Security bars for hatches?

Tim Good

Tim Good

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We're heading south soon for West Africa. I don't want to debate the subjective security issues of each country but what options and ideas have people got for security bars for hatches? My friends has these in his endurance which are solid and basic. Curious of other options out there and or suggestions of suppliers:

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Not got round to fitting anything yet but thought a lot about this on long passages. Been robbed at anchor once down that neck of the woods sleeping peacefully through it ...

Bars just seem a bit over the top. I've been thinking along the lines of some 7 x 19 steel wire rope threaded through a few eye plates to form a sort of spiders web with a padlock to terminate. Least it's removable then.
 
GHA said:
Bars just seem a bit over the top. I've been thinking along the lines of some 7 x 19 steel wire rope threaded through a few eye plates to form a sort of spiders web with a padlock to terminate. Least it's removable then.
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That's actually a very interesting idea. I mean you only need to prevent a body from slipping down a hatch. Though if the steel wire had crimped terminals in the end, and someone stamped in the taught wire from above, I'd have thought the leverage on a taught wire would pull the terminals out no?
 
northcave said:
That's actually a very interesting idea. I mean you only need to prevent a body from slipping down a hatch. Though if the steel wire had crimped terminals in the end, and someone stamped in the taught wire from above, I'd have thought the leverage on a taught wire would pull the terminals out no?
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You'd need to get some soft eyes crimped - then close to breaking strain of the wire, ~2.5t for 7 x 19 6mm from memory.

I've thought long and hard about alarms with bright flashing LEDs & a siren to freak out anyone before they get on the boat but not with any great success for something which would last the rigours of the seawater in the tropics. Should be possible with a PIR in the cockpit but bit late then though still maybe worth thinking about.

As ever it's a complex area, prevention better than cure. I was done in one of the south Cape Verde, solo & only one in the anchorage, dog tired after a few days passage and the pilot book said careful, they can swim out and nick stuff here, so mostly my own fault.
 
What about large galvanised turnbuckles? Cheap. Hook on to some eyelets and then tighten. Lock two in place with a bit of padlocked wire between the two to prevent from unwinding.

I suppose I'm more concerned about violent crime. I.e keeping them out of the boat entirely. My washboards are strong and would need an axe to get through them. Windows have poly carb storm boards and so the only realistic way in is through the hatches.

But I suppose the more you try and keep them from entering, the more pissed off they will be when they do.
 
NormanS said:
Just remember that in the event of fire, that hatch is one of your escape routes.
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Indeed. Not hugely bothered about the two in the saloon roof as the main hatch is an escape. But the hatches in the aft and forward cabins you make a very important point.
 
I would think those bars would severely inhibit escape from INSIDE of the boat in case of need!

Not to mention that one good hard stamp from above would probably rip the screws out from the timber surround.
 
Giblets said:
I would think those bars would severely inhibit escape from INSIDE of the boat in case of need!

Not to mention that one good hard stamp from above would probably rip the screws out from the timber surround.
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I would agree with the escape issue and a solution needs to be found. However, there is little chance you'd kick in these bars and shear either the wood or the screws even if you were 20 stone.
 
northcave said:
But I suppose the more you try and keep them from entering, the more pissed off they will be when they do.
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This is one o the more difficult parts of anything like this IMHO.

Thankfully unwelcome boardings are so rare there just isn't any data to go on to make any generalizations . A fair chunk of boardings seem to be down to a few messed up locals - nothing like a preplanned Italian Job.


One thing I would guess would be that they'll be pretty freaked out and not exactly rational, if you can keep them out for a while so you can scream down the VHF, make a load of noise, light, anything to make them want to give up then that could well be the best way to push the odds in your favour. A really loud siren/alarm/flashing light circuit you could trigger from below might be a good idea , you are no longer easy meat and everyone around getting woken up knowing which boat is making all the fuss could well result in them scarpering.

Another very valid reason for going this route is a bit of piece of mind as well, doesn't really impact day to day life much and if you're not 100% sure of the anchorage it could lead to a better nights sleep. Worth it for that alone.
 
GHA said:
Another very valid reason for going this route is a bit of piece of mind as well, doesn't really impact day to day life much and if you're not 100% sure of the anchorage it could lead to a better nights sleep. Worth it for that alone.
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That's a significant point. I doubt I'd ever need my series drogue, my storm boards or my ebirb but the confidence it gives will make my crossings much more enjoyable for sure. At least until I have some significant heavy weather under my belt at least.

I have recently made use of an old alarm system in the boat. It is 20 years old and manage to get it working with a loud siren up the mast. Every cabin was installed with a panic alarm button back when the boat was made and amazingly it all works! I may also install a flashing strobe up the mast given they are so cheap nowadays.
 
Joshua Slocum used to sprinkle tacks on his decks in case of night-time visitors ... presumably ones with bare feet! Dustpan and brush job in the morning ... cracking idea as long as you don't miss any! ... :encouragement:
 
What about two lengths of stainless tube, one with a slightly small gauge so it slides into the other. Then at max extension two holes align, through which you insert a long shackled padlock or bolt with security but on it?
 
I've given this some thought in the past, not implemented anything as we haven't gone anywhere yet where it might be needed. For my boat, I thought of two staples, one each side of the hatch and a flat steel bar with slots in each end. Fit the bar over the staples and padlock the bar in place when required. If the hatch is large enough, a second bar to form a cross would do the job. Enough to be resistant to entry but easy to remove once at sea to preserve the escape route when it is needed.
 
duncan99210 said:
I've given this some thought in the past, not implemented anything as we haven't gone anywhere yet where it might be needed. For my boat, I thought of two staples, one each side of the hatch and a flat steel bar with slots in each end. Fit the bar over the staples and padlock the bar in place when required. If the hatch is large enough, a second bar to form a cross would do the job. Enough to be resistant to entry but easy to remove once at sea to preserve the escape route when it is needed.
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:encouragement:
 
duncan99210 said:
I've given this some thought in the past, not implemented anything as we haven't gone anywhere yet where it might be needed. For my boat, I thought of two staples, one each side of the hatch and a flat steel bar with slots in each end. Fit the bar over the staples and padlock the bar in place when required. If the hatch is large enough, a second bar to form a cross would do the job. Enough to be resistant to entry but easy to remove once at sea to preserve the escape route when it is needed.
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That doesn't address the problem of being able to use the hatch as an escape from fire etc, when at anchor.
 
Thinking of the principle of having items do more than one job....

How about an oversized square of Weldmesh, plastic or paint coated, with bolts protruding down from the deckhead through the hatch frame and through 4 corners, secured by 4 corresponding ring-nuts. The mesh chosen of a size to keep out malcontents AND biting insects....
 
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