Thwarting outboard thieves

[ghostlymoron]

On my first boat (Leisure 17) I had a 4hp mariner. The boat was in a drying lagoon so easily accessible at low water. At first we put the engine in the cabin when we left the boat but soon got fed up doing that and simply chained it to the bracket with a chunky chain and padlock. It was never touched but some other outboards were nicked. It all depends on the location.
I took the view that a deterrent is all you can do - they're easy to pinch if you're determined and serious damage done to your boat in the process. Provided you've made an effort, insurance will cover a replacement.

 

[Refueler]

I took the view that a deterrent is all you can do - they're easy to pinch if you're determined and serious damage done to your boat in the process.

This applies to many other items ..... my Snap 23 at Farlington was broken into ... they forced the weak forehatch, got in - then kicked through the dividing door to get to main cabin. There were signs of attempts at the main companionway ......

It appeared that they used the sail bags to carry away gear - which unfortunately included the sails in the bags ..
House contents without hesitation covered all the fishing gear (rods .. reels ... tackle box etc) ... Boat insurance covered sails and entrance damage but only after serious negotiation ..

My boat was secure enough to deter casual thieves but having already surveyed and filed reports for a number of other boats that had suffered thieves - I was of opinion to not over strengthen hatchways etc..
Its not only outboards that get chainsawed ... companionways get kicked in .. if there are metal bars or other strongbacks as some use - - that means structure is seriously damaged as well.
My interior door - luckily the frame split and door came away intact. Repair was simply a matter of carefully gluing back together the frame with some carefully positioned blind screws.

The serious thief will not think anything of destroying the boat to get what he wants.

 

[penfold]

Even easier now there are decent battery chainsaws available.

 

[C08]

Years ago I bought some "thief proof" bolt nut caps. These were dome shaped to resist mole grips etc and sort of hammered onto the nuts. When fitted they just rotated around on the nuts and I felt I had done something useful. Five years later when I wanted to remove and sell the engine I found I could easily remove the thief proof caps with a heavy screwdriver to prise them off. Similarly I had enthusiastically daubed silver hammerite on the leg so it looked a mess so no one would want to pinch it. Tidying it up to sell, 5 minutes with a spay can of paint and the distinguishing defacement had gone.
Portable hand grinders make theft so easy I think the only way is to make an engine look old and not worth stealing-a coating of thinned condensed milk to encourage algae growth perhaps?

 

[Mudisox]

I think that the resulting advice from us all, is to try and deter theft as it is impossible to exclude it. That is what Insurance is for.

 

[Fantasie 19]

I think that the resulting advice from us all, is to try and deter theft as it is impossible to exclude it. That is what Insurance is for.

Wise words...

Having had a 6hp Tohatsu stolen the year before last (had a serious padlock through the handles and a bike lock through the carry handle - bolt cutters went through both like they were cheese)

For the replacement I've got a Fulton lock, and I take the engine cowl home with me... if I wasn't using the engine every other weekend I'd take it off and put it in the cabin out of view.. when Lidl/Aldi sell battery powered angle grinders, I'm realistic that all I'm doing is trying to deter...

 

[Refueler]

Years ago I bought some "thief proof" bolt nut caps. These were dome shaped to resist mole grips etc and sort of hammered onto the nuts. When fitted they just rotated around on the nuts and I felt I had done something useful. Five years later when I wanted to remove and sell the engine I found I could easily remove the thief proof caps with a heavy screwdriver to prise them off. Similarly I had enthusiastically daubed silver hammerite on the leg so it looked a mess so no one would want to pinch it. Tidying it up to sell, 5 minutes with a spay can of paint and the distinguishing defacement had gone.
Portable hand grinders make theft so easy I think the only way is to make an engine look old and not worth stealing-a coating of thinned condensed milk to encourage algae growth perhaps?

I bought a 2nd hand 20 Mariner ..... legally - I have the registry document (over here we can actually register an engine like a car ... ) ..

Anyway - it had a solid black cylinder instead of one of the hand mount bolts. The guy who sold it to me couldn't find the special tool to use ... the tool is inserted into it and it locks the cylinder to the bolt - allows you to tighten or loosen. Take tool out and the cylinder just freewheels. Tried everything to get that to grip ... but had to cut it off in the end.
I now use a length of stud bar with large washer + two locked nuts to tighten it. One day I will replace with a proper hand mount bolt affair.

 

[fisherman]

There are security bolts, the hex part of the head parts off when tight. Thieves will jigsaw the transom or angle grind the chain. Is a wire cable or chain attached to some distant secure point in the bowels of the boat any better? Is a cable more difficult to cut?
GPS tracker possibly best for an expensive engine.

