Locking Your Boat/Ignition
- Thread starter demonboy
- Start date
macd
Active member
One anchor, two...to paraphrase: surely, if you are leaving the boat and have any reason to think you might drag...don't leave the boat. More realistically, perhaps: don't let it out of eyeshot.
Insurance has been raised before. Imagine the claim:
Q. Did you think you might drag?
A. Yes. But I went shopping, anyway.
Q. And you think we should pay?
Insurance has been raised before. Imagine the claim:
Q. Did you think you might drag?
A. Yes. But I went shopping, anyway.
Q. And you think we should pay?
Grehan
Well-known member
This is a really good thread - thanks for thinking of it Jamie.
Personally, I have always taken the key out and always lock up, but this has made me think I have been wrong so to do (when we were sailing - the situation doesn't really arise inland).
Personally, I have always taken the key out and always lock up, but this has made me think I have been wrong so to do (when we were sailing - the situation doesn't really arise inland).
michael_w
Well-known member
Not much point in locking up if you've got either an X-Yacht or a Yanmar engine. All X-Yacht keys are identical, as are Yanmars.
On my boat the key stays in the ignition all the time. I'd replace it with a switch if I was clever enough!
On my boat the key stays in the ignition all the time. I'd replace it with a switch if I was clever enough!
tri39
New member
I have always left the key in ignition.
But I rarely leave the boat if I'm not sure about holding.
However Mediterranean weed and gusts can make this difficult to predict.
I therefore stay onboard myself or leave crew onboard if unsure.
This summer in an iffy anchorage on Hvar I was glad I'd left crew aboard since a Gulet joined us in the bay, then decided there wasn't enough room for two boats, and promply lifted our anchor with his!!!! I only learned about this on my return.
Remember your insurance requires you to behave "as though you were not insured".
One of the reasons I only have third party!
I was told by a Pacific sailor that when anchoring in the lee of islands he always dropped his second anchor and chain under the bow, "just in case".
But I rarely leave the boat if I'm not sure about holding.
However Mediterranean weed and gusts can make this difficult to predict.
I therefore stay onboard myself or leave crew onboard if unsure.
This summer in an iffy anchorage on Hvar I was glad I'd left crew aboard since a Gulet joined us in the bay, then decided there wasn't enough room for two boats, and promply lifted our anchor with his!!!! I only learned about this on my return.
Remember your insurance requires you to behave "as though you were not insured".
One of the reasons I only have third party!
I was told by a Pacific sailor that when anchoring in the lee of islands he always dropped his second anchor and chain under the bow, "just in case".
rivonia
Active member
As stated this is a realy good thread. I would be interested to hear from anyone who is an insurance claims assesor, re 'I left my keys in the Ignition'. It just does not bear thinking about, you are inviting any one to say here take my boat. Of course I can see your logic but also as stated IF you think that you might drag 1) dont leave the boat 2) select another anchorage. Also the idea of dropping two and sometimes three hooks is good seamanship, as it would prevent dragging as happened to us in great bay St Maarten when everyone else was dragging but our two anchors held us secure.
Peter
Peter
Last edited:
Poignard
Well-known member
You're quite right. I was about to say that I always hang the key on the engine cooling water intake seacock to remind me to turn it on before starting. But I won't.
ribrage
Active member
We were anchored in a local bay when a call went out over the vhf that a yacht was drifting out to sea unatended fortunately for them we had our big work rib alongside the yacht and was able to get to it quickly.
she was drifting beam on in around 5 metres of water which suggested the anchor was not touching the sea bed at all, having jumped on it i lifted the anchor locker but was unable to pay out more chain on the windlass as the battery isolators were obviously off !
moving to the cockpit i tried to get in but she was properly locked up and no hatches open so i emptied out the cop of the chain locker and was able to pay out chain by hand until she slowed down faced into wind and eventually stopped.
fifteen minutes or so later the owners turned up in their tender and were obviously very shocked to find their pride and joy half a mile away from where they left her, turns out they were on top of the cliffs taking pictures and saw the boat drifting by !
when we recovered the anchor there was a rock firmly wedged in its jaws so the boat was never "anchored" to start with just resting on the bottom.....
she was drifting beam on in around 5 metres of water which suggested the anchor was not touching the sea bed at all, having jumped on it i lifted the anchor locker but was unable to pay out more chain on the windlass as the battery isolators were obviously off !
moving to the cockpit i tried to get in but she was properly locked up and no hatches open so i emptied out the cop of the chain locker and was able to pay out chain by hand until she slowed down faced into wind and eventually stopped.
fifteen minutes or so later the owners turned up in their tender and were obviously very shocked to find their pride and joy half a mile away from where they left her, turns out they were on top of the cliffs taking pictures and saw the boat drifting by !
when we recovered the anchor there was a rock firmly wedged in its jaws so the boat was never "anchored" to start with just resting on the bottom.....
DaiB
Member
ignition key
I helped rescue a boat which was dragging in a offshore wind. it would have been a simple job except the anchor remote was removed and the ignition key was out. Luckily there was a winch handle. We got the anchor back up by hand and sailed her back. Would have been so much easier if the key had been left in. Had a cracking sail back in under genny, beating into a 6, like sailing a bloody great big 470. My first sail on a AWB, quite impressed with the handling.
My ignition key is left in all season!!
I helped rescue a boat which was dragging in a offshore wind. it would have been a simple job except the anchor remote was removed and the ignition key was out. Luckily there was a winch handle. We got the anchor back up by hand and sailed her back. Would have been so much easier if the key had been left in. Had a cracking sail back in under genny, beating into a 6, like sailing a bloody great big 470. My first sail on a AWB, quite impressed with the handling.
