Do you lock yours?

[sighmoon]

I heard about someone (here I think) who's outboard was locked to his transom, and so the sods cut off his transom.

On that basis, we generally leave our boat unlocked, but with a padlock that looks like its locked at first glance, and the outboard on the back, also unlocked.

It would be a different story in a marina, or a town quay of course, where casual thieves could be passing, and different again if we had lots of expensive gear on board. But as it is, the most we stand to lose from a break in, is the cost of repairs from the actual break in. Seems kind of wrong though.

 

[Malcb]

My outboard is locked, whether on the outboard bracket on the pushpit, or the transom of the dinghy. Also I have a receipt for that lock. So if my outboard is ever stolen, then I can claim on the insurance, whose only stipulation was, that 'the outboard is locked in position'

 

[fireball]

Yes ...
Of course the boat is locked - and when the outboard is on the back it is locked too. No it wouldn't take much to get in to the boat (some damage would be done!) nor to remove the outboard (a spanner would do it!) - but the lock will deter the casual thief who may just chance it if they can be on and off in 20 seconds ... plus if it is locked the insurance will pay out!

 

[Sheff]

Might be worth checking your insurance............... if there's no evidence of a break-in are you going to be covered for any items stolen?

 

[Lakesailor]

I do now.
Out of 15 yachts on our moorings mine was the only unlocked one. Little [--word removed--] (we know who you are) took 2 new life jackets and some overtrousers and sunglasses. But I've always locked the motor from the insurance claim point of view.
I now have a padlock and hasp on the washboards. I know a quick boot will smash it, but at least I'm the same as the other boats now, and most of them are bigger or newer. So if the little aresholes are going to risk breaking in, they'll go for the ones with the best chance of a result.

 

[fdmarsden]

Re: Quick boot?

I had a sticking lock, (thank you for the posts saying graphite), and old slave ply washboard.

Tried to kick it in, etc.

Failed, fortunately the lock finally worked.

I now think that you would need tools to break in.

 

[tillergirl]

During one evening/night here about ten boats were broken into. The most that was taken was a little bit of coin left on board by the owner (for paying local marina fees) and he deliberately left the boat open so there would be no damage to his (wooden) boat. Sensible in a way because the value of stuff taken was less than ten pounds where a Bavaria needed a replacement hatch and washboards (clear plastic); nothing taken, a Vancover needed repairs to a teak washboard/hatch assembly - only a knife taken and so on. The worse damaged had nothing taken.

The trouble is that there are as many difference preferences amongst these people as there is of them. So the 'comply with your insurance policy' advice has to be one of the most important things. I dealt with a burglar back in 1975 (a heroin addict) who had burgled 352 houses in 18 months. Interesting to note he could point each one out and describe how he got in and what he took with a very high degree of accuracy - and he was a mindless cretin. It was interesting listening to how he selected his victims. He would leave home each morning and walk for miles around the streets he knew very well. He would be on the lookout for signs that houses were empty (if he could see Mum going out with the shopping bags or to collect the kids on the school run, then he knew he would have at least 15 minutes free to do the house). Then he wanted no alarm (so a visible box was a good idea) and wanted to be able to get very quickly to the back of the house. He didn't mind climbing to do this provided there was some cover. So that bush that looks so nice concealing the old sidegate was great cover for him. Once he was at the back of the house, he relaxed and took a little time to select the easy way to get in. This was the period of louvre windows. He loved them. He could get a few panes out and be inside without causing damage in seconds. But once he was out of sight behind the house, he didn't mind smashing his way in, normally breaking glass (pre-double glazing era) but he would 'jemmy' doors. He carried no tools other than ladies gloves concealed in his underpants (because he was regularly stopped - we used to be allowed to do that in those days) but used whatever he could find lying around in the garden. Once in he moved with great speed, hence why some obvious things were missed. Speed in the commission is probably the only single common denominator in crime. It takes seconds to steal things and make your getaway. I was once chasing a burglar in the middle of the night shedding helmet, radio, pocket books and so on. I got within 15 foot of him when he ducked left into a gap in the hedge into pitch darkness and I never found him even though the cavalry turned up within 30 seconds. Fear is a great accelerant!

The touble is that for every 'professional' like the burglar above, we met the other sort including the grand father of one of those cretins who murdered that young lawyer in Kensal Rise recently. Back in 1974, the grandfather and his brother just smashed their way in and used their strength to get what they wanted. Incidently two of my lads dealt with the father and his brother 16 years later in 1990 for street robbery and now 16 years later the son is doing life for murder!

So there is no pattern to these people. Locks deter some but don't leave tools in lockers to help them defeat the lock. Some might carry a tool especially doing boats since we all use the same basic security. Alarms - well only a deterrent if the thief can see them but may frighten them away when it goes off. Of course, you need to make sure they can't silence the speaker and then lie low. Then the best thing is the worse of all - mark everything valuable with a visible post code. Who wants to sit on their boat looking at their postcode. We all want things to look nice. If its not visible to deter then the gear will be taken and if they later find a discreet postcode, they either take a chance or just dump the gear. They didn't pay for it did they!

The trouble we are at their mercy and I regret to say that as a nation we don't help by enjoying boat jumbles, boot sales, ebay and bargains and we fail to record serial numbers etc - to the extent that some police forces have virtually given up on recording systems. To swing the lamp, my third arrest was via Property Index at Scotland Yard: prisoner and gear into a telephone kiosk ringing a Freephone number to the Criminal Record Office who kept the index 'yes lad, it was stolen on....at...') Oh the joys of the simple life.

Sorry about all of this. Got nostalgic!!!

 

[nct1]

Thanks for that