Outboard theft solution?

[tom_sail]

Last week our club (Llandudno SC) outboards were unfortunately stollen.

This seems to be occurring more and more across the country.

Is there such a chip that inserts into or around the engine? I have one for my mountain bike which is a pill shape and placed inside the frame also my dad has one on his motorbike. He was advised to put it down the oil dip sick into the sump which he did and hasn't had a problem!

This chip is like a dog chip. With a scanner it shows who's the owner, address and other details.

Has anyone designed one for an outboard or even boat which could be glassed in, hidden?

I think I have answered my own question here but something
like this. The glass tag transpoder is the one my dad has

 

[dylanwinter]

wells solution

Last week our club (Llandudno SC) outboards were unfortunately stollen.

This seems to be occurring more and more across the country.

Is there such a chip that inserts into or around the engine? I have one for my mountain bike which is a pill shape and placed inside the frame also my dad has one on his motorbike. He was advised to put it down the oil dip sick into the sump which he did and hasn't had a problem!

This chip is like a dog chip. With a scanner it shows who's the owner, address and other details.

Has anyone designed one for an outboard or even boat which could be glassed in, hidden?

I think I have answered my own question here but something
like this. The glass tag transpoder is the one my dad has

in wells next the sea the outboard owners are encouraged to take the outboard cowls home and replace them with a simple canvas hood with a police logo on it

apparently this has almost completely stopped the thefts

good eh!

D

 

[simon barefoot]

Trouble is that only helps when the engine is recovered. What would be great would be some form of tracking device similar to those in cars that will actually broadcast a signal which will bring help.
Also a far greater voice for the victim when it comes to sentencing.

 

[Lakesailor]

in wells next the sea the outboard owners are encouraged to take the outboard cowls home and replace them with a simple canvas hood with a police logo on it

apparently this has almost completely stopped the thefts

good eh!

D

Erm. No
The similar scheme the Cumbria Police are supporting makes thefts of motor covers from those not in the scheme more likely.
If you knick an outboard with a canvas cover then you can go and find a well-secured motor and swipe the cover to fit your recent acquisition.
If you are on a swinging mooring and have a bit of a treck home or to the car, a rigid motor cover is just something else to carry back and forth. Locking it in the cabin is hardly a solution. Especially if the thieving scrotes are local and have seen you packing away. (most thefts are by locals, it seems).
It's a trail of unintended consequences.

 

[VicS]

in wells next the sea the outboard owners are encouraged to take the outboard cowls home and replace them with a simple canvas hood with a police logo on it

apparently this has almost completely stopped the thefts

good eh!

D

One or two police forces have run similar schemes

I wondered though if it lead to the theft of cowls but you say its effective!


My outboard has my postcode stamped into the flywheel!

 

[Lakesailor]

My outboard has my postcode stamped into the flywheel!

I see your point, but a Dremel will soon see to that.
A buyer from you would need to do that anyway.

The existence of a ground-away patch isn't any proof of ownership to a copper.

 

[exfinnsailor]

Nottingham City Council supply smart water if you live within their boundary.
Simple to use just paint it on every where. You can buy it as well. The liquid has some form of trace in it. Glows purple if you have it on your hands. So you could just paint all the bits that you would touch. Do some bits inside as well. PC at home is covered in the stuff so is the TV, Video etc. Anyone caught nicking in Nottingham is routinely scanned for traces on their hands. As every bottle has a unique fingerprint they can trace where it was used

Smart Water

Works out at about £30 for a car which would be enough for an engine, radio and round the hatch.

..

 

[tom_sail]

Trouble is that only helps when the engine is recovered. What would be great would be some form of tracking device similar to those in cars that will actually broadcast a signal which will bring help.
Also a far greater voice for the victim when it comes to sentencing.

I was thinking about something like that before. But how long could your boat battery last powering a device like that? Or if the outboard was a smaller pull start variation say 2 hp? there must be a solution to them problems.

 

[Lakesailor]

Nottingham City Council supply smart water if you live within their boundary.
Simple to use just paint it on every where. You can buy it as well.

It's £5 per month!! Smartwater

 

[exfinnsailor]

Smart Water

Just over £35 for a car

Scooter is £25 which would be enough for an engine. Stickers as well

..

