Which outboard lock

PabloPicasso

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Simple question. Which outboard lock for 3.5hp to hiatus 2Stroke?

Most robust, theft resistant, and reliable locking mechanism?
 
Simple question. Which outboard lock for 3.5hp to hiatus 2Stroke?

Most robust, theft resistant, and reliable locking mechanism?

I put a lock through the two clamp-handles - same lock has a chain through two SS rings on the dinghy and the chain is padlocked to a fast point ashore.

They usually take dinghy and OB - it's quicker and easier.
So £33 is wasted.

From memory 5m of 6mm stainless chain and two corrosion resistant padlocks came to €32 in Siracusa.
 
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I use a length of old rigging wire and a padlock. Cost one padlock plus a few pennies getting a loop crimped onto the wire. I take the view that all I can expect to do is to encourage a tea leaf to look elsewhere for easier pickings.
 
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I use a cycle cable lock, it is also used to lock the engine to the dinghy when in use, and in addition our LJs to the dinghy when we leave the dinghy to go ashore.
 
I bought a an expensive [£50] SS Italian Corbin padlock, the one with a long loop to go through the OB toggles. Lasted 1 year before starting to be difficult to open enen though it did to get lubricated from time to time.

Still it did better than my new Tohatsu 18 hp which I bought to replace my 28 year old Johnson which was stolen. The Tohatsu started to make unhappy noises at 11 months and finally failed catastrophically with the bottom bearing disintegrating when 2 years old.

More to come on the sorry saga of the comprehensive runaround I have had from Budget Marine over the last year on this.

The padlock would have not done much good anyway, the Tohatsu toggles break when under any significant load. A tap with a 2lb hammer does the trick. Brittle ALI castings I think.
 
The Fulton lock works but vibrates once the foam compresses and it also corrodes badly after a couple of years. I used a 1.5m long 8mm cable and padlock so the cable could be put through the outboard and bracket requiring major disassembly to remove. Still susceptible to bolt cutters or angle grinder but then most things are. You are only going to stop the halfhearted/opportunist thieves. Determined ones will remove half the transom.
 
Cheap method - Piece of stainless tube with a slot cut along 3/4 of the length so it slides over the outboard clamp bolts. Holes drilled at 90 degrees to the slot at the end where the slot is open, fit padlock through the holes. Can't be slid off unless padlock is cut off.
 
A Paddys motorbike will do the job

$_12.JPG
 
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Similar. I just used a piece of round tube out of the junk box and cut the slot with an angle grinder. Not as neat but cheaper and it works.

I have one similar to the Gael Force Marine one. It works well and is easy to fit. DIY pipe might be stronger and cheaper but you'll get rust unless you find some stainless.

I wasn't happy with idea of just padlocking the lugs together as mine look as if they are made of a fairly brittle alloy. I suspect I'd break them with little effort and the slide on device protects them.
 
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