet proof life jackets*

 

[johnphilip]

Ideally:
1) I would like a key less system, I am not very good at remembering keys

Do as I do, have the boat key, the house key and the car key on one ring, then I cannot drive to boat without the key or go home and not be able to get in.

 

[davidej]

Combination locks do have their downside.

A friend and I went ashore leaving a yacht so equipped at anchor. Due to unexpected circumstances we returned after dark without -yes, you've guessed it - a torch.

We had to motor the dink about a bit to find someone still awake who would lend us one.

 

[Stemar]

This is a thought that's exercised my little brain recently. I'm fairly good with keys as I can't get out to Jissel unles I have the fob to open the club's outboard store and iinfaltable boat store. This, plus a couple of essential boat keys lives on a lanyard that I keep in my car - a foolproof system until the day I took a mate out and we went down in his car...

I'm thinking along the lines of a keyswitch with 5 magnetic switches and the loudest siren I can find (I've found 120db, I'd prefer 160) firmly bolted to the coachroof & facing the cockpit, the wiring in an armoured sheath so it'll take too long to cut for any but the most profoundly deaf to be able to stick around, and the whole thing connected to my bilge pump circuit so I don't turn it off when I isolate the battery.

The switches are for the companionway hatch, forehatch, two cockpit lockers and the lazarette. The keyswitch would be somewhere reasonably sheltered, in the cockpit, with a cover to keep the weather out. I don't reckon I need any delay built in - I won't forget it - at least, not while I've still got the tinnitus from the first time

One issue I can see is the need for it to reset itself if someone sets it off and leaves something open. Any ideas?

Any other obvious snags?

 

[RFML]

Any other obvious snags?

They may not be able to cut the sheaths easily, but what about pulling them out or even use a screwdriver and a hammer to the wires? Five second job, including getting the right tools.

Also, I foresee a legal problem with a 160db siren. You could seriously injure your neighbours ears, or the harbour master's, for that matter.

For each 6db increase in SPL (sound pressure level) you double the perceived volume. So, from 120db>126=doubling, 126>132=doubling, 132>138=doubling, 138-144=doubling, 144-150=doubling, 150-156=doubling, 156-160=60 percent increase.

What that means is that your 160db (SPL) siren would sound more than a hundred times (102, actually) as loud as the 120db. In other words, you would perceive the 120db one to have the volume of less than one percent of the one with 160db.

I would think that a siren with 120db SPL (look for that SPL acronym) and making sure they measured it the required one meter/40 inches from the actual siren, and you should be all set.

 

[LadyInBed]

Why not make an alarm ?
a couple of contacts on the hatch and door?
Connect via a switch to a car horn hidden in the boat somewhere?
maybe with a way of activating some pepper spray too?

my boat is fitted with an alarm system complete with blue strobe light!
It didn't stop the scrotes attempting a break-in, the vibration sensor set the alarm off but not before the crow-bar had damaged the door!

With an alarm, what is needed is a pressure mat so the alarm goes off before they set to work on the door

 

[Ben Dockrell 22]

Another thought is over the last ten years you can get sonic type devices which disoriantate and induce vomiting ( like des o conner or terry wogan cds). but obs not so brutal.

Id heard of a passenger vessel which had a large sonic cannon to deter would be pirate boarders.

The boat owner could set an alarm which triggers the cctv to show you whats going on whereever you might be,if the situation is you need to get rid of the theives you remotely turn on the sonic device, propably best done on a swinging mooring or at anchor,not to near to other boats or people.