Thieving toe-rags

[zikzik]

Went to the boat today (Etap 21i) for the first time in three weeks due to a holiday. From the finger pontoon I could see the fuel tank flap open, the tank and Yam 8hp outboard missing! Got onto the boat and was surprised to see petrol marking in the water. Looked over the stern to see my engine hanging a foot or so under the water by one remote cable and the starter / alternator loom.

With help from marina staff the engine is now out and flushed with fresh water waiting to be looked at in the morning.

Maybe they were disturbed, maybe they dropped it and couldn't lift it again, who knows! The padlocked clamp handles were useless as the handles are plastic. Next time......

B*st**ds

 

[lustyd]

The padlocked clamp handles were useless

Sorry to hear about this, so hard to take after all the effort that goes into owning a boat.

I feel I should point out that padlocks generally are useless, it took me under a minute with a junior hacksaw to get into my boat when I left the keys at home. I had a spare padlock on board so decided the £2 for a hacksaw was money well spent. I've no idea how to properly secure a boat now, at least not without making it unpleasant to use

 

[zikzik]

I am wondering if a cycle type 'D' lock would work. Assuming of course there are substantial bits to attach it to.

Anyone had experience with an outboard that has been fully submersed for between one day to three weeks?

 

[HinewaisMan]

After we were broken into a few years back, we rigged up a cheapo car alarm with a few reed switches on the hatches.

But there’s no point in having an alarm that no-one can hear so we replaced the warbley siren with a seriously loud klaxon.

First plan was to install it somewhere up the mast, but then SWMBO suggested fitting it down below. It is so so loud down there, it is painful – pretty nigh impossible to stay below.

Now if we ever get broken into again, it shouldn’t be too hard for the police to find a thieving toe-rag with bleeding ears saying “Eh?” a lot.

 

[exfinnsailor]

I use a padlock through the handles and one of those long steel wire covered in plastic types to thread round the motor. I was given a bike last year that had one of these on and I thought it would be fun to see how long it took to get it off. First attempt was a failure. Its impossible to cut through the stuff as its like hardened piano wire. 2nd attempt was far more successful as I just cut through the cheap metal fitting that went into the lock. Took all of a minute. Very soft metal so they could glue it to the end of the cable.

Hope all is well with the engine.

Any CCTV footage from nearby

..

 

[scej]

If the outboard has been in for only 1 day then you should be ok although i would have sprayed it liberally with duck oil or wd 40 if its 3 weeks then it wont be looking good

 

[zikzik]

CCTV not well covered in my part of the marina unfortunately. A loud alarm sounds interesting. I guessed cable locks would be suspect.

 

[Fantasie 19]

CCTV not well covered in my part of the marina unfortunately. A loud alarm sounds interesting. I guessed cable locks would be suspect.

Trouble is, is there anyone around to react/hear the loud alarm in the middle of the night....??

Your engine is twice the size of mine, is there any chance you can take it off to store in the boat when you're away, or is it too heavy??

Other than that my suggestion would be cable lock of the type mentioned, but long enough that you can put the padlock end somewhere secure (inside a hatch/locker??)

 

[zikzik]

Too heavy for one to lift at circa 40kg. Steel cable with hidden lock a good idea. At least they would need bolt croppers to get through it.

 

[jwilson]

I am wondering if a cycle type 'D' lock would work. Assuming of course there are substantial bits to attach it to.

Anyone had experience with an outboard that has been fully submersed for between one day to three weeks?

Twice, first time a Seagull, two tides underwater in mud before retrieval, cleaned out and refilled with fuel myself, started as usual first pull. Kept it for years later, never a problem.

Eventually I replaced it with a then modern 4 hp two-stroke, lovely clean quiet thing after the Seagull. A friend dropped that in the water, retrieved 3 hours later as the tide went out. Washed off immediately and WD40'd, and took it to dealer, who declared it unfixable. Insurance eventually paid for a new one, and in the meantime I used the old Seagull.

 

[ProDave]

I keep my OB locked to the boat with a decent bike lock, intended I think for a motorbike rather than pushbike. The sort with the long curly plastic coated stainless steel wire.

 

[northwind]

Securing stuff on a boat is a balancing act..

On the one hand you want to stop the lightfingered opportunist.

On the other, you want to avoid damage to the boat. i.e. if they really want it they will take it, however if they take it by cutting a big hole in your boat, you'll end up with a bigger problem than the insurance for a new engine.

 

[salinia]

My insurance states:
Outboard motor lock. A specifically designed, sold and marketed as a secure method to prevent theft of your outboard motor, or another security method approved by us. (A padlock and chain is not sufficient)

It would seem to make no difference if you try to make your property secure using your own devices...so my advice would be to fit the best of whatever is on the market approved by the insurers even if it is poor quality manufacture.

Edit: Plus your own method of theft prevention.

 

[Giblets]

I recently raised the issue of an "approved" outboard lock with my insurers, GJW. They sent the following in an email:

As advised, the outboard motor should be secured in some way in addition to its normal method of attachment but we don't recommend a particular brand or method of securing it.

Seems that different insurers have different views on the subject.

 

[zikzik]

I have been watching the strip down and rebuild today. It was almost unmarked. An rebuild and oil change. A 15 min run in the tank and then an hour or more running back on the boat. The mechanic is not confident the alternator or starter motor will continue working in due course. But at the mo, it looks like I might have got off lightly on this occassion!

 

[ianabc]

Yellow paint

Outboards are more difficult to fence or sell if the cover is removed, or if the cover is a horrible black or yellow all over disguising the make and model.....


plus having doors instead of hatch boards allows the use of a stainless pipe across the enterance


and a padlock that is resistant to bolt cutters, we made a padlock cover from stainless steel, only a place for the key and no room for bolt cutters, it looks like an elongated U

 

[zikzik]

Outboards are more difficult to fence or sell if the cover is removed, or if the cover is a horrible black or yellow all over disguising the make and model.....

I was thinking about a scruffy motor cover as another boat on the marina has a painted one with his boat name painted on. This sounds like a good idea. Also the hatch defence.
N

 

[PetiteFleur]

Sorry to hear about this, so hard to take after all the effort that goes into owning a boat.

I feel I should point out that padlocks generally are useless, it took me under a minute with a junior hacksaw to get into my boat when I left the keys at home. I had a spare padlock on board so decided the £2 for a hacksaw was money well spent. I've no idea how to properly secure a boat now, at least not without making it unpleasant to use

I agree - in particular the brass Plastimo ones with a shackle of about 5mm diameter. When I locked myself out with the key inside, I borrowed a junior hacksaw and it took no longer than about 3 seconds(it was a new blade). Since them I replaced all the brass padlocks with stainless ones with an 8mm shackle. I use the brass padlock on my dinghy ashore chained to a large ground chain as on spring tides it does flood and so far the padlocks lasted about 5 years.

 

[chiefeng]

My father had a 50hp johnson nicked off the back of his boat. Police reckoned the method of detachment was a chain saw!! If they want it they 'll take it.

 

[Talulah]

Our outboard is secured with an OML lock.
http://www.outboardmotorlocks.co.uk/

Not cheap but look the part.