Now that idea (chocolate cake made with ex-lax) I like!We are lucky - touchwood - only to have the odd breaking into boats at our club; rather than pro thieves, it's usually junior lowlives on summer holidays; last time this happened a few years ago they came a few times and did some damage, stole things like torches and bino's, but threw a chum's generator into the water out of sheer malice.
Then they tried it again, and one of them got stuck in the mud, had to be rescued; the trail of footprints out to a boat made a national paper's front page - yes, unfortunately he was rescued by Coastguard - as juniors we're not allowed to photograph them - officially - but they know that we know who they are, seems they've gone elsewhere to pollute somewhere else nowadays.
We discussed a night patrol on a rota, but there is a huge snag to this; if one or two club members - quite possibly well into retirement age - did come across some lowlife up to no good, what are they going to do ? Police won't respond, and they might well be up against a violent nuttter high on something.
I have used a camera with a powerful flashgun to good effect in the past, but as a general 24/7 solution it's hard to beat CCTV with night vision - and lots of notices mentioning it.
A boat on a mooring is very vulnerable, it's difficult to strike the right balance between too easy to get in - or too much damage if the lowlife are determined.
I have heard of blue water sailors having a bottle of scotch laced with poison, so if they get intruders ' at least they'll take them with them ' - that's probably frowned on officially, so maybe leave out a chocolate cake made with ex-lax ?!
We are lucky - touchwood - only to have the odd breaking into boats at our club; rather than pro thieves, it's usually junior lowlives on summer holidays; last time this happened a few years ago they came a few times and did some damage, stole things like torches and bino's, but threw a chum's generator into the water out of sheer malice.
Then they tried it again, and one of them got stuck in the mud, had to be rescued; the trail of footprints out to a boat made a national paper's front page - yes, unfortunately he was rescued by Coastguard - as juniors we're not allowed to photograph them - officially - but they know that we know who they are, seems they've gone elsewhere to pollute somewhere else nowadays.
We discussed a night patrol on a rota, but there is a huge snag to this; if one or two club members - quite possibly well into retirement age - did come across some lowlife up to no good, what are they going to do ? Police won't respond, and they might well be up against a violent nuttter high on something.
I have used a camera with a powerful flashgun to good effect in the past, but as a general 24/7 solution it's hard to beat CCTV with night vision - and lots of notices mentioning it.
A boat on a mooring is very vulnerable, it's difficult to strike the right balance between too easy to get in - or too much damage if the lowlife are determined.
I have heard of blue water sailors having a bottle of scotch laced with poison, so if they get intruders ' at least they'll take them with them ' - that's probably frowned on officially, so maybe leave out a chocolate cake made with ex-lax ?!
I own a boat on a canal mooring, i am also a very experienced security installation and servive engineer, running my own bespoke business for 30 years.