 

[Nostrodamus]

A lot of cruisers will paint a good outboard with old paint making them look older, less attractive and easy to spot. Also thieves don't want the inconvenience of having to re spray it. You can also use outboard alarms.

 

[Billjratt]

I 'dremmeled' the boat's O/N onto the pivot casting on the top of the o/b leg where it can be seen, and other places.
If it had to be erased, there would be evidence the engine had been stolen.
If I were to sell the engine it would have a letter of provenance.
The datatag thing is good, but only if the engine has cause to be scanned by someone honest. Who is buying/using all these stolen engines? Somalis?

 

[tom_sail]

Who is buying/using all these stolen engines? Somalis?

it wouldn't surprise me! Even if they wanted to buy a brand new outboard from the dealer they couldn't, the nearest dealer must be thousands of miles away! They hide stollen cars in containers so how hard would a hand full of outboards be.

 

[te2070]

Ive got the ultimate outboard deterrent

a 1956 seagull - that looks like its spent the last 50yrs at sea

actually starts 1st or 2nd pull ( but dont tell anyone )

 

[snooks]

Last week our club (Llandudno SC) outboards were unfortunately stollen.

Is there such a chip that inserts into or around the engine?

Surely it's better to prevent the theft in the first place.....Rather than hoping that it will turn up on it's own accord?

http://www.outboardmotorlocks.co.uk/

Disclosure.....I used to be a director of the company, but I'm not any more and have no connection with the company now

 

[Lakesailor]

I 'dremmeled' the boat's O/N onto the pivot casting on the top of the o/b leg where it can be seen, and other places.
If it had to be erased, there would be evidence the engine had been stolen.
If I were to sell the engine it would have a letter of provenance.

If they could be arsed a thief could easily create a paper trail of letters that led away from him and become the "innocent victim" of a bent (ficticious) vendor.

 

[Danny Jo]

One or two police forces have run similar schemes

I wondered though if it lead to the theft of cowls but you say its effective!


My outboard has my postcode stamped into the flywheel!

Maybe that's why there's so much interest in the two Yamaha 9.9 outboard cowls being sold on eBay on my behalf (from a job lot of ex-Dickies stock that I bought when they moved out of their old chandlery)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/yamaha-9-...ineParts_SM&hash=item43acbfb516#ht_500wt_1112

About the only portable item that I had not engraved with my boat name was nicked last summer - I had assumed that as it was a fairly old and primitive device, no-one would want it.

 

[Giblets]

I 'dremmeled' the boat's O/N onto the pivot casting on the top of the o/b leg where it can be seen, and other places.
If it had to be erased, there would be evidence the engine had been stolen.
If I were to sell the engine it would have a letter of provenance.
The datatag thing is good, but only if the engine has cause to be scanned by someone honest. Who is buying/using all these stolen engines? Somalis?

Does "O/N" mean boat's own name?

 

[FishyInverness]

Surely it's better to prevent the theft in the first place.....Rather than hoping that it will turn up on it's own accord?

http://www.outboardmotorlocks.co.uk/

Disclosure.....I used to be a director of the company, but I'm not any more and have no connection with the company now

Sadly Snooks, while they'll deter the "hobby thief" (for want of a better word) - the clamp locks create a false sense of security, because the scrotes that plan to take your outboard usually have (at the very least) an angle grinder - Zip that through the clamps and it's Lifto Presto and off you go...i've also had a report of the transom being sawed/hammered out and lifted away with the outboard when a clamp lock was fitted

 

[tom_sail]

Sadly Snooks, while they'll deter the "hobby thief" (for want of a better word) - the clamp locks create a false sense of security, because the scrotes that plan to take your outboard usually have (at the very least) an angle grinder - Zip that through the clamps and it's Lifto Presto and off you go...i've also had a report of the transom being sawed/hammered out and lifted away with the outboard when a transom lock was fitted

I couldn't agree with you more! A few years ago the same ribs had they gps and sounders cut out of the fibreglass console with an angle grinder.

The club is situated in nice holiday resort with fairly low crime compared to other Towns in north Wales. It's just the club is next to a night club and the main road into
town. Usually the ribs are hidden away behind a 12 foot Wall but at the moment they are on the grass in full view because the trailers are getting serviced (probably a good thing, they might have completely gone if still on trailers).

Shipping containers are the easiest solution. Our small Humber would fit in one. But council will say no..Victorian town and all that,