Theft from boats on moorings vs boats in marinas ?

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Boo2

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Hi,

I'm thinking of applying for a mooring and am a bit concerned about theft. I know it's totally a "how long is a piece of string" question but can anyone say how much more likely things are to be stolen from a boat on a mooring vs a boat in a marina ?

I was thinking of having solar panels laid flat on a seat to top up the batteries whislt away from the boat and ISTM that in a marina those wuld be quite likely to walk, whereas on a mooring they'd be hidden until someone actually boarded anyway, is there an element of opportunity theft from marinas that doesn't exist on moorings ? Or am I whistling in the dark ?

Thanks in advance for any advice/reassurance,

Boo2
 
Boo2,

the big question is ' where is the mooring ' ?

I know moorings which are largely unbothered while nearby marinas have had - famously - thieves tick off the owners' inventory as they robbed it !
 
Could you let me know panel make and size plus mooring location? I can let you have my preferences.


On a serious note, location, location, location. I've had my current and previous boat on a mooring for 6-7 years without any problems. However, you need to drive about 100 miles or get a ferry in order to reach it. There are houses all along the shore road and several of the people there were members of the local sailing club.

I think that risks are quite low if you can get somewhere away from lots of traffic but still overlooked by people with their own boats nearby. It helps if there are few roads in and out. I asked about security on nearby mainland marinas at the time. A few people did say that outboards and even dinghies had been stolen from pontoon berths from time to time.

So as Seajet says, it depends on where you are talking about.

I did hear of one incident where a couple of guys did sneak aboard one boat late at night and made off back towards Glasgow in their small speed boat. Really bad idea as a local called the police and they were caught in the middle of the Clyde between 2 police launches. Not a good plan to sneak around a few miles from a submarine base.
 
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Ask your insurance company. My premium has just increased because of my intention to use visitors moorings and anchorages rather than being mostly in a marina.
 
It will also depend on the type of marina - for instance a small municipal marina, unattended, no security with lots of coming and going will present a totally different situation to a large marina with CCTV, round the clock staffing, security gates and a smattering of liveaboards.
 
l'escargot said:
It will also depend on the type of marina - for instance a small municipal marina, unattended, no security with lots of coming and going will present a totally different situation to a large marina with CCTV, round the clock staffing, security gates and a smattering of liveaboards.
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Slightly o/t but I see the loss-making Ryde Marina is up for sale then!
 
EdWingfield said:
Ask your insurance company. My premium has just increased because of my intention to use visitors moorings and anchorages rather than being mostly in a marina.
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Most probably the increase was not down to an increased fear of theft but of a wariness about the safety of anchoring and of visitor moorings.

Unfortunately, I've found that the incidence of thefts from marinas or mooring are distressingly high, even high security marinas such as Port Vell are open to theft.

Whichever you choose it all boils down to situation, there are extremely secure moorings and very safe marinas and the opposite as well.

My boat has an alarm on main and fore-hatches with a strobe and high decibel siren - it's ear-shattering and embarrassing when one forgets to disconnect it before opening the boat.
Both, however, are dependent on neighbours springing into action.
 
Very dependent on marina/club security, or good spirited locals. As with everything, it's very difficult to stop a determined thief and if the locals don't know who owns the boat, then it's pot luck.

At my marina I usually arrive very late in the evening due to the distance. Last time the night watchman arrived before I'd even deployed the gang-plank. He checked my ID and only lightened up when I showed him my marina gate key and electronic pass. After that he was very friendly , I could have cleaned the boat out and he would have helped ... so to my mind marina security is the best bet as long as they are alert and do their job properly - at my marina they are on the prowl all night as far as I can tell.

Moorings have the advantage that casual opportunistic theft is less likely, but if targeted stand little chance.
 
six boats, three canal craft on linear moorings or a trailer, three yachts.

I won't identify precisely obviously!

Had an outboard stolen off a canal boat, almost certainly by a boater (due to access)
Had a bike stolen ditto, but probably a drinker from nearby pub

S coast Marina, like Fort Knox.
My garden, no theft but local kids had to be disabused that it wasn't a play house!
Boatyard in Cumbria, absolutely no problems, even though physical security non-existent
Drying swinger at same location with nice 4s OB on back, never touched.
Mud creek in Lincs, public access, no probs, even when left unlocked for a month (lock broken when going home)
Same location however, nice set of roller reefing 'walked' from club workshop, all 30 feet of it. Inside job.
Current boat bought when in locked yard with onsite security- they used to lock me in!
One Welsh marina we passed through only had a 4 foot high coded 'security' gate next to a pub!
Currently in a marina with lots of physical/electronic/human security..... what could go wrong? :rolleyes:

It's statistics or fate- don't worry too much.

Nick
 
Giblets said:
Slightly o/t but I see the loss-making Ryde Marina is up for sale then!
Click to expand...

Not yet, they're talking about it - with a covenant that it must remain a harbour, which they say won't be set in stone. Someone wants to build flats there then. Funny how they don't want to sell off Ventnor which is making even bigger losses, wonder why that is....

But yes, Ryde was the type of "marina" that I was referring to in the original post that would give me concerns about security.
 
30 years sailing roughly 50 / 50 marina and mooring based. Liferaft stolen on mooring (Conwy) and navionics card/ Raymarine mushroom stolen from marina (Hartlepool) . 1 incident per 15 years and Naivgators & General paid out in both cases.
 
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