Improving Security from burglars H386
- Thread starter Adamt24
- Start date
It's impracticable to completely secure a boat. The conventional wisdom around here is to use common sense and people rather than mechanical means. The only thing one accomplishes by adding locks or other mechanical devices is to increase the damage done by burglars because of 'feel good' additions.
If they target your boat, they will get in. I never understood how marinas think they have no obligation or responsibility to adequately secure their property.
If they target your boat, they will get in. I never understood how marinas think they have no obligation or responsibility to adequately secure their property.
Have this hooked up, cheap efficient. It's loud enough to alert others in the marina.
http://www.amazon.com/Doberman-SE-0...&sr=8-7&keywords=door+alarms+battery+operated
http://www.amazon.com/Doberman-SE-0...&sr=8-7&keywords=door+alarms+battery+operated
May not keep them out; but, may help in identifying the culprits.
http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910...ie=UTF8&qid=1415207187&sr=1-2&keywords=foscam
http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910...ie=UTF8&qid=1415207187&sr=1-2&keywords=foscam
Don is correct. If they want in, they'll get in. Simple idea is to have a light or radio inside on a timer. It implies that someone is home. My dock neighbor (live aboard) on a trawler put a motion light up high so that when someone walks down to the end of the finger of the dock it lights up the world for 2 min. Whenever I'm over staying onboard he turns it off for me.
Funny story
So, whenever anyone walked down the dock to his