Folks,

its now down to a few weeks til the boat will arrive and I have to
start makeing arrangements to make sure it stays where it belongs and
doesnt end up with some crook....

My insurance (and common sense) require the boat to be chained when
stored at my place. Unfortunately there is no solid structure nearby
that I could use to connect a chain to .... I was thinking about a
hook in the (concrete) ground .. Kryptonite has one but its expensive
and hard to get here... Are there any other ideas or options?

The second scenario that requires some protection is when camping with
the boat. It should be made sure that nobody can pull the boat away at
night and I have to swim home ... What is the standard method to
protect for that? Lets leave aside that sometimes you DONT want to
know or be there if someone (armed) takes your boat....

I was thinking about an alarm in the boat ... it could be a simple
setup with a vibration sensor hooked to a siren or a thin wire going
from boat to shore and if the boat moves the wire rips and triggers
the siren ..

Is this preactical? Recommended? After all sometimes its better to
stay asleep and let the boat go with an armed&dangerous criminal ..


What are your opinions, experiences?

Matt

There's only so much you can do, but.....

Camping: If the boat is electric-start only, and too big to row, take the
battery to the tent/camper. A friend of mine can remove his prop
blindfolded - that's his technique. But, since stolen batteries themselves
have value to a fence, I think removing it makes sense.

Vibration sensor: When camping, will the boat be beached, or floating? If
the latter, forget the vibration sensor. You think people hate dummies whose
car alarms go off every time a bird craps on the hood? Try introducing
campers to the same nonsense and see what happens.


"Matt Lang" wrote in message
om...
Folks,

its now down to a few weeks til the boat will arrive and I have to
start makeing arrangements to make sure it stays where it belongs and
doesnt end up with some crook....

My insurance (and common sense) require the boat to be chained when
stored at my place. Unfortunately there is no solid structure nearby
that I could use to connect a chain to .... I was thinking about a
hook in the (concrete) ground .. Kryptonite has one but its expensive
and hard to get here... Are there any other ideas or options?

The second scenario that requires some protection is when camping with
the boat. It should be made sure that nobody can pull the boat away at
night and I have to swim home ... What is the standard method to
protect for that? Lets leave aside that sometimes you DONT want to
know or be there if someone (armed) takes your boat....

I was thinking about an alarm in the boat ... it could be a simple
setup with a vibration sensor hooked to a siren or a thin wire going
from boat to shore and if the boat moves the wire rips and triggers
the siren ..

Is this preactical? Recommended? After all sometimes its better to
stay asleep and let the boat go with an armed&dangerous criminal ..


What are your opinions, experiences?

Matt

Matt,
If you fear someone ever steals your boat consider getting (lo-jack) anti
theft device. Also if your boat is protected with lo-jack then you probably
get a deal on insurance. Man if anybody ever steals the boat at gun point
and dosen't kill you then turn them in using lo-jack. They will be sorry
they ever tried robbing you. I see your using shaw internet are you in
Canada?
"Matt Lang" wrote in message
om...
Folks,

its now down to a few weeks til the boat will arrive and I have to
start makeing arrangements to make sure it stays where it belongs and
doesnt end up with some crook....

My insurance (and common sense) require the boat to be chained when
stored at my place. Unfortunately there is no solid structure nearby
that I could use to connect a chain to .... I was thinking about a
hook in the (concrete) ground .. Kryptonite has one but its expensive
and hard to get here... Are there any other ideas or options?

The second scenario that requires some protection is when camping with
the boat. It should be made sure that nobody can pull the boat away at
night and I have to swim home ... What is the standard method to
protect for that? Lets leave aside that sometimes you DONT want to
know or be there if someone (armed) takes your boat....

I was thinking about an alarm in the boat ... it could be a simple
setup with a vibration sensor hooked to a siren or a thin wire going
from boat to shore and if the boat moves the wire rips and triggers
the siren ..

Is this preactical? Recommended? After all sometimes its better to
stay asleep and let the boat go with an armed&dangerous criminal ..


What are your opinions, experiences?

Matt

(Matt Lang) wrote in message . com...
Folks,

its now down to a few weeks til the boat will arrive and I have to
start makeing arrangements to make sure it stays where it belongs and
doesnt end up with some crook....

My insurance (and common sense) require the boat to be chained when
stored at my place. Unfortunately there is no solid structure nearby
that I could use to connect a chain to .... I was thinking about a
hook in the (concrete) ground .. Kryptonite has one but its expensive
and hard to get here... Are there any other ideas or options?

The second scenario that requires some protection is when camping with
the boat. It should be made sure that nobody can pull the boat away at
night and I have to swim home ... What is the standard method to
protect for that? Lets leave aside that sometimes you DONT want to
know or be there if someone (armed) takes your boat....

I was thinking about an alarm in the boat ... it could be a simple
setup with a vibration sensor hooked to a siren or a thin wire going
from boat to shore and if the boat moves the wire rips and triggers
the siren ..

