How many people have alarms...

LadyInBed said:
Alarm fitted - Yes. Deterred a break-in, but not before the cockpit cover was sliced up and some damage done to the door. I've now fitted a pressure mat sensor.
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Good for you.

I seem a little alone in thinking giving the nasty people a little more to think of will complicate their devious plans.

Good luck.
 
To me, the bigger concern is the boar disappearing from its mooring. I have a thing to call in for position update, but wonder if if should get something more
 
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I was walking from the bus stop through the kampong to Ong's marina on the Straits of Johor side of Singapore when I saw a bloke walking towards me with a fisherman's anchor over his shoulder.
Long story short, it was mine.
Talking to the other yotties and found that there was a fair amount of small time pilfering going on.
I made up a simple alarm and when others heard of it, I was in business.
Didn't end up as Elon, but had 10 satisfied customers and many used these for years sailing through SE Asia.
The alarm will activate a motorcycle horn when the sliding hatch is moved 30 mm or so.
This will not prevent damage to the hatch or lock but will send any thieves running and save your gear below.
The timer relay can be set to limit the sounding time, saving the battery from running down. 3 or 4 minutes is plenty.
I placed the relay horn and indicator relay in a tupperware box and had all wires plugged in. Easy to remove and stow when not needed.
Part 4 is a micro switch that is fixed to the very forward end of the inside of the hatch rails. There is velcro on the switch and velcro on the rail so it is easily removed.
Part 2 Is the isolator /activator switch. Most were fitted in cockpit lockers.
Part 6 is an optional car indicator relay. This gives the horn a pulsing sound.
All parts a readily available and cheap.

Boat alarm.jpg
 
I bought one of these and run it through the onboard wifi - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07XR2NWZC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The router and camera cost about £120 all in plus £10 a month for the sim card, I get instant alerts to any movement onboard with a live video link and the ability to converse with anyone onboard via the camera. My rehearsed, one way conversation will be along the lines of "Oi, Sh1tbag, get off my boat, we're just leaving the Marinas Arms so that gives you less than two minutes so suggest you ^%CK OFF".

I get an email if power is disconnected.
 
garymalmgren said:
I was walking from the bus stop through the kampong to Ong's marina on the Straits of Johor side of Singapore when I saw a bloke walking towards me with a fisherman's anchor over his shoulder.
Long story short, it was mine.
Talking to the other yotties and found that there was a fair amount of small time pilfering going on.
I made up a simple alarm and when others heard of it, I was in business.
Didn't end up as Elon, but had 10 satisfied customers and many used these for years sailing through SE Asia.
The alarm will activate a motorcycle horn when the sliding hatch is moved 30 mm or so.
This will not prevent damage to the hatch or lock but will send any thieves running and save your gear below.
The timer relay can be set to limit the sounding time, saving the battery from running down. 3 or 4 minutes is plenty.
I placed the relay horn and indicator relay in a tupperware box and had all wires plugged in. Easy to remove and stow when not needed.
Part 4 is a micro switch that is fixed to the very forward end of the inside of the hatch rails. There is velcro on the switch and velcro on the rail so it is easily removed.
Part 2 Is the isolator /activator switch. Most were fitted in cockpit lockers.
Part 6 is an optional car indicator relay. This gives the horn a pulsing sound.
All parts a readily available and cheap.

View attachment 148120
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I have a similar set up (came with the boat) but it started to malfunction and I have not used it for many years.

I found it really useful as you could leave the washboards out for ventilation and to avoid locking up, when away from the boat for a short time. So nipping to the loo or bar in a marina, when on passage, the alarm would catch out any sneak thief lurking about.

I may make a new one. Would either of these work as the 12v timer relay?

12V, 10A Adjustable Delay Timer Relay (Delay ON or OFF)

AS8019 - ASEC 12V/24V AC/DC Timer Relay | eBay

They both look a bit expensive for what they are?
 
I've always wondered if a sensor that would set off a taped conversation of two people saying, 'Are we expecting visitors today? Followed by the 'racking' of a couple of pump action shotguns and after 10 seconds later a noise that would burst eardrums. Not sure if that would be legal.
 
Beelzebub said:
Do people actually pay any attention to alarms going off? I've never seen anyone take the slightest notice of car alarms.
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Car alarms are usually ignored by people as a nuisance - but most people I think still look at the car that's sounding.

