Overnight Security - Whilst Onboard

upthesolent

upthesolent

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The other year in May, on a visit to the UK, we moored at Newport, IoW for the night. For the first time ever we were the only visitor there with the only other boat being the HM's.

Just before settling down for the night and thinking we were the only boat there, it suddenly struck me that I had never, ever locked the hatchway in 10 years of sailing. Newport did (does) have its little yobs - indeed, the HM's boat had been set free before.

I made up a Heath Robinson contraption to secure the hatchway as we had no internal lock or bolt(s), and since then, unless we are on a really busy pontoon we always lock up at night.

When I think back about all those years unsecured, I found it amazing that I never bothered about security, especially as I know when in the house one always ensure you are securely locked in for the night. I wonder if I was alone when I never used to lock up?
 
Until you get up during the night to look at the stars and water the fish .... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I've always found a sprinkling of carpet tacks in the cockpit to be a useful deterrent.
J. Slocum. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that would only work with our Dr Martin wearing indigenous natives if we had a sign outside saying "please remove shoes before entering" /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
Sad to say, Newport is the only place that we have ever had trouble and have never been back.

The schoolchildren habitually run up and down the pontoons, I know of two boats that have had water hoses turned on and put through open windows and one night we had an intruder.

We were aground in our bilge keeled Tempest but have previously lied (lain???) against the wall. The drunken yobs had scared us as we sat below at > pub-chucking out time. About 1 am I heard a noise, got up to look and there was a guy taking the outboard off the transom!

I guess that there are several approaches to this. Is he armed? Is there more than one person? I chose the 'loud and noisy' option ...... ''WHAT THE 'EFFF' ARE YOU DOING ON MY BOAT!!!!!''. LOOUUDDDD !!!!

Scared myself! Terrified him. He ran across the cockpit, barking shins as he went and literally fell the approx 4 ft. from the top of the lifelines to the very low, dried out pontoon.

LOVELY thwack /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

I called the Police who turned out in force. Went off with them and spotted him. Ran off but was caught by one of the three cars that had appeared. Impressed!!

He has gone along the pontoon and stolen warps/fenders/anything loose and stashed it all behind a nearby shed.

It bothers me 'knocking' Newport but the HM at the time admitted they had no control over the yobs and I can't think of another 'Solent' harbour where I felt so vulnerable.

Great shame.
 
Maybe this is why there are so many forumites who are proficient with a 12 guage smooth bore boom stick?

Or maybe that is to do with the frustration of marinas charging for a secure pontoon. In Shoreham the security came from a bale of straw with a bl**dy great broody swan sat atop it! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
Never locked the cabin while onboard but routinely lock the outboard on.

I usually double the lines through the center of mooring cleats on the pontoons then back to the boat,that way unless they cut the lines any yob would have to come aboard to let us go.

I can put my hand on a winch handle or the short boathook should anyone wish to be silly.

Felt a bit vulnerable once or twice but not had any real problems.
 
We had a laptop stolen from beside our chart table whilst we all slept on the marina at Porto Antico in Genoa, Italy last summer. Very alarming when we thought about it afterwards. Now we make sure to sleep with the passarelle well up so that the drawbridge barrier does the job.
 
Maybe I'm just too trusting. We never lock up when on board and never lock up the house overnight.

Couple of years back went off for the weekend and left the front door wide open (unintentionally). No problems, but one of the village dog walkers did mention that she had noticed it!
 
We had mobile phones nicked from wheelhouse while on Custon House quay Dublin (twice!) while on board...early morning, daylight, but still in bed. Door was locked but burglar opened window and reached in.....They had security cameras and guards.......
 
[ QUOTE ]
Maybe I'm just too trusting. We never lock up when on board and never lock up the house overnight.

Couple of years back went off for the weekend and left the front door wide open (unintentionally). No problems, but one of the village dog walkers did mention that she had noticed it!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes us too! From the house point of view I guess it mainly a question of where you live. We never lock our place, or the cars in the drive at night either, and have often pushed off out for the day forgetting to lock up.

Just a thought re boat security. When we were in Lyons last year, a Dutch boat came alongside the quay astern of us and promptly uncoiled a length of stainless steel wire with an eye at both ends. One end was padlocked to the steel quay ring and the other round a foredeck cleat.

I asked them why, and they explained that on previous occasions in Lyons (and in other places) they had had their lines cut and the boat set adrift while they slept.

Whilst we've never experienced that problem in Lyons or elsewhere, it does seem a very sensible idea, and is one we've adopted where we aren't reasonably sure of security.
 
Contrast with Croatia where we flotilla'd a couple of years ago. We were told by the lead crew there was no problem with security, they never close the boat up, let alone lock it, when going off into the town for the evening, and we never had a problem.

Likewise Greece (Ionian), apart from Parga where we were told there might be a problem - indeed the boat next to us was entered in the night, and amongst other things their dirty washing was stolen!
 
"Contrast with Croatia". Here, here! You all give me the heebyjeebies. I couldn't lock my boat even if I wanted to, whether aboard or not. I've never even thought anything could happen. Cor!
 
This had never dawned on us to lock the hatch at night until my daughter stayed the night on the boat on her own in our home marina and said she never slept a wink thinking someone was just about to walk in. we now have a lock in the inside.

There has been comments in the past that the hatch should be open when asleep to allow for air flow. only the case if you have a potatoe gun to hand
 
[ QUOTE ]
apart from Parga where we were told there might be a problem - indeed the boat next to us was entered in the night, and amongst other things their dirty washing was stolen!

[/ QUOTE ] This story about Parga has been doing the rounds since 1984, when, after a few thefts, the local police caught some youths who had been boarding boats, and subsequently warned visitors to leave their boats secure.

When I last spoke to the port police there (oops! 10 years ago) they said they'd had no more reports. However, the warnings are still regularly repeated in fora like this. This is the first case since 1984 that I'm aware of that someone has actually witnessed a boarding there.

This sort of thing is so rare in Greece (excepting some marinas around Athens) that it does make news.

Does anyone else have similar first hand experiences in Greece?
 
This was in 2001.

The thieves took a bag out of the aft cabin while the occupants were asleep in there. As well as the dirty laundry, they lost credit cards and jewellry.

I agree that it is rare, I think Parga is more prone to such things because we were at the far side of the bay, away from the town and therefore more vulnerable.

At that side of the bay the beach slopes so steeply that even finkeelers can nose right up to the beach and you can step ashore off the bow.
 
Absoloutly no security at Kalamata (Greece) marina and the marina is wide open but never heard of any problems there! Get a few locals taking a stroll down to look at boats but all keep their distance..... nice a friendly. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
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