Thieving B@stards!

[jamie N]

It sounds highly unlikely to me that someone would go to the bother of unfastening a shackle, in order to steal your hook, and then not take the shackle. Is it not more likely that the shackle has come undone, and left the halyard "blowing in the breeze".

The shackle's still there as it's slightly trapped and fiddly to get off; possibly the reason that it didn't fall away when the "TB" nicked it is my thought.
If it had fallen off, it would have had to bounce a bit to get past the deck leads, and the grab rail and the gunwale, which it could have done of course. Thereafter though, it would've gone down beneath the boat and been fairly easily spotted when I did an ROV dive. The seabed is quite firm sand, wiith a small layer of mud, thus it would have remained obvious, glaringly obvious actually, given the ambient light below the boat that day.
However, to avoid any further slurs (I'm feeling sensitive today as my job has ended a week earlier than thought!), I'll do a further dive on Thursday and hopefully prove that I am a notoriously poor shackler and find the hook, thereby saving myself 28 quid!

 

[Trop Cher]

It sounds highly unlikely to me that someone would go to the bother of unfastening a shackle, in order to steal your hook, and then not take the shackle. Is it not more likely that the shackle has come undone, and left the halyard "blowing in the breeze".

Err, NormanS, someone was looking for you!

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...n-get-in-touch-with-Norman-s&highlight=norman

 

[wishdosher]

Hi, I've just had my outboard pinched from its mount on the pushpit. I had a bike lock through it as a deterrent which they left behind all chewed up. Our boat is on a drying swinging mooring in Chichester harbour. they also broke the padlock on the cockpit locker and had a good poke about, I'm relieved they didn't go into the cabin. Anyway, I was wondering just how much security it's worth putting on a boat, if they're going to have a go I'd rather they didn't damage something more expensive to replace than what they're trying to steal. I'm very new to boating so am still finding my way but inevitably I'm going to have to leave things on board that people will want to steal. My boat isn't worth a great deal of money so not worth spending a fortune protecting BUT I don't want to find we can't take her out when we get a free weekend because someone's pinched something important. Any thoughts on security / deterrents greatly received, thank you.

 

[northwind]

Hi, I've just had my outboard pinched from its mount on the pushpit. I had a bike lock through it as a deterrent which they left behind all chewed up. Our boat is on a drying swinging mooring in Chichester harbour. they also broke the padlock on the cockpit locker and had a good poke about, I'm relieved they didn't go into the cabin. Anyway, I was wondering just how much security it's worth putting on a boat, if they're going to have a go I'd rather they didn't damage something more expensive to replace than what they're trying to steal. I'm very new to boating so am still finding my way but inevitably I'm going to have to leave things on board that people will want to steal. My boat isn't worth a great deal of money so not worth spending a fortune protecting BUT I don't want to find we can't take her out when we get a free weekend because someone's pinched something important. Any thoughts on security / deterrents greatly received, thank you.

Whereabouts in Chi was your boat moored?

We had a series of boats broken into in the Church Rithe area last year, seemed to be kids. I work on the basis that if they really want to take something they will, and at that point I'd rather they didn't do too much damage in the process of taking it...

 

[Alfie168]

I had a brand new trailer winch nicked at Rutland water about six years ago. It still niggles. You have my sympathy.

In Norfolk they have a police backed scheme where you remove the outboard engine cover and replace it with a PVC one on the basis that the thief having to buy a new cover blows the economics of stealing the motor and exposes the thief to making a purchase somewhere. I don't know how effective it is, but the thinking is sound.

Oh yes I had an old sailboard nicked from the boatpark. Now that was a boaty as I had foolishly rolled the sail next to it and left it under my dinghy...and the boat park was well secured with high fences and locked, so somebody noticed it whilst using the dinghy park I reckoned. It was an ancient Dufour Wing so not much value to anybody even 20 years ago. Stupid nasty people arn't they!

Tim

 

[wishdosher]

I saw the engine cover scheme when I was in Pembrokeshire the other week, I can see the point but I wasn't sure about putting something floppy like that over an engine with warm bits and some moving parts. I've bought an alarmed cable lock which I can thread through both outboards and I can print off some big labels at work warning of alarms and security marking so I'm hoping that will put people off... I thought I could use the cable alarm to secure the tender as well if we wanted to pop to the pub or something - I don't think it's going to stop a determined thief but it might put them off trying! I've been filling out my insurance paperwork (need to get back to the boat to double check I've listed everything), it's crossed my mind that I might be setting myself up for a premium increase next year if I put a claim in, does anyone have experience of that? Thank you for advice and commiserations!

 

[Seajet]

Whereabouts in Chi was your boat moored?

We had a series of boats broken into in the Church Rithe area last year, seemed to be kids. I work on the basis that if they really want to take something they will, and at that point I'd rather they didn't do too much damage in the process of taking it...

We had the same at Langstone Sailing Club - which is on the road bridge to Hayling Island so has moorings & access to Chichester & Langstone harbours.

