stolen boats

[AIDY]

just been reading the sad news here about current boat theft's. I feel for the owner's I would be devastated it it was mine especially as the Bav was only moored a few pontoons down from us at gossie premier.

Why do people do it, and how far do they expect to take the boat.

Is it worth trying to prevent theft's by shutting fuel taps off, or do you anyway. Do you do anything to prevent theft. Or do you take the attitude it's insured.

 

[kingfisher]

1. mine is so old, they will more likely steal the Bav next door. I always park my car next to a nicer model.
2. To start my boat takes a whole ceremony, including mumbling mystic formulas, such as "start, you auld green lump of steel" and the flicking of several hidden switches. So complicated, even I fail to start it sometimes.

 

[AIDY]

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[purplerobbie]

If mine got nicked i wouldnt get any money back as it's only 3rd party insurance /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I would be fecked really

Rob

 

[maxi77]

Another one with a thornycroft T90

 

[PeterGibbs]

Disabling the boat drive is surely one of the pre-requisites these days? I could imagine the insurer sucking air through his teeth if this was not done.

But nothing deters a determined thief with the means to drag the boat away. But how likely is that?

As for motivation, I am a contrarian and don't believe the current downturn forces folks to half inch others' goods. It's the dishonest who buy gear suspecting it's not legit, but not wanting to lose an apparently too-good-to-believe deal !

PWG

 

[i_sail]

Funnily enough, I had just logged onto YBW, to post exactly what you posted!!

I have been sailing for many years and I have never seen so much boat crime as in the last few weeks.

I am signed up for email alerts from stolenboats.org.uk and my email is going crazy! Getting emails ++++ from them. What the hells going on out there?

More importantly, what are we going to do about it? We cannot expect the police to deliver any crime prevention, they are seriously under resourced. I think us (boat owners) need to work somehow in partnership with marinas and harbour authorities to formulate some plan of action.

I would love to catch some little b@$tard in the act, what I would do to him is certainly not postable on here!

 

[jamesjermain]

[ QUOTE ]
I have been sailing for many years and I have never seen so much boat crime as in the last few weeks

[/ QUOTE ]

Beaulieu Boat Jumble last weekend - 'nuff said.

 

[i_sail]

what was the crime? the entrance fee or the stuff for sale? did many turn up there?

 

[jonjo]

[ QUOTE ]
Disabling the boat drive is surely one of the pre-requisites these days?

[/ QUOTE ]
I cannot think what I could do in practice?

 

[nimbusgb]

[ QUOTE ]
just been reading the sad news here about current boat theft's. I feel for the owner's I would be devastated it it was mine especially as the Bav was only moored a few pontoons down from us at gossie premier.

Why do people do it, and how far do they expect to take the boat.

Is it worth trying to prevent theft's by shutting fuel taps off, or do you anyway. Do you do anything to prevent theft. Or do you take the attitude it's insured.

[/ QUOTE ]

Most people would rather spend a couple of hundred pounds on beer and wine than on some sort of security system. Until the situation gets so bad that the insurance companies mandate systems then very little will be done about it.

I would think that most people will look at the statistics and rekon with a full sized motor boat / yacht going missing perhaps once a week then their boat is not exactly going to be next.

I am fitting a system, hidden away that will transmit regular GPS location messages to a remote server via low orbit satellite not mobile phone whenever the boat is 'active' ie the batteries are connected. No external antenna and power to the system taken off in the most inaccessible place I could find. In normal operation it will let me keep a track of my voyaging, if the boat were to go missing I might have a hope of at least finding it.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

thanks for the smile you gave me Henk.

I do appreciate what you say though. I owned an old house that I was extending and although the houses around us often got burgled, our house already looked as if it had been well and truly raided and so we were never done over.

 

[Firefly625]

Its one of the things I like about the lock at Hythe Marina, the marina staff know me, know my boat, and know that no bugger apart from me takes it out so they "say" they wouldn't let anyone else take it through the lock, and as they control the lock one would hope its slightly more secure than most marinas.........but its hardly fool proof! ....and still doesn't stop it being stripped of equipment

I do think a type of "marina boat watch" scheme would be worth promoting. Two weeks ago I was on the boat an witnessed some kids on a Birchwood 46 at Hythe which I was pretty certain wasn't theirs. So quick call to harbour office and marina security came down to check it out. Boat was OK and was actually up for sale, so certainly wasn't theirs, but kids long gone... its just about being aware and if you notice something, do something about it and call the harbour office who will check it out..... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[Gin]

There was thread on here not so long ago when an East Coaster liveaboard (Brightlingsea area I think) disturbed a couple of balaclava wearing chaps in a RIB who had cast off all but one line from a moored yacht next to his and were about to take the last line as a towline to the RIB.

So don't think that the lowlife comes unprepared

 

[absit_omen]

Pour a bag of sugar into the diesel tank - that will disable it. When you want to use the boat - simply take the sugar out and store it in the bag until you next need it.

 

[jonjo]

[ QUOTE ]
Pour a bag of sugar into the diesel tank - that will disable it.

[/ QUOTE ]
I must have really upset you in the lounge!

 

[absit_omen]

Nah. Life's too short. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[PeterGibbs]

Q - I cannot think what I could do in practice?

_______________________________________

At the risk of ribaldry for stating the obvious, may I list:

- isolate batteries (key job beter than standard two position switch)
- shut off raw water supply
- Isolate fuel supply
- Slack / remove raw water pump belt (for longer periods of inactivity)
- Remove wheel and lock below to mast support
- Immobilise steering lock to hard over position (at quadrant)
- Conceal winch handles (to hinder sailaway)

As I posted earlier - nothing stops the determined and prepared thief, but a combination of the above can deter casual and amateur thieves.

Good practice, and easier for insurers and police, to have a full set of photos at home with all the distinguishing marks clear to aid recognition. Hull number can be valuable for final identification. Plus a little momento planted somewhere on board that police can be directed to find, for conclusive proof of identity if the boat is seized abroad /at a distance

This list does not exclude employing movement detection / warning signs and claxons for very exposed areas. Intuitively boats are beter protected in marinas as opposed to moorings, but I wonder if that's true in practice?

PWG

 

[Achillesheel]

After a series of thefts of fuel from boats at our moorings, someone left a tank of unleaded on their boat which had a good deal of sugar added.

After it went missing, one of the local rogues was seen trying in vain to start his outboard..... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[absit_omen]

[ QUOTE ]
Plus a little momento planted somewhere on board that police can be directed to find, for conclusive proof of identity if the boat is seized abroad /at a distance

[/ QUOTE ]

I used to keep a photocopy of the Registration Document in a freezer bag taped behind the s/s holding tank. Unlikely to be found unless the boat was completely stripped.