Tracker on your outboard ?

[scottie]

Like those retro brand new paint jobs on camper vans, big Ford trucks etc that look rusty and patinated. Or even this vinyl wrap on a Porsche ..

View attachment 105889

Wheels look worth nicking

 

[DanTribe]

Reminds of when I worked in Peterborough several years ago. A colleagues brother had a compressor stolen (the type you tow behind a vehicle). It was painted bright pink with his company name on it in yellow. It was spotted on a local 'travellers' site so the police were duly informed. the response was "how do you know it's yours?" He pointed out the obvious distinctive markings. The response to this was "they may have liked your paint job and copied it".

A groundworker I know had a digger stolen from site. The tracker showed it was in a barn in Essex. He arranged to meet the police at the farm gate but they wouldn't enter without a search warrant. They said that the tracker wasn't enough evidence, just your word against theirs.

 

[INT QRK]

Reminds of when I worked in Peterborough several years ago. A colleagues brother had a compressor stolen (the type you tow behind a vehicle). It was painted bright pink with his company name on it in yellow. It was spotted on a local 'travellers' site so the police were duly informed. the response was "how do you know it's yours?" He pointed out the obvious distinctive markings. The response to this was "they may have liked your paint job and copied it".

I saw this story from the USA recently, my reaction was that there is no way Police would help him like that in the UK. They might have been sceptical there but at least they listened to reasoned argument and it worked out. I suspect that here he'd have been told to go forth and multiply or be charged with wasting police time.

Two AirTags used by security expert to track down stolen e-scooter | AppleInsider

 

[Greenheart]

It's an appalling reflection on the lack of interest or resources of the police.

Rather than discover that exasperating limit ourselves, anything and everything we can do to deter theft must be smart.

I doubt that a filthy or smoky outboard is any thief's first choice. There are plenty of shiny new-looking ones out there, proudly shown-off; I asked my boss last month how he'd managed to make his little 2-stroke look so recent...

...and at the time, I was thinking I might do the same with mine.

This thread is useful. Now, where did I leave that can of matt-black paint?

 

[Refueler]

I bought a 4HP Johnson twin from the 'FOR SALE ' forum.

Cheap, tatty, but a good runner - exactly what the advertiser said.

I removed all the decals, cleaned the white plastic cover and stenciled " HWA FONG CHINA MOTOR 1.75 HP " on it.

I had the idea it might not be too appealing to a tea leaf.........................................................

Most thieves - I hear literally steal to order ... same as used to be with car wheels / radios ...

So labelling would literally be only a moments deterent to a casual - but re3al thief would recognise regardless.

Yachting Monthly many years ago had a picture of an ordinary looking guy, walking along the marina pontoon with O/bd ... with caption under :

Do you know this guy ?

 

[Refueler]

I do not have to do anything to my outboard-- It is a seagull ?
As for finding stollen items- even if one does have a tracker etc. do we believe that the police will actually bother to take any action to help retrieve the item?
If they have had a spate of marine thefts in an area then they may well do so. That could result in the perpetrator of a number of crimes in one go. For a single isolated crime? Somehow I have my doubts:

A lot will depend on where it is & the type of thief. In some cases the police will walk away from certain communities for various reasons. It just is not worth the hassle for something that can be claimed on insurance & will involve many officers & may intimidate group violence.

Havant Quay - Farlington Marsh.

Many of us on the drying moorings there kept our dinghys upturned along the slipway .... its a public slipway so we knew the risk.

All were found one day with great big holes in bottoms where rocks had been dumped on them. Myself and others called the Police .....

Two Uni's arrived and took a few photos and statements .... at the end - we asked what next ? They BOTH said they had very good idea which group of 'lads' had done it because they had been seen doing similar to other property near similar time frame.
WOW - we thought - something might be done ................................. that was shortlived hope. The two P.O's basically admitted that by time they had gone via 'office' 'paperwork' and then the inevitable fight with the parents - who they'd had other occasions to contact ... the action would be worthless .....

It was a similar situation when my car was broken into outside my house and radio stolen. Why the thieves had to break BOTH drivers and passenger door windows - I will never understand. Police who attended admitted they had very good idea who was responsible .... but ...

 

[Dan Tribe]

Ancient history now but my sailing club had an outboard stolen from a rescue boat. It was painted hi-vis orange with the club name on.
A member who was a builder, saw it in the garden next door to where he was working and reported it to the police. When nothing was heard the club followed it up. The police office checked the record.
"Yes, an investigation was done, but was negative,"
"what investigation?"
" We knocked and asked the householder if he had a stolen outboard, he denied it, no further action"
" But it's still there, come and have a look!"
" That's just an allegation, we can't get a search warrant"

 

[Greenheart]

Useless.

It's very irritating to reflect on how useless it all is; but the one benefit may be to remind us (and never let us forget) that we may as well treat the places we leave our precious kit, as the Wild West...

...if you don't look after it, you'll lose it, and there ain't no sheriff for a hundred miles who'll even spit if you tell him about it.

 

[Refueler]

Ancient history now but my sailing club had an outboard stolen from a rescue boat. It was painted hi-vis orange with the club name on.
A member who was a builder, saw it in the garden next door to where he was working and reported it to the police. When nothing was heard the club followed it up. The police office checked the record.
"Yes, an investigation was done, but was negative,"
"what investigation?"
" We knocked and asked the householder if he had a stolen outboard, he denied it, no further action"
" But it's still there, come and have a look!"
" That's just an allegation, we can't get a search warrant"

What about Probable cause .... thought even UK had that ?

 

[Daydream believer]

Can one buy the things banks are said to include in their money-bundles, for transport...

...which explode when opened, splattering EVERYTHING in the vicinity with purple dye?

My squib crew spent 10 years installing them in building societies & banks, on behalf of a Belgian firm. They work on a WIFI signal. Typically as the item passes out the door of the building. He did have a couple go off in his tool box when opening it & quickly slammed the lid shut. Also had one go in his car boot. It would take him ages to clean up the mess. The cartridge was slightly bigger than a pp9 battery.
I did get a bit concerned when he produced one in my lounge & tossed it to me to look at.
Often it would be cut into a wad of notes supplied by the royal mint specially for the purpose.
Sometimes staff would forget about them & move the notes to an area that set them off. They would be smothered in orange powder (You can imagine their shock)

 

[DanTribe]

My squib crew spent 10 years installing them in building societies & banks, on behalf of a Belgian firm. They work on a WIFI signal. Typically as the item passes out the door of the building. He did have a couple go off in his tool box when opening it & quickly slammed the lid shut. Also had one go in his car boot. It would take him ages to clean up the mess. The cartridge was slightly bigger than a pp9 battery.
I did get a bit concerned when he produced one in my lounge & tossed it to me to look at.
Often it would be cut into a wad of notes supplied by the royal mint specially for the purpose.
Sometimes staff would forget about them & move the notes to an area that set them off. They would be smothered in orange powder (You can imagine their shock)

"You know when you've been Tangoed"

 

[CFG98]

A groundworker I know had a digger stolen from site. The tracker showed it was in a barn in Essex. He arranged to meet the police at the farm gate but they wouldn't enter without a search warrant. They said that the tracker wasn't enough evidence, just your word against theirs.

If it isn't an easy nick, do the police bother? By what you said and the pink generator post it sounds like they don't bother. Standards slipping?

 

[Caraway]

It seems that trackers are of no use. Many quad bikes have them fitted from new but the people who 'travel' to steal them know where they are and just remove them.

 

[Refueler]

Problem with Trackers - serious thieves will circumvent / remove them ...

They are only really to counter the casual opportunist thief .....