Honest advice

If there is a market for the OP's system, whatever it is, it's likely to be biggest in, say, the Caribbean where theft can be a big issue (and many of the boaters have pots of cash). Unless it's remarkably cheap and effective, my guess is that the UK is perhaps one of the least promising markets.

Think your right. Though theft ain´t that bad compared with the paranoia :eek:

Outboard tracker would go down well as well, not cheap though , last time I looked.
 
Outboard tracker would go down well as well.
In Bowness they would create a signal hotspot. Police recently were interested to find more than 14 outboards in a building when called to supervise a "domestic". No receipts or invoices were available to support ownership.

We await court proceedings reports in the Gazette.
 
That's a bit worrying, I don't have any receipts or paperwork for any of my 3 o/bs. Nor for the one I gave away a few years back.

How long do people need to keep their documentation? And what about stuff you buy from mates that no longer need them - or come with a boat?
 
That's a bit worrying, I don't have any receipts or paperwork for any of my 3 o/bs. Nor for the one I gave away a few years back.

How long do people need to keep their documentation? And what about stuff you buy from mates that no longer need them - or come with a boat?

No doubt yours are legit, but happily for you there's no such offence as 'receiving stolen goods'...not without the rider that you believed or had reasonable grounds to believe them stolen.
 
Having been involved in product development over th years, I think you questions generally are realistic.
Boat security is localised some areas it is bad and yet a few miles away no problem at all.
One of the real problems is "how does the security device alert "whoever" to a security breach.
If an alarm goes off on a boat moored in a harbour, or even moored alongside in a river somewhere and the alarm goes off, who will respond to it, or will the alarm itself be the deterrent?

I am sure that we all have seen house alarms going off and being completely ignored, even by the Police.

In Portsmouth harbour there are hundreds of outboards on the back of boats and there does not seem to be a theft problem.

When we were on the Medway, locked outboards were stolen form the boats by cutting away the transom. One boat in our club sank as a result... so very much a locallised problem
 
I have to say, im overwhelmed by the response to my question.
I know i havent really gone into much detail on the system im working on and that is because i havent fully tested its capabalities in the marine world. I also dont want anyone stealing my idea :).
The biggest problem i can see is going to be the cost. Because it runs on its own power supply and on the 3g network it isnt going to be as cheap as Mr Arctic suggested it should be. But if the tests work out, it should stop false alarms as well as supply enough evidence of a break in or theft that will aid in conviction. I also now have the problem of who responds.
Wouldnt it be a case of, if you know you have intruders on your boat, call the harbour patrol?
Unfortunatly it doesnt stick out barbed spikes as was suggested earlier but i can link it to a mace sprayer thats easily purchased from our friends in the USA.
It also isnt a dog, but i can supply my girlfriends ****-zhu to yap at would be intruders and scare them off, honestly, it is scary. Plus i would welcome anyone to take it off my hands :D
Im also not casing the industry although now the thought is there................
Thinking about it , i would get caught too easily as my missus always knows when i have been eating the kids haribo.
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That's a bit worrying, I don't have any receipts or paperwork for any of my 3 o/bs. Nor for the one I gave away a few years back.
I think the point is that there has been a spate of outboard thefts and some of this cache seem to match those reported missing.

You're right. I have never had a receipt from a private purchase. There again I could tell you where the blokes that I bought from live.
 
Having been burgled several times (at different places), and in each case the perpetrator having been arrested shortly afterwards due to prints on file, it appears that this is exactly what they often do do. I'm always wary of "underestimating the enemy", but it appears that many petty criminals really are that stupid.

Pete

A bit off topic I know but;

A class mate of an ex colleague of mine thought he would try his hand at some burglary. On his first (and only attempt) whilst in the process of robbing some unfortunate person's house found the spirits cupboard thought he would have a wee drink.

Roll forward a couple of hours and the home owners come home to find the house in a state of disarray and to find the hapless burglar had drunk himself unconscious.

So yes, thankfully some petty criminals are staggeringly stupid.
 
"Security devices" fall into 3 main categories: those which attempt to prevent the theft occuring (e.g. bogus alarms (little LEDs visibly pulsing), security lights, or bloody great Klaxons going off at 2 a.m.); those designed to facilitate identification of the offender, and hopefully later retrival of the swag (e.g. CCTV cameras, trackers, etc); and those which silently alert interested parties that a crime may be in progress (SMS messaging, web-based cameras etc.).