I think with a boat in a marina ?? Maybe a little more attention would be paid ... but who knows.

I think the main items are : 1. The ear spitting sound to the 'intruder' .... 2. The possibility of the alarm causing people to look at the direction its coming from .... something the 'intruder' would not appreciate.
So possibly ... alarm goes off ... 'intruder' gets out to save his ears ... people hear and look towards the direction ... may see the offender ...
 
On a mooring, 300 yards from shore, I doubt any alarm would attract much attention, but a 120Db alarm would certainly startle a villain, and probably suggest to him - or her, don't want to assume gender :) - that this may not be the best boat to break into. I'd like 200 Db, but I'd probably end up in jail, and, while you can get 150Db, they're a lot bulkier than the 120s.
 
Beelzebub said:
Do people actually pay any attention to alarms going off? I've never seen anyone take the slightest notice of car alarms.
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Exactly this - if your boat is on a pontoon / on it's mooring and the alarm is going off, other than annoy the hell out of your neighbours, what do you realistically expect them to do about it and how long exactly do you expect them to put up with the racket coming from your boat?
 
There seem to be two camps here...

It started off with someone saying he had dealt with two thefts of chart plotters and alarms were useless and thieves laughed up their sleeves at them...

and some people find certain types of alarm useful.

I think most alarms stop sounding after a few goes and just blink a blue light, so as not to become a nuisance.

I think alarms have a place, but each to their own.
 
Sandy said:
I've always wondered if a sensor that would set off a taped conversation of two people saying, 'Are we expecting visitors today? Followed by the 'racking' of a couple of pump action shotguns and after 10 seconds later a noise that would burst eardrums. Not sure if that would be legal.
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Keep the change, ya filthy animal, you mean?

We are lucky enough to be moored above a swing bridge, so outright boat theft is impossible, unless the thieves can impersonate me well enough to convince the harbour staff. Some security is probably a good idea. Maybe not the machine gun noises.
 
Refueler said:
Here's an idea ... and it runs of 12v

Land owners use 'electric fencing' to control animal grazing ..... we had it for a horse ..... ran of 12V car battery ...... believe me - the jolt it gave was not something you wanted to test !!
Replace top guardline with it and switch on !!

Just a thought !!
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I've thought about that, and decided that, leaving aside the fact that the guard wires on Jazzcat only run from halfway along the cockpit, and not where you'd board, on a boat where it would offer protection, the other people who'd be dissuaded are the ones who've kindly come to secure your wayward genoa.

A memory of an electric fence from a smartarse 5 year old. "Don't touch that, it's an electric fence" "No it isn't, it's plastic string, and plastic doesn't conduct electricity - look." Grabs wire. "Whaaah!"

Smartarse 5 year old (me) hadn't noticed the metal wire woven into the nylon line...
 
Sandy said:
I've always wondered if a sensor that would set off a taped conversation of two people saying, 'Are we expecting visitors today? Followed by the 'racking' of a couple of pump action shotguns and after 10 seconds later a noise that would burst eardrums. Not sure if that would be legal.
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Here you go, Max and Paddy:

 
Yep , well , in days of old , we ,plus everyone else , used to secure their tender to nearest secure point , leave the Oars inside tender , with maybe the Rowlocks drapped over the Oars , and that was the way it was , back in the early days , at Felixstowe Ferry

Never a thought that the Tender would not be there next day ; maybe a fellow boating person briefly borowed your Tender , but we were assured that they would put it back again , as they found it !

Year later on , general talk in the Marina Lounge was , was it prefereable to not secure the cabin entry points , but fit alarms , so as to (hopefully) scare off them villians ; as it costs a lot to repair the damage caused by forced entry , whereas replacing stolen items was quick and easy
 
Refueler said:
Here's an idea ... and it runs of 12v

Land owners use 'electric fencing' to control animal grazing ..... we had it for a horse ..... ran of 12V car battery ...... believe me - the jolt it gave was not something you wanted to test !!
Replace top guardline with it and switch on !!

Just a thought !!
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It's not that simple. It's a two wire system. An intruder needs to touch +ve and -ve. In parts of the world where the risk is somebody swimming out the the boat with a machete, the trick is to attached +ve to guardwires and negative into the sea. Friends with such a system woke up one morning to find a machete on deck
 
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