Thwarting outboard thieves

Perrycas

Perrycas

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10M cat may be unattended on a mooring, or in a boatyard for some months. I realise that it's hard to stop a well equipped thief. I am also aware of insurance. But wondering if anyone has interesting idea as to how to secure a motor, other than the obvious lock and chain? I was thinking along the line of some sort of bolt with specialised head.
 
I was thinking of fitting one of those Microchips which they insert into expensive Saddles Also remove engine parts.
And when I had a garage which was occasionally burgled, I bought a hand held engraving machine which I used to engrave all the tools, I also engraved my boat equipment. My ship to shore radio (VHF) had the name of my garage engraved across it. That was stolen and when seen at the house of a well known thief resulted in their arrest.
 
Visible lock on securing handles, but they are easily thwarted. Paint the engine and engrave postcode, to make it distinctive.
Make the thief go elsewhere or at least difficult to sell.
 
Most engines of the size it will be have holes in the bracket for bolts as well as the usual clamps. If you can bolt it as well as lock it, it will be an additional deterrence. Mine is bolted as well as clamped.
 
Can you get some sort of vinyl wrap, rust effect to cover the engine cover with, ie make it look like a worthless piece of crap!
 
longjohnsilver said:
Why not take the engine cover home? Devon and Cornwall police used to provide a canvas cover., maybe they still do. However, it was considered to be quite a deterrent to theft.
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That was adopted in the Lake District, where many boats are left unattended for periods of time. Didn't really catch on though.
It does make a simple theft of a motor less appealing though. Probably reduces the price they could get by quite a bit. New covers are very expensive.
On the subject of locks and bolts. Engines are sometimes cut off complete with a section of transom.
 
Pal of mine in Langstone Hbr ... had a nice 70HP on back of his mobo ...

He'd fitted through bolts and locks ..... but went to bo0at one day and found engine part of transom removed ... and boat sunk. We got to her at low tide and fashioned a makeshift to get her afloat again and ashore to rebuild the transom.

During this we sandwiched a stainless plate in ....

He still had his old engine and we thought ... hand paint it - make it look like **** ......

Bolted it on ..

No kidding - week later - that was gone ... transom sawn out ...

Imagine a 70hp and transom being lifted away while boat is rapidly sinking ........... we and Police could only imagine a working boat with 'A frame' could do such ....

Despite serial numbers, checking local ads and auctions ... never found either.

Another : I remember many years ago a picture in YBW or PBO .... showed a guy carrying an outboard over his shoulder on a marina pontoon. The caption under read : "Do you know this guy ?"

Sadly that is a fact in most marinas - you just don't know Adam from Eve ...
 
Caraway said:
On the subject of locks and bolts. Engines are sometimes cut off complete with a section of transom.
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I've heard of that, but I would expect it more likely to happen to a shiny new umpteen hundred horse power model that's worth tens of thousands. I expect small ones as fitted to a 10m cat (15 hp probably) worth a few hundred is more at risk of theft by opportunists or drugged up scrotes rather than chain saw equipped professionals who will spirit them away abroad to be next seen on a drug runner's dory.
 
Take the leg off. No one should steal a "broken" outboard, even less so with a tarpaulin over the engine with no cover.
 
You can do the basic things like bolt it on using security nuts which shear off, security mark it and label it as such, a locking device over the clamp screws.
Record the serial number.
Read the small print of your insurance!
 
AngusMcDoon said:
I've heard of that, but I would expect it more likely to happen to a shiny new umpteen hundred horse power model that's worth tens of thousands. I expect small ones as fitted to a 10m cat (15 hp probably) worth a few hundred is more at risk of theft by opportunists or drugged up scrotes rather than chain saw equipped professionals who will spirit them away abroad to be next seen on a drug runner's dory.
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Not so actually ... small outboards that can be carried are gold to the thief .....

When kids dropped rocks through the bottoms of dinghy's at the slip - we called the Police to report it and maybe a chance to do something. During conversation - they talked about outboards and gear ... how many were taken. I was surprised because you don't see it .. but they said it was significant numbers .....
 
When I lived in Bowness the police were called to a guest house opposite the yacht club to attend a domestic between the couple who ran it. They found 18 small outboards in his out-building.
 
Refueler said:
Not so actually ... small outboards that can be carried are gold to the thief .....
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Years ago I visited the broads to look at a Hunter 490 or my father. When I arrived I found lots of upset people because the previous night somebody had chainsawed u-shaped sections out of twelve separate transoms to steal the outboards on them.
 
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