Is this preactical? Recommended? After all sometimes its better to
stay asleep and let the boat go with an armed&dangerous criminal ..


What are your opinions, experiences?

Matt


Roofing tacks pointy end up all over the deck.

"Gregory McGuire" wrote in message ...
Matt,
If you fear someone ever steals your boat consider getting (lo-jack) anti
theft device. Also if your boat is protected with lo-jack then you probably
get a deal on insurance. Man if anybody ever steals the boat at gun point
and dosen't kill you then turn them in using lo-jack. They will be sorry
they ever tried robbing you. I see your using shaw internet are you in
Canada?


This lojack system is nice .. but yes I am in canada .. wont work






"Matt Lang" wrote in message
om...
Folks,

its now down to a few weeks til the boat will arrive and I have to
start makeing arrangements to make sure it stays where it belongs and
doesnt end up with some crook....

My insurance (and common sense) require the boat to be chained when
stored at my place. Unfortunately there is no solid structure nearby
that I could use to connect a chain to .... I was thinking about a
hook in the (concrete) ground .. Kryptonite has one but its expensive
and hard to get here... Are there any other ideas or options?

The second scenario that requires some protection is when camping with
the boat. It should be made sure that nobody can pull the boat away at
night and I have to swim home ... What is the standard method to
protect for that? Lets leave aside that sometimes you DONT want to
know or be there if someone (armed) takes your boat....

I was thinking about an alarm in the boat ... it could be a simple
setup with a vibration sensor hooked to a siren or a thin wire going
from boat to shore and if the boat moves the wire rips and triggers
the siren ..

Is this preactical? Recommended? After all sometimes its better to
stay asleep and let the boat go with an armed&dangerous criminal ..


What are your opinions, experiences?

Matt

Camping: If the boat is electric-start only, and too big to row, take the
battery to the tent/camper. A friend of mine can remove his prop
blindfolded - that's his technique. But, since stolen batteries themselves
have value to a fence, I think removing it makes sense.

Vibration sensor: When camping, will the boat be beached, or floating? If
the latter, forget the vibration sensor. You think people hate dummies whose
car alarms go off every time a bird craps on the hood? Try introducing
campers to the same nonsense and see what happens.

Thanks Doug, I think these are great and easy theft protection methods
....

The boat would mostly be beached, but you wont be able to get the
whole boat on the beach to prevenmt all movement...

I agree the last place where you want to hear false car/boat alarms is
out on the lake !

Matt



"Matt Lang" wrote in message
om...
Folks,

its now down to a few weeks til the boat will arrive and I have to
start makeing arrangements to make sure it stays where it belongs and
doesnt end up with some crook....

My insurance (and common sense) require the boat to be chained when
stored at my place. Unfortunately there is no solid structure nearby
that I could use to connect a chain to .... I was thinking about a
hook in the (concrete) ground .. Kryptonite has one but its expensive
and hard to get here... Are there any other ideas or options?

The second scenario that requires some protection is when camping with
the boat. It should be made sure that nobody can pull the boat away at
night and I have to swim home ... What is the standard method to
protect for that? Lets leave aside that sometimes you DONT want to
know or be there if someone (armed) takes your boat....

I was thinking about an alarm in the boat ... it could be a simple
setup with a vibration sensor hooked to a siren or a thin wire going
from boat to shore and if the boat moves the wire rips and triggers
the siren ..

Is this preactical? Recommended? After all sometimes its better to
stay asleep and let the boat go with an armed&dangerous criminal ..


What are your opinions, experiences?

Matt

Roofing tacks pointy end up all over the deck.


Interesting idea, but I think 99.9% of all peaople ever got speared by
such devices in boats and cars were their forgetful owners

Instead of using the hook you describe, why not just bury a few feet of the
chain in the concrete? Is it possible for you to rent a post hole auger?
Just dig a hole a foot wide or so and 8 or 9 feet down, drop a few feet of
chain in, fill with concrete and voila, instant solid structure to lock the
boat to.

Are armed boat thieves really a huge problem where you are? If so I wouldn't
recommend camping there anyway.

As far as the opportunistic type of thieves go, removing the battery as
others have suggested should work. How big is the boat? Would one or two
people be able to make off with it without power? If it were me I'd just
carry a hundred feet of light chain and some padlocks. Lock one end to the
eye bolt and the other around a nice sturdy lake or river side tree. That
would prevent anyone from rowing or towing away your boat.

"Matt Lang" wrote in message
om...
Folks,

its now down to a few weeks til the boat will arrive and I have to
start makeing arrangements to make sure it stays where it belongs and
doesnt end up with some crook....

My insurance (and common sense) require the boat to be chained when
stored at my place. Unfortunately there is no solid structure nearby
that I could use to connect a chain to .... I was thinking about a
hook in the (concrete) ground .. Kryptonite has one but its expensive
and hard to get here... Are there any other ideas or options?

