What's the best way to deter theft of my new tender/outboard?

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What\'s the best way to deter theft of my new tender/outboard?

I've just splashed out on a new inflatable and outboard and even at a bargain price, it cost me over £600. What's the best way to deter theft of my new kit? I'm going to buy an outboard lock and I have thought about marking the engine and inflatable with my boat's name. Is this worth doing? If so, what's the best way of doing it? Is it worth spending £25 on an outboard lock, or are they not worth the money? I will probably leave the outboard on the pushpit (locked) over weekends while I'm on board and the tender lashed to the boat. Both will be stored locked on board during the week. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Re: What\'s the best way to deter theft of my new tender/outboard?

For the outboard if you're not worried about re-sale then decorating the engine in your own unique style deter's theives because it makes them un-saleable and easy to identify... the obvious downside is your aesthetics and the re-sale but its one to put in the pot....Iain
 
Re: What\'s the best way to deter theft of my new tender/outboard?

Goodness knows what it'll do to your guarantee, but mark your boat's name and your postcode on the outboard with a soldering iron, splash paint over any bits that will take paint, and use a magic marker on the plastic bits. The outboard will look a real mess, but the boat jumble wholesalers won't want to have anything to do with it.

I wouldn't use the soldering iron on the tender, mind. I scrawled all over mine in magic marker, but I hope some other contributor will recommend a suitable paint.
 
Use a rigging wire strop and padlock

I saw once a most ingenious system of a rigging wire with a soft eye at one end and a hard eye at the other.
A loop was made through the soft eye and round the outboard. The tail was wound through various bits of the dinghy, then through the pontoon mooring cleat and finally secured with a padlock. The security will depend on the quality of the wire and the padlock.
It won't be popular if the pontoon gets full though.
 
Re: What\'s the best way to deter theft of my new tender/outboard?

get a freind to letter stamp your post code on the engine inside the casing if thats not possiblecontact your local police station and they should be able to do it for you as most do cycles this way. mark post code under the turn of the tubes with waterproof felt pen in several places also do as others say paint it to make it awkward for cleaning up.
 
Re: What\'s the best way to deter theft of my new tender/outboard?

It is a condition of my insurance that the inflatable is indelibley marked with the name of the boat.

(note to self - put on jobs list).
 
Re: What\'s the best way to deter theft of my new tender/outboard?

Paint in large letters on the bottom of your inflatable STOLEN FROM (name of boat). Use paint designed for neoprene/pvc suitable for your tender.
 
Re: What\'s the best way to deter theft of my new tender/outboard?

A smart way of complying with insurance requirements to name your tender without advertising that the mother ship is unanttended is to write T/T on an area of the hull that will be underwater.

Remember, all that security does is sell time. You could rob Fort Knox if you had long enough.
 
Re: What\'s the best way to deter theft of my new tender/outboard?

Your insurance probably requires your out board to be secured to the boat with one of the sleeve type outboard locks. It was one of the first things I bought once I had read my insurance docs last year.

havent done it myself but, as others have said, make the outboard and tender as unattractive as possible to the scrotes.
 
Re: Use a rigging wire strop and padlock

[ QUOTE ]
I saw once a most ingenious system of a rigging wire with a soft eye at one end and a hard eye at the other.
A loop was made through the soft eye and round the outboard. The tail was wound through various bits of the dinghy, then through the pontoon mooring cleat and finally secured with a padlock. The security will depend on the quality of the wire and the padlock.
It won't be popular if the pontoon gets full though.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hah!! That's exactly the way we do it, except that we have an additional length of s/s strop if the dinghy landing is tight for space and our rigging wire is sheathed in a pvc sleeving to prevent damage. The inflatables both have the boat name stencilled on using an ordinary black permanebt marker pen. This lasts for about two seasons before fading a bit, but takes only 1/2 hour to re-do.

The other thing we did before going off cruising and replaced our superb little Mariner 2 (still fine after 17 years) with a Yamaha 2, was to simply use the old Mariner engine casings on the new Yam. Obviously they were pretty tatty and sun-damaged, but nobody would dream of stealing anything looking so grotty!
 
silly insurance people?

hm,that's odd - many say *not* to mark up the tender with boat name - because a marked dinghy ashore advertises the fact that the main vessel out at anchor may be unattended...
 
