Securing dinghy and outboard when ashore

[rigpigpaul]

Hi All, I have bought a new outboard, 9.8 Tohatsu and dinghy, Highfield 310. I have bought an Outboard Loc for the outboard when fixed on the dinghy or boat. What is the recommended way to secure the dinghy when left ashore unattended?
Thanks in anticipation.
RPP

 

[Tam Lin]

Pay the local youth who run the protection racket.

 

[rigpigpaul]

I already do that when I go to the Liverpool football matches!

 

[TQA]

All you can do is to have some kind of wire cable or chain with a padlock. This will deter the casual thief or joy rider.

If a pro wants it he will come with a pair of serious bolt croppers and be off with your dink in seconds. Removing the kill cord adding a hidden switch or even removing the fuel line again deters the casual thief, the pro just tows your dink away.

 

[Bouba]

I put a thin wire and small lock for the outboard battery (it’s a Torqeedo so well worth nicking) and then I just live by the adage; a lock will keep an honest man honest but won’t keep a thief out.
There is nothing else you can do, even if you swim ashore the mothership is left unattended

 

[One A.]

We used Stainless Steel chain, removed the kill cord and the fuel line.

 

[KellysEye]

We used a stainless chain looped around the outboard handle and padlocked, then through the petrol tank handle then a loop through the cleat on the pontoon and padlocked.

 

[Graham376]

Long enough stainless chain to be able to padlock to whatever is around. Things get better away from Merseyside

 

[moomba]

We used a stainless chain looped around the outboard handle and padlocked, then through the petrol tank handle then a loop through the cleat on the pontoon and padlocked.

+1
10 inch chain for me and a grade 5 cern Padlock
you would need serious bolt cutters . but nothing is full proof
there are sites on the Web that sell hardened bromium (spelling !) chain as well if they came with serious stuff

Ihave heard that the usual wire approach is no good as a small pair of croppers will cut right through it

 

[Graham376]

+1 10 inch chain for me

10 inch? 10 mm is heavy enough to deter opportunists.

 

[moomba]

10 inch? 10 mm is heavy enough to deter opportunists.

lol yes there goes the brain 10 mm stainless steel ,

 

[Bobc]

Put a hand grenade inside the motor's lid with the pin attached to the pull-chord.

That should do it.

 

[Mistroma]

I use a long length of pretty flexible multi-strand stainless wire. Not ideal but I find the length very useful in finding a point to secure the dinghy. Chain would be better but 5m of 10mm chain would weigh about 12kg. The fine wire isn't that easy to cut with a saw or many cutters but the right gear will cut it easily. Everything is a compromise.

As an aside, if a PVC dinghy is used daily in the med. it will probably turn into a sticky mess quite quickly and not be worth stealing. A chandler in Greece said he regularly sold some people new dinghies every 2 years because they were left uncovered all year. I certainly saw a lot sitting uncovered, partly inflated on deck in many yards. A cover or chaps can be a good investment.