Can I bring myself to do it......?

[chubby]

paint graffiti on my new suzuki 2 HP OB, it looks shiny new and inviting to the light fingered bretheren so to make sure I keep hold of it some suggest making the OB look scruffy and less attractive but can I bring myself to actually deface it? how many others do it?

 

[doug748]

Use duc' tape to simulate a repair to the case. Wrap it around or/and across the top - exercise your artistic judgement. Dont put it across the graphics or it will bring them off if you try to remove it.
Cheap tape soon delaminates leving behind the adhesive which gives an equally convincing distressed look. In theory it could be removed if you needed to but you will probably just learn to love it as it is.

 

[Poignard]

paint graffiti on my new suzuki 2 HP OB, it looks shiny new and inviting to the light fingered bretheren so to make sure I keep hold of it some suggest making the OB look scruffy and less attractive but can I bring myself to actually deface it? how many others do it?

If you find the website for Flints Theatrical Chandlers you will see they sell special effects for artificially making things look old and dirty.

 

[VicS]

Another option that has been promoted by some police forces is to remove the cowling (if its one than can easily be removed) and replace it with a "bag", that you buy from the cops, emblazoned with the force logo etc.

The idea is that an engine without a cowling is not an attractive target for the "pinch and sell at the next jumble sale" merchants.

Police forces in Essex and East Anglia were doing it. I think Sussex also. Not heard of it in Hants though.

 

[Fantasie 19]

Another option that has been promoted by some police forces is to remove the cowling (if its one than can easily be removed) and replace it with a "bag", that you buy from the cops, emblazoned with the force logo etc.

The idea is that an engine without a cowling is not an attractive target for the "pinch and sell at the next jumble sale" merchants.

Police forces in Essex and East Anglia were doing it. I think Sussex also. Not heard of it in Hants though.

That's a good idea... I was going to suggest seeing if you could get a spare cowl which you could distress so that you can keep the original for when/if you want to sell the engine??

 

[Lakesailor]

It's not a good idea really.
If you remove your cowl, where will you store it? On a swinging mooring (1000 of them on Windermere) you have to lock it in the cabin or a locker. That leaves the route open for break ins to find the cowl. Unfortunately some thieves are more local than you may feel comfortable with and may even see you "hiding" the cowl.
Or take it back to shore and then carry it (along with everything else) to your car. What if you forget to bring it next time you come?
You can't run the motor with the canvas top on so you'll just have to run it with open and noisy (and dangerous).

The option of leaving your cowl on is fraught with risk. If people are taking up the scheme then any thief taking a motor without a cowl fitted will just take one from a nearby motor. They are easy to remove, after all.

Part of the scheme is that if you go to order a new cowl you will have to give your serial number, name, address etc. So a market will build up for engine cowls.

I have talked to the Wardens, police and Windermere Forum (not virtual but real people) about this but they seem a bit blinkered.

A new era of missing engine cowls dawns.

 

[tudorsailor]

Why not paint your boat name on to the cowling in a nice bright colour - or will people say that this is ill advised. Some people do not like boat name on your dinghy as then thieves know when you are ashore and the yacht may be empty. However it is an MCA requirement if ones yacht is coded. So I suppose if your tender is already named you might as well name your outboard

TS