 

[TernVI]

Modern outboards can have immobilisers in the larger sizes, which possibly means a thief just ends up selling a few spares.

 

[Caraway]

You've still lost your engine.

 

[Perrycas]

Thanks all for the input. I enjoyed the digression into security general. Pretty much confirmed all of my concerns/worries. Yes the idea of uglifying/remiving bits if I cant take it off is about as good as it gets. Hadn't thought of taking the leg and cover off.

 

[Mark-1]

Modern outboards can have immobilisers in the larger sizes, which possibly means a thief just ends up selling a few spares.

True, but the spares are valuable and harder to trace. I bought a shed load of parts from a main dealer this winter and they broke a brand new engine for the parts they didn't have in stock, they do it all the time, he said.

FWIW my engine lives locked in a shed but if I plan to use the boat a few times in quick succession I leave it on with a tiny padlock. (On the basis I don't want people to be able to walk off with at zero effort, but if someone comes with tools I want them to angle grind the padlock, not the OB bracket.)

 

[Jim@sea]

In 1971 the first outboard I had was stolen . An electrical friend had fitted an alarm where a cable went out to the outboard, through the outboard and went back to the alarm which was inside the boat. The idea was that if anyone cut the cable an alarm would sound. When I went to the boat the cable had been cut.
Whether the alarm had gone off and people ignored it or whether the battery had gone flat I dont know.
The next outboard which was stolen was lying on the floor near the door of my showroom waiting for me to put it in my car, it was there perhaps half an hour, an opportunist thief must have seen it when getting petrol, into the boot and off.
The original idea of having an alarm with a cable going through it would be useful today as electrics have moved on in 50 years and we have these solar panels which can top up the battery, Anything you can do to thwart thieves is useful

 

[Jim@sea]

Read the small print of your insurance!

I used to sell Ivor Williams Horse Trailers (which are probably the most stolen Horse Trailers in the world) I was selling a Horse Trailer to a lady I rented a stable to and told her that she must get a Wheel Clamp. she asked if it would stop it from being stolen and I replied "No but it will ensure that your insurance pays you out"
She bought the cheapest Wheel Clamp I have ever seen, absolute rubbish. A week later the trailer was stolen, the wheel clamp in bits on the floor.
She did get paid out.
PS. If you do fit an Outboard Lock it dosent hurt to take a photo of it on and locked,

 

[Fantasie 19]

PS. If you do fit an Outboard Lock it dosent hurt to take a photo of it on and locked,

More wise words... helps with the insurance company...

 

[Caraway]

Yes. I always had 3 forms of security on my outboard, and sent an image of that to the insurer when I re-insured each year.

(3 forms : screw clamp lock: motor cycle chain and lock between motor and mount and a stainless cable from motor to transom. On the basis that it was too much hassle to pinch mine. )

 

[penfold]

I used to sell Ivor Williams Horse Trailers (which are probably the most stolen Horse Trailers in the world) I was selling a Horse Trailer to a lady I rented a stable to and told her that she must get a Wheel Clamp. she asked if it would stop it from being stolen and I replied "No but it will ensure that your insurance pays you out"
She bought the cheapest Wheel Clamp I have ever seen, absolute rubbish. A week later the trailer was stolen, the wheel clamp in bits on the floor.
She did get paid out.
PS. If you do fit an Outboard Lock it dosent hurt to take a photo of it on and locked,

Presumably the horsey set are thoroughly disreputable and quite happy to buy a cheap horse box 'from a bloke in the pub'? Without a ready market they won't get stolen.

 

[Refueler]

Presumably the horsey set are thoroughly disreputable and quite happy to buy a cheap horse box 'from a bloke in the pub'? Without a ready market they won't get stolen.

One aspect in UK that favours the thief in respect of trailers .... you don't have to register the trailer separately as we do in EU land.... such as Latvia.
Trailers here have own reg'n number plate, own 'MOT', insurance etc. making it difficult for thief to re-register etc. The Serial Number is officially logged as part of the process.

 

[Daydream believer]

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.

I suppose his excuse was that he needed lots of spares because they were always getting pinched. Plod would accept that.

 

[Caraway]

One aspect in UK that favours the thief in respect of trailers .... you don't have to register the trailer separately as we do in EU land.... such as Latvia.
Trailers here have own reg'n number plate, own 'MOT', insurance etc. making it difficult for thief to re-register etc. The Serial Number is officially logged as part of the process.

Ah yes. We need better policing ...