Boat Safe i.e. small secure lockable steel box

Flossdog

Flossdog

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Has anyone got somewhere really safe on board to store valuable documents and money/ccards etc? If so what was your solution? Made to measure or off the shelf?
 
Flossdog said:
Has anyone got somewhere really safe on board to store valuable documents and money/ccards etc? If so what was your solution? Made to measure or off the shelf?
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Wonder about this from time to time. Thought about glassing in some bolts to be able to mount lock box somewhere.
wonder about how big too? passports, keys and wallet or include lap-top, pad etc. Then the removable gps and chart plotter from the helm? box is getting bigger all the time.

Sadly keys and or code likely to be lost by certain members of my regular crew.
 
Do a search on car safes, we have one on a steel cable in the car that I use when diving but you can get ones with proper fitting brackets a bit like a radio housing but stronger, sizes vary a lot as well
 
I had exactly the same need and found a caravan accessory shop which had a wide range of sizes with key or electronic locks.

My biggest problem was locating it in a semi concealed position without easy access to the mounting bolts.

In the end, I tucked it away in a corner of a locker but with the bolts only accessable by dismantling much cabin furniture.

The idea was to make it less easy to find and very difficult to remove without tools and a significant amount of time.
 
Spent £40 on an electronic safe and bolted through a bulkhead with a false trim on the front. Usually if someone is having a go at your boat they'll go for the visible and easy stuff. Anything that requires thought and effort is ignored in their desire to avoid being disturbed.
The question is how often do we use it? When underway all of the important docs and cash go in the grab bag. When tied up we always carry our passports and cash with us in body belts. So was it worth the effort ......not really. An old metal box with a padlock in the bilge would do just as well.
I also keep a pile of redundant gadgets visible on the saloon table eg, camera,binos, mp3 etc that I would normally have thrown away, so that they feel they've got something and hopefully leggit. Bit like feeding magpies really.
 
I got a lockable box about passport sized for real valuables - passports, cash, jewellery. Secures with steel cable. Unfortunately, since most boats have a readily accessible pair of boltcroppers, it occurred to ne that this is next to useless!

Given the tools most of us keep on board, including cobalt bit drills, bolt croppers, it seems to me that a cunning hiding place is likely to detain thieves longer than strong materials.
 
My concern is the Old saying , if they really want it that will get it , all the gel and blots in the world is not going to stop someone ripping it out and then not only you lost all your stuff but also left with a great big hole to repair .
Maybe it's best to spread you money ,passport etc etc at less if you do get a break in there a chance they won't take every thing.
OR why not have a safe left where it can be found with something that will rattle in it ? Now there an idea .
 
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We had a cash box for valuables fixed under a front berth near the bulkhead, impossible for any thief to find. We had another unlocked cash box with $200 in it on a shelf by the chart table. That was to make any thief happy and hopefully p*ss off quickly and also hopefully not steal anything else.
 
I cut a very close fitting false base for one of the galley drawers, then a bit of wax cloth and in go the kitchen tools. Invisible unless you look very hard and would tale spare cash and credit cards. I also left an old wallet in the top of the chart table with out of date credit cards, some visiting cards and receipts. It also had about €15/20 in it, just to make it look like the real thing. You will not stop a determined thief but you might put an opportunist off.

On one of the rare occasions that we went away from the boat, we were burgled, in Morlaix. They broke in through the doors and rifled the boat. Not yachties, that is for sure. No boat goods stolen but a load of booze, we had just come from the Chanel islands, Persian rug, bedding, dried foods, Maglite, radio etc. About £1,600 worth. All praise to Pantaenius. Paid 50% immediately and the rest after 2 months. Personal effects do not carry an excess and no loss of no claims bonus. I repaired the door myself and Pantaenius even told me to charge for my time. :)
 
Frankie-H said:
I also left an old wallet in the top of the chart table with out of date credit cards, some visiting cards and receipts. It also had about €15/20 in it, just to make it look like the real thing. You will not stop a determined thief but you might put an opportunist off.
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We do the same with the addition of an old mobile and a half bottle of whiskey with laxative tablets dissolved in it............you got to have some fun:rolleyes:
 
Got a small-about 10x10x8 inches- EBAY safe for about £30.00 with three big keys.

Bolted through each side of a right angle bulkhead join and VERY hard to spot unless you know it is there.

We did not fancy an electronic one-KISS!
 
Thanks guys - food for thought! Didn't consider (but will now) the easily seen and taken magpie fodder! The whisky and laxatives idea is really great - I too can't stand whisky. Now I wonder how many tabs I can get to dissolve in the whisky...................
 
Do not buy a cheap combination safe they are not secure. There is a very interesting video on u-tube on how easy they are to open, simply hitting the top sharply jolts the securing mechanism so the bolts can be withdrawn.
 
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