My ignition key is left in all season!!
olddag
New member
You can install one of these http://www.smart-azz.com and if the boat drifts then it will send you a text. You can send it a text back and disable the ignition if you think it's been nicked.
I've also got mine hooked up to the bilge float switch, cheap insurance when I'm away.
I've also got mine hooked up to the bilge float switch, cheap insurance when I'm away.
KellysEye
Active member
When we leave the boat we turn off all the throughulls, for obvious reasons. Thus leaving the key would be pointless. If we think we may drag we put out a second anchor. I definitely wouldn't leave the boat unlocked.
Conachair
Guest
Though impossible to put a figure on, it would be interesting to know how many boats are stolen in a year against how many end up on the rocks with a dragging anchor when someone having access to the engine would have prevented this.
Tomsk
New member
Would it not be likely that thieves stealing a vessel would break into a locked cabin? In which case who is to say that they hadn't infact retrieved the keys from their safe hanging place above the chart table??
jimbaerselman
New member
Nice question. I think a lot depends on location.
The risk of boat theft on one side of the equation, the risk of wind change and subsequent dragging on the other.
In Greece, the risk of theft is negligible, but wind changes are common in many areas. Make it easy for the rescuers. Leave the key in.
Where boats may be 'borrowed' for nefarious purposes, especially in steady wind seasons (Caribbean) I guess I think twice, always lay a forked moor, and take the key out.
Whether that makes any difference, I don't know. But with a cockpit key, I can choose, depending on the circumstances.
The risk of boat theft on one side of the equation, the risk of wind change and subsequent dragging on the other.
In Greece, the risk of theft is negligible, but wind changes are common in many areas. Make it easy for the rescuers. Leave the key in.
Where boats may be 'borrowed' for nefarious purposes, especially in steady wind seasons (Caribbean) I guess I think twice, always lay a forked moor, and take the key out.
Whether that makes any difference, I don't know. But with a cockpit key, I can choose, depending on the circumstances.
affinite
Well-known member
Got me thinking ...
I was once in Fiskardo Greece and saw a gin palace lift the anchor chain of a large, unattended gullet-type boat moored stern too the quay. The offender simply unsnagged his anchor, dropped that of the gullet and sped out of the harbour. Consequentially the gullet drifted back onto the quay and proceeded to start crushing her davit-hung RIB to splinters.
I, and another skipper who witnessed this, jumped on board and fortunatley the keys were in the ignition so we started her up and pushed her nose out against the stern mooring warps and held her there until the distraught skipper returned a few minutes later.
A reasonably happy ending but I did wonder as I was jumping on board ... what happens if, rather than saving the day, whilst Ive got the wheel in my hand she gets out of shape swings to the side and scrapes up against that shiny Oyster alongside. I would presumably be held accountable as the man at the helm.
I know this is an example of the good samaritans dilema that has started to infect our society but I did wonder if I should have left her be ?
Should I ?
PS - A slight tangent ...
on the same (eventful) weekend, I also pulled an elderly, exhausted Italian gentleman from the harbour who was suffering a suspected heart attack. There were two english doctors staying in an appartment overlooking the harbour but although they came down and confirmed "suspected heart attack - call the ambulance", they wouldnt stay and treat him because they feared that their professional negligence insurance would not cover them in that situation. They said that because I was a layperson I wouldnt have the same problem.
Makes me proud to be British
BTW the old fella survived despite them.
I was once in Fiskardo Greece and saw a gin palace lift the anchor chain of a large, unattended gullet-type boat moored stern too the quay. The offender simply unsnagged his anchor, dropped that of the gullet and sped out of the harbour. Consequentially the gullet drifted back onto the quay and proceeded to start crushing her davit-hung RIB to splinters.
I, and another skipper who witnessed this, jumped on board and fortunatley the keys were in the ignition so we started her up and pushed her nose out against the stern mooring warps and held her there until the distraught skipper returned a few minutes later.
A reasonably happy ending but I did wonder as I was jumping on board ... what happens if, rather than saving the day, whilst Ive got the wheel in my hand she gets out of shape swings to the side and scrapes up against that shiny Oyster alongside. I would presumably be held accountable as the man at the helm.
I know this is an example of the good samaritans dilema that has started to infect our society but I did wonder if I should have left her be ?
Should I ?
PS - A slight tangent ...
on the same (eventful) weekend, I also pulled an elderly, exhausted Italian gentleman from the harbour who was suffering a suspected heart attack. There were two english doctors staying in an appartment overlooking the harbour but although they came down and confirmed "suspected heart attack - call the ambulance", they wouldnt stay and treat him because they feared that their professional negligence insurance would not cover them in that situation. They said that because I was a layperson I wouldnt have the same problem.
Makes me proud to be British
BTW the old fella survived despite them.
fireball
New member
If someone wanted to nick the average sailboat all they would need to do is come along with a winch handle ... oh - and be able to sail and choose a time when there was a suitable wind.
Once removed they can enter the boat at leisure ...
Never really thought about 'leaving the key in' as ours is one that doesn't have one - but gets disabled by the main key - in the cabin... and that is usually left on unless we're on the mooring.
Once removed they can enter the boat at leisure ...
Never really thought about 'leaving the key in' as ours is one that doesn't have one - but gets disabled by the main key - in the cabin... and that is usually left on unless we're on the mooring.
