onboard safes

[rosie1]

We need to secure documents and a very limited number of not-to-be- lost items on board during a long'ish passage. I am reluctant to start bolting a floorboard type safe into the boat, for fear of reckless damage caused by aggressive removal. This must be a problem that has been faced by countless yachtsmen over the years so there has to be an obvious solution, but, if there is, I haven't seen it. I am obviously looking in the wrong places.
Are there any good, well-tried products out there?

 

[pvb]

I got one of those cheap safes with a digital keyboard lock (as often found in hotels) and bolted it to a bulkhead inside a locker. It won't stop a really determined thief, but is good enough for most purposes.

 

[sarabande]

Could you get a fake holding tank made up and place it in the bilge ?

Unlikely to be the first choice of a villain... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Deleted member 478]

I also have one of those cheap digital safes that is in a really obvious place. If the scroats want anything, I will willing open it. It's full of old credit cards, expired passports, old wallets with old loyalty cards and a few thousand Zimbabwe Dollars and a trivial amount of US dollars.

The valuable stuff is in another location, it's not locked and it's not obvious - similar logic to Saraband's fake holding tank.

 

[jerryat]

I don't know how big your items are, but we kept all cash and valuables above one of the small ceiling panels where there is a space some 50-60mm deep.

Sounds like a pain to get at the stuff, and it would be, IF you needed to get money/items out daily, but all we did was take out money say once a week then screw the panel back. I doubt anyone would think about dropping one, of several, ceiling panels.

 

[sighmoon]

The customs exhibit at the boat show always has some great ideas for hiding stuff.