Boat & Yacht security systems.

[GHA]

That is the best you can do unless you have a limitless budget.

Not quite, with fairly low DIY electrictronics skills you could have a raspberry pi based system triggering high brightness LED's strobing to disorientate coupled with a loud alarm, multiple sensors, camera & email all off ebay for not much at all, just need a day or two to fit. Would certainly scare the sh!t out of anyone and push the odds back in your favour.

 

[Prima]

Not quite, with fairly low DIY electrictronics skills you could have a raspberry pi based system triggering high brightness LED's strobing to disorientate coupled with a loud alarm, multiple sensors, camera & email all off ebay for not much at all, just need a day or two to fit. Would certainly scare the sh!t out of anyone and push the odds back in your favour.

+1

 

[pandroid]

Was going to buy one of these: http://gsm-secure.co.uk/GSM-Marine-Alarm.php, but havn't yet got around to it, so cant vouch for its reliability.

 

[Graham_Wright]

My solution is an excruciatingly load screecher inside the boat and a smoke generator. Both very cheap. The smoke is semi-toxic and you do need to get out!

 

[Trundlebug]

A few years ago I bought a cheap chinese GSM from ebay. It was about £50.

It's been faultless so far, and thankfully although no break-ins to date it has alerted me to power failures a number of times.

There's no need to run it off the mains, I fitted a regulated 12 power supply so it will also run off the boat domestic batteries, which are kept charged by solar. It hardly uses any power anyway.

The alarm has a magnetic switch on the door, and a wireless PIR in the saloon.
It will text if the bilge pump activates. (2 bilge pumps, the text identifies which has activated so I know if it's a small or big leak).
It will alarm if anyone breaks in, as well as phoning my mobile and several others in case I don't answer. The alarm will tell me what has activated it.
I can remotely disarm, re-arm, listen, talk, sound the alarm using my phone.

As the in-built alarm only sounds inside the boat I used the in-built relay to also sound the external boat's twin horns, and all nav lights via a hazard warning relay.

All in all a very handy and useful alarm, excellent value for money and it's given great peace of mind.

Just search for 12v wireless GSM alarm in Ebay. Lots available, so pick the one with the best combination of features for your application. Many are aimed at houses so come with far too many sensors so pick one with fewer. I think they've increased in price a bit but you should still be able to pick one up for £45-80 without difficulty.

Edit: You'll find exactly the same kind of thing on ebay as shown in post #23, but about a third of the price because it doesn't have the word "marine" in it.

 

[Seagreen]

I suppose I might be being a bit cautious, but I really need the alarm to do two jobs; One, an out of position alarm in case the swinging mooring breaks - unlikely but possible, and Two, the break-in alarm just in case.
I'm contemplating leaving the boat stripped out over winter, with all bar the "immovable" electronics and other kit taken off, and left covered but beached on a drying mooring that's very public and easy to access at low tide. I can remove the electronics, and the expensive and sought after cooker, so the only gear left on would be the engine, and as such I could really leave the boat open, but this might encourage the local kids - however, she shall be moored just outside the office window, and be very easy to check. I wasn't contemplating a car alarm, though a silent one might do, as if it went off, it would most likely be ignored or people nearby would assume it was a car.
You might think I'm being over-cautious, but a neighbour's teenage son has been expelled for bringing flares into his school, that he stole off a boat on the same beach, as he was bored. Its that sort of muppetry we are dealing with here.
I shall take all of your suggestions into consideration. Thanks.

 

[Seagreen]

I'll chase this up, thanks.

 

[CLB]

I have a Biat Warden system. It will do what you want, plus loads more including bilge level alerts, which might be useful on a wooden boat. It's not cheap and it requires a monthly SIM card fee, but it is very good. You can add sensors to doors, hatches or even the poppers in your hood, so you could set it up for initial break in, before they even get to companionway doors or hatches. The siren is so loud that staying in the proximity of it once going off is almost impossible. You can also add cameras to remote view etc etc. The only downside might be battery drain. I am on shore power so no probelem, but for extended use away from power you would need to check the system specifications and maybe choose your options wisely. I suspect my movement detector uses the most power, so you could do away with that and add more hatch/door sensors.

 

[C08]

What ever system you get, put a pressure mat in the cockpit so the alarm goes off before they start applying force.

I have failed to find a weatherproof pressure switch-have you located one?

 

[Trundlebug]

I have a Biat Warden system. It will do what you want, plus loads more including bilge level alerts, which might be useful on a wooden boat. It's not cheap and it requires a monthly SIM card fee, but it is very good. You can add sensors to doors, hatches or even the poppers in your hood, so you could set it up for initial break in, before they even get to companionway doors or hatches. The siren is so loud that staying in the proximity of it once going off is almost impossible. You can also add cameras to remote view etc etc. The only downside might be battery drain. I am on shore power so no probelem, but for extended use away from power you would need to check the system specifications and maybe choose your options wisely. I suspect my movement detector uses the most power, so you could do away with that and add more hatch/door sensors.

The PIR sensors and the alarm system itself uses virtually no power at all unless it's triggered.
A small solar panel would be quite sufficient to maintain battery charge and the milli-amp drain from the alarm system.

For example my PIR uses a small 9v PP3 type battery in the wireless sensor. The current battery is on its second year, still going strong.

 

[Saltram31]

Barbed wire wrapped around the life lines might deter. Doubt it would be good for your sails though.

 

[Saltram31]

I have failed to find a weatherproof pressure switch-have you located one?

You can use a piezo disc glued to the underside of the decks or cockpit floor that will pick up the slightest flexing depending on the sensitivity of the circuit you use.