Re: silly insurance people?

What a sad, sad world it has now become.
When I first went to Athens, kiosks with gold jewellery on were left unattended for a while! The only theft we saw there was that of an English newspaper by a tourist. I don't think that load of rubbish had taken in just what was available.
 
Re: silly insurance people?

[ QUOTE ]
hm,that's odd - many say *not* to mark up the tender with boat name - because a marked dinghy ashore advertises the fact that the main vessel out at anchor may be unattended...

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with that. It's one of the main reasons we carry two dinghies whilst cruising. One is left tied to the back of the boat while we're ashore in the other.
 
Re: silly insurance people?

Dont forget to stick a couple of fake patches on your dinghy too.
And as an alternative to displaying the name,paint a distinctive square or triangle on each side,visible form a distance..And perhaps the post code of your sailing club..and perhaps "Stolen from...xx Yacht Club'' for the full measure.
And having done all that,take some good photos of it and the motor.
 
Re: What\'s the best way to deter theft of my new tender/outboard?

Unless you secure the thing with padlocks and chain etc, any herbert that wants to take the thing just starts up the motor and away they go. You may get it back but it seriously spoils your day. There used to be a lock that secured the starter cord but I have not seen these things advertised for years. I take the starter cord down to a small padlock affixed to the clamp screws, hardly high security, but might just persuade a casual thief to pass on to the next one.
 
Re: silly insurance people?

[ QUOTE ]
Dont forget to stick a couple of fake patches on your dinghy too.
And as an alternative to displaying the name,paint a distinctive square or triangle on each side,visible form a distance..And perhaps the post code of your sailing club..and perhaps "Stolen from...xx Yacht Club'' for the full measure.
And having done all that,take some good photos of it and the motor.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep! Got a couple of fake patches on the bottoms (and one genuine one on the Avon! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif) and have several photos of both from different angles.

Not sure about having a 'sign' like the triangle as opposed to a name, but will give that some thought. I like the postcode idea though so thanks for that! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

We tried removing the permanent marker name after practising on an old dinghy we owned and simply couldn't shift it. No doubt a lot more effort would have reduced it to a feinter mark, but we reckon it would still be visible.

Lots of great ideas on here which should stop thieves getting away with as many boats this season I hope!
 
Re: silly insurance people?

The wire rope trick is the one we use, a long coated wire rope, so as to not upset the other dinghy folk. Our outboard is clamped AND bolted on to the transom, where it stays even in davits. But I realise that is not an option for lots of folk.
I agree with whats been said, any lock etc. is but a deterent, nothing will stop a determined thief.
In Spain you MUST have "T/T" on your dinghy or have it marked with it's spanish reg. number.
The guardia will say something.
The harbour authorities in Barcelona stopped me, because they couldnt see it. I was going for a jolly/beer around to port olympic!
 
Re: silly insurance people?

<< get a freind to letter stamp your post code on the engine inside the casing if thats not possiblecontact your local police station and they should be able to do it for you as most do cycles this way. mark post code under the turn of the tubes with waterproof felt pen in several places also do as others say paint it to make it awkward for cleaning up.
>>

Sorry, waste of time and money. Mark it up where it is totally visible and obvious and you might stand a chance but hidden away? Forget it.

I engraved my postcode on the screen of a new GPS a few years ago. Somebody must have been watching me install it at the yard, because the following weekend we found it had been broken into and the new GPS, antenna, brackets but absolutely nothing else, had been taken.
 
Re: What\'s the best way to deter theft of my new tender/outboard?

I can't believe the number of replies I've had to this post... and some very cunning ideas on theft prevention. I shall certainly take on board the fake patches/indelible marker and making the outboard look as old as possible. Thank you to all who took the time to post replies.
 
Re: silly insurance people?

A friend of ours had their horse box stolen. It had their post-code in big letters on the roof of the box. It was never found.

We have our dinghy chained with a security padlock to the boat when it is on its davits. It is scruffy with an old 4hp Evinrude with one of these outboard locks though.

Other than taking all possible methods to prevent it being taken, some tea-leaf will take it none-the-less. If they nick big yachts, dinghies are small change.
 
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