The second scenario that requires some protection is when camping with
the boat. It should be made sure that nobody can pull the boat away at
night and I have to swim home ... What is the standard method to
protect for that? Lets leave aside that sometimes you DONT want to
know or be there if someone (armed) takes your boat....

I was thinking about an alarm in the boat ... it could be a simple
setup with a vibration sensor hooked to a siren or a thin wire going
from boat to shore and if the boat moves the wire rips and triggers
the siren ..

Is this preactical? Recommended? After all sometimes its better to
stay asleep and let the boat go with an armed&dangerous criminal ..


What are your opinions, experiences?

Matt

(Matt Lang) wrote in message . com...
Folks,

its now down to a few weeks til the boat will arrive and I have to
start makeing arrangements to make sure it stays where it belongs and
doesnt end up with some crook....
snip
The second scenario that requires some protection is when camping with
the boat. It should be made sure that nobody can pull the boat away at
night and I have to swim home ... What is the standard method to
protect for that? Lets leave aside that sometimes you DONT want to
know or be there if someone (armed) takes your boat....

I was thinking about an alarm in the boat ... it could be a simple
setup with a vibration sensor hooked to a siren or a thin wire going
from boat to shore and if the boat moves the wire rips and triggers
the siren ..
snip

Hi Matt,

The vibration sensor or wire solutions will probably cause false
alarms as the boat swings on it's mooring and is "shaken" by sea
conditions. You'd have to make it so insensitive to prevent these
that it might not trigger if there was a real problem.

This is nothing like a complete solution, but it's what we do in our
fairly low-crime, rural area:

There are a whole load of battery isolation switches available for
anti-theft use in cars.With most of these you go to the battery
negative post and remove a small T-handle, which isolates the battery.

These are available with a "loop around" connection. This is a small
fuse (5A?), which runs is in parallel to the switch, ie even when the
handle is removed, this connection will carry up to 5A to the boat.
This can be sized to carry whatever is required to keep house systems
running overnight (running lights, GPS anchor alarm, whatever).

We don't have our boat theft alarm or bilge pumps isolated by this
switch - these are on an independent connection to the battery -ve.
See many, many previous arguements (er, I mean discussions) about the
advisability of putting any kind of switch between your bilge pumps
and batteries.

We take the handle with us when leaving the boat, and it's an unusual
shape (a cranked over L), and needs to be inserted into the switch and
turned to make contact, so not it's not easy to replace with a
screwdriver or whatever. It clicks into place, and will not be shaken
loose while the boat is in use.

If someone tries to start then engine before inserting the handle, the
fuse blows immediately, and the boat is disabled (admitedly fairly
minimally disabled). If it's us and we have just been forgetful (it's
happened), we just put the handle back in, and can replace the fuse at
leisure.

We never pull the handle while there's anyone on board, even if just
staying put overnight - if there's a problem, and you need the engine
in a hurry, Murphy's law will ensure that you can't find the handle,
etc...

The hatch into the engine compartment is locked, and protected by an
alarm/magnetic proximity switch.

OK, as I said, it's nothing like fool-proof, but it's all cheap stuff
and easy to fit. The boat can still be towed away to be worked on at
the thief's leisure, but at least you need another (substantial) boat
to do so.

As for a locking point when on land, we have a pice of scrap anchor
chain, with one end cast into a hole filled with 200 kilos of
concrete, the other end long enough to lock to both the trailer and on
to the mooring post of the boat itself - I think another poster has
suggested somthing similar.

For over-winter storage, we block up the trailer every .5 meters along
each rail, remove the road wheels and the tow-ball receiver (just two
big olts).
This has the added benefits of keeping the tyres out of the weather,
and preventing them from developing flat spots. Obviously you need to
do something to protect the hubs (and brakes if you have them) from
the weather when the wheels are removed.

Again, none of this is foolproof, but it means that casual thieves
should be deterred. At least they'll have to make a second visit with
a big hacksaw, some wheels and a tow hitch.

Nothing will stop really determined theived. You just need to evaluate
the risk of theft and insurance requirements against the cost,
complication and reliability of what you can do, and come up with
what's a good compomise for you. Ask around with other boat owners in
the area. If theft/vandalism is a current problem in your area,
that's one thing. If nothing has been stolen in living memory, that's
another...

Regards,

Barry

"Matt Lang" wrote in message
om...
Folks,


Unfortunately there is no solid structure nearby
that I could use to connect a chain to .... I was thinking about a
hook in the (concrete) ground .. Kryptonite has one but its expensive
and hard to get here... Are there any other ideas or options?

I take a chain, wrap it around the trailer frame and then pass it through a
spoke on the wheels (both wheels of a tandem axel).

If someone really wants the boat, they are going to get it. You can buy a
bigger chain, but then they can buy a bigger pair of bolt cutters. Most
thefts are not planned out in advance, so if you make it inconvenient the
thieves will choose some other target.

Rod