Without even knowing the basics, i.e. what type of device we're talking about, I'd say this is a pretty pointless thread, as it would be futile to speculate as to possible demand on the basis of the initial enquiry.
 
i purchased an alarm on ebay for about £100. It is a smoke alarm, bilge water alarm and intruder alarm. If the alarn senses water, smoke or an intruder, it calls me on my mobile. If theres smoke, i hear the smoke alarm, or a chime for water. If theres an intruder, i can here them without them knowing i am listening in. Works well, no problems, and no monthly fees, just need credit on the mobile its connected to. This is a kit some guy made on ebay, he told me he was contacted buy the police r.e. some guy who purchased one of his units as he was sick of being broken into. Anyway the story goes this alarm informed the guy of a break in and he shot the intruder dead! I think if my alarm alerted me of an intruder i would be hesitant to approach. On a test, if i enter my boat, the phone calls me and i can listen in. I think this system is great! I have currently been too lazy to connect it though :)
 
Last time I was in South Africa (mid 90's) I was picked up in a BMW to which the driver had fitted two mini flame throwers. Apparently, of we were car jacked they got dettered by a flaming jet.

Glad to say I never saw it used. Kept the windows closed though!

Suffice that was the last time I visited SA on business, or for anything else for that matter.
 
Because it runs on its own power supply and on the 3g network it isnt going to be as cheap as Mr Arctic suggested it should be. But if the tests work out, it should stop false alarms as well as supply enough evidence of a break in or theft that will aid in conviction.
.

There have been, and still are, lots of 3G/2G/SMS connected devices that do motion detection, take pics, take video, inform by text or via web service and allow streaming via a web site.

Just look at alibaba.com I bet you find someone who is already making something close to your idea. You may even find a manufacturer for it. :cool:

6 years ago I bought a Nokia thingy - PT6 I think - that did the basics. Used once or twice - it did the job perfectly well but I just didn't really need it. Paid about 100 on eBay BTW. Seen others since that are just smaller and faster.

Can't think what your idea does that nobody has tried before.

Why not tell us what it does - without giving away the secret sauce of how it does it ;) ?
 
Last time I was in South Africa (mid 90's) I was picked up in a BMW to which the driver had fitted two mini flame throwers. Apparently, of we were car jacked they got dettered by a flaming jet.

Glad to say I never saw it used. Kept the windows closed though!

Suffice that was the last time I visited SA on business, or for anything else for that matter.
WE used to have a very nice woman come to stay at our B&B from South Africa. We constantly had to encourage her to get about on her own as she was concerned with personal safety.
In her home town, Cape Town, she had grilles on the windows, security cameras, remote control gates and garage doors. She reckoned to get armed (hopeful) intruders about very 6 months.
She loved coming to the UK and the Lakes.
Couldn't ever persuade her she'd enjoy life more here.
 
Last time I was in South Africa (mid 90's) I was picked up in a BMW to which the driver had fitted two mini flame throwers. Apparently, of we were car jacked they got dettered by a flaming jet.

I believe that is (or was) a standard kit, not some one-off home-made craziness. A nozzle hidden under the car just below each of the front doors, and a fourth pedal on the floor. If someone appears at the car window pointing a gun at you, you put your hands up and look compliant for a moment, then step on the extra pedal and incinerate them.

Perfectly legal if used as intended, apparently.

Pete
 
In Portsmouth harbour there are hundreds of outboards on the back of boats and there does not seem to be a theft problem.

Really?:D:D:D
You clearly have no idea.I would love to tell of the experience we had just a few weeks ago in broad daylight & the Police's response to it but it would rival the keystone cops & would have the complexity of a Mrs Marpel mystery.

The thieves are so bold now that practically nothing deters them.
 
Really?:D:D:D
You clearly have no idea.I would love to tell of the experience we had just a few weeks ago in broad daylight & the Police's response to it but it would rival the keystone cops & would have the complexity of a Mrs Marpel mystery.

The thieves are so bold now that practically nothing deters them.

Oh, go on. It'll give us something to read over the weekend which looks like being blown/rained out yet again.
 
I run a maritime security business and on start-up 7 years ago there was a yacht/mobo security system which I tried to market. The device communicated violations/bilge levels/movement off mooring to a mobi. Additionally, the system could receive messages via mobi such as 'Switch on siren/lights/bilge pump' etc.
The complacency of boat owners surprised me in that the general response was... 'Thats what insurance is for.' This, on the 2nd or 3rd largest purchase an individual makes, and in disregard to the pride and joy aspect of a yacht!
Somalian piracy opened up new and lucrative markets and that is where my efforts are now concentrated.
Good luck to you sir and will be happy to be your Scottish agent if your system is proven successful.
 
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