Boat Alarms

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Ian_Rob

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I was advised just before 18.45hrs yesterday evening that someone has broken into our boat. I will head down tomorrow to establish what has exactly been taken but the chart-plotter has gone for sure.

What can be done to secure a boat on a swinging mooring? Are intruder alarms practical? There are so many false alarms from cars where we live nobody seems to take much notice and I would hate to spoil the tranquility of the river….☹️
 
Many years ago my boat was broken into in Singapore.
So I made up a simple alarm system.
The microswitches were fastened with velcro.
Three micro switches for the cockpit locker, companionway hatch and forward hatch.
A hidden isolating switch ( now I would use a relay and fob switch.)
All of the micro switches activated the crosstree down light and a motor cycle horn that was mounted near the companionway through a timer.
This system works as a deterrent.
Actuall,y it was so popular that I made half a dozen up and sold them around the marina. (Ong's)
There was no break in on any boat after that.
Gary
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shanemax said:
Did it happen during the day or overnight.
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I don’t know. The marina is very good & makes regular river inspections but it would be easy to miss that the hatches and companionway were open or, on seeing them open, think that we were onboard….
 
Just out of interest, how many of you remove plotters from view each time you leave the boat?

I was worried I was more likely to break the plotter removing it each time with inherent risks of the brittle looking plastic case or screen cracking.
 
I have two flashing single red LEDs flashing through my dark glass windows. Two AA Duracell batteries last 6 months. Works at night. Might just put a thief off ?
 
Our boat also lives on a swing mooring in a location that I doubt anybody would notice if it had been broken into. We have fitted a couple of Amazon blink cameras that support motion detection and video recording. They alert your phone and allow live video viewing. They aren’t really going to act as a deterrent but give some peace of mind along with good insurance.
 
I have long pondered this very question.

Perhaps some sensors onboard that would activate some 'deterrents', over the years I've considered:
  • Two voices asking 'do we have any planned visits today' followed by the sound of two pump action shotguns being 'racked';
  • A blood curdling scream; or
  • A vomit inducing smell.
Hope the damage is not as bad as you feared.
 
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My plotter is just a tablet, so it's removed whenever we aren't on board. I also remove the VHF when we leave the boat for any time, as it only needs two wires and two knobs to be undone. I do like the idea of an alarm like Garymalmgren's, especially for a Gosport mooring.
 
I have a pan and tilt CCTV camera which is set to monitor the obvious boarding position on the boat. If it detects movement, it records the event, sets off a siren and alerts my phone via email. It has a SIM and is powered by a small solar panel which charges an internal battery , so completely stand alone. The siren is pretty loud, so hopefully provides some deterrent and the recording can be passed to the authorities.
 
I installed a fairly sophisticated alarm system after a break-in. Unfortunately the manufacturers had ceased trading when it broke. Do choose a supplier that will be around when you need them.
 
It’s an interesting problem. A boat on a swing mooring is a “sitting duck” and boat security makes cars in the 1980’s look like Fort Knox. But thefts of movable stuff are fairly rare in the U.K. I suspect because there’s a fairly small market for second hand electronics etc. plus an effort barrier requiring a boat to get you there and your quarry back. Marina/Pontoon security superficially looks better but stick a Musto jacket or lifejacket on and look confused at your phone “trying to find the code” and people will not only let you on the pontoon - they’ll “remind” you the code!
 
garymalmgren said:
Many years ago my boat was broken into in Singapore.
So I made up a simple alarm system.
The microswitches were fastened with velcro.
Three micro switches for the cockpit locker, companionway hatch and forward hatch.
A hidden isolating switch ( now I would use a relay and fob switch.)
All of the micro switches activated the crosstree down light and a motor cycle horn that was mounted near the companionway through a timer.
This system works as a deterrent.
Actuall,y it was so popular that I made half a dozen up and sold them around the marina. (Ong's)
There was no break in on any boat after that.
Gary
View attachment 198045
Click to expand...
My boat's small enough that with a decent 100db horn they'd disappear over the stern from the fright - I'm liking it, except I'd probably forget to disarm it one day...
 
ylop said:
boat security makes cars in the 1980’s look like Fort Knox.
Click to expand...
True, but whatever you do, a determined thief will get your stuff; your security only determines how much damage they'll do.

I've always taken the view that the nickable stuff on my boat is worth less than the cost of repairs if I make the boat "secure", so I do enough to deter a casual thief, but not so much that someone who really wants to will do irreparable damage getting in - just enough to show your insurer that I've taken reasonable steps to protect your boat.
 
how much damage they'll do.

You can have damage and damage.
What about little sh#ts sh#tting inside your boat?

Bolt cutters, crowbars and battery disc grinders will get the hatch open , but if a horn and light goes off, those little sh#ts will hoof it quick smart.
I call that damage reduction.

Gary
 
garymalmgren said:
how much damage they'll do.

You can have damage and damage.
What about little sh#ts sh#tting inside your boat?
Click to expand...
The birds do enough of that in the cockpit! I know their have been occasions where a boat is broken into for someone to use the head but its probably not common. Probably sometimes someone just takes a dump on the chart table for no good reason - but I'm willing to assume that those are mostly because you've done something to upset someone... ...like leave an alarm sounding for 48 hrs!
garymalmgren said:
Bolt cutters, crowbars and battery disc grinders will get the hatch open ,
Click to expand...
Wow, your hatch must be more secure than mine! I think a hacksaw blade and patience would get you in, assuming that the manufacturer provided lock was too hard to pick.
garymalmgren said:
but if a horn and light goes off, those little sh#ts will hoof it quick smart.
Click to expand...
probably - but if it goes off as a false alarm (especially more than once) the people what might be most likely to spot something suspicious (ie. the land neighbours) will perhaps not be so helpful!

A PIR activated light probably makes sense. An alarm that I might forget to disable before I trigger it, less so.
 
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