A group of kids about 14 years old broke into boats on shore and on the Langstone side, being particularly nasty when they threw my chums' generator over the side out of sheer spite.

However, one got trapped in the mud, resulting in a coastguard rescue - there was a large photo in the Daily Mail clearly showing his footprints out to a club boat !

They were too young to prosecute / beat up, but their identities are now well known and they realise this, we haven't had any more bother since - touchwood.

As for security, I fit locks which will stop a casual yob - and 99% of the time that's what one has to deal with - but not inflict too much damage if a pro with bolt cutters, rechargeable angle grinder etc wants to get in...

 

[wishdosher]

I went back to the boat on Saturday to make a full list for the insurance to find they'd been back for the vhf, depth sounder, fuel tank. They smashed up the outboard remote trying to get it off and cut the control lines. I'm pretty sure I'm going to sell the boat this winter as it's just not working for me. It's partly the damage and expense of what they've done but you have to take every opportunity to enjoy your boat or it's just not worth the expense and if you start losing time on it because of things like this then it's all a bit hopeless. I can't afford a marina and to be honest I don't like them, I love rowing out in the dinghy and being away from everyone else. This was always going to be a "see how we go" experiment what with having a 2 year old toddler and not really knowing what I was doing but I really didn't expect this to be the reason to pack it all in. I'm not put off the boating thing entirely as we get huge pleasure from our amateurish pottering round the harbour (sorry if we've got in your way) so might get something on a trailer we can plop in for a couple of weeks each year instead and keep somewhere safe the rest of the time. Oh yes, must mention Chichester Harbour Conservancy, thank you for the letter stuck to the boat telling me to pay my dues... I dare say I may have put the sticker 2 degrees off vertical or on the wrong side but it is there!

 

[SimbaDog]

Really sorry to hear that The ******** need a public flogging :mad-new:

 

[wishdosher]

Thank you SimbaDog, lots of people have reacted the same way. I've been thinking about it quite a bit and I think the people who really should be punished are the ones buying stolen kit... you can usually smell a rat when you're buying stuff that's a bit "iffy". All this kit's going somewhere

 

[Lakesailor]

In Norfolk they have a police backed scheme where you remove the outboard engine cover and replace it with a PVC one on the basis that the thief having to buy a new cover blows the economics of stealing the motor and exposes the thief to making a purchase somewhere. I don't know how effective it is, but the thinking is sound.
Tim

We have the scheme. The effect is that two people lose every time there is a theft.
The motor with the floppy cover goes missing and a better secured motor with it's rigid cowl gets the cowl lifted to fit on the pinched motor.

In fact all someone has to do is take 2 or 3 motors (it's usually done in batches) and next week go to a different mooring site and get the smartest suitable cowl they can spot.

The floppy cover idea is a bit naff as well because to make it properly viable you need to take the rigid cowl home, not just put it in a locker. Along with everything else you take home it all becomes a bit of a pain.

 

[jamie N]

My luxury yacht is in Inverness Marina.
I did not take your shackle. I suspect it has fallen off.

I know; I checked.....

I went back to the boat on Saturday to make a full list for the insurance to find they'd been back for the vhf, depth sounder, fuel tank. They smashed up the outboard remote trying to get it off and cut the control lines. I'm pretty sure I'm going to sell the boat this winter as it's just not working for me. It's partly the damage and expense of what they've done but you have to take every opportunity to enjoy your boat or it's just not worth the expense and if you start losing time on it because of things like this then it's all a bit hopeless. I can't afford a marina and to be honest I don't like them, I love rowing out in the dinghy and being away from everyone else. This was always going to be a "see how we go" experiment what with having a 2 year old toddler and not really knowing what I was doing but I really didn't expect this to be the reason to pack it all in. I'm not put off the boating thing entirely as we get huge pleasure from our amateurish pottering round the harbour (sorry if we've got in your way) so might get something on a trailer we can plop in for a couple of weeks each year instead and keep somewhere safe the rest of the time. Oh yes, must mention Chichester Harbour Conservancy, thank you for the letter stuck to the boat telling me to pay my dues... I dare say I may have put the sticker 2 degrees off vertical or on the wrong side but it is there!

I am genuinely very sad for you. Nobody needs that amount of pi55 do they.

 

[nedr]

Do you mean Muirtown basin or the harbour Marina?
Sadly both are within reach of an area both as rough and overloaded with thief's as any other inner city area.
I used to work the area in my past life as a Social worker having previously worked both in inner city Manchester and Glasgow.
Bear in mind before blaming yachties that the harbour marina is 5 mins in a dingy from this estate just over the river.

But reefing hooks aren't really a likely target for your average inner city villain. I've never been approached in a pub with a "Psst, mate, wanna buy a reefing hook?".

 

[jamie N]

But reefing hooks aren't really a likely target for your average inner city villain. I've never been approached in a pub with a "Psst, mate, wanna buy a reefing hook?".

Very good! I wish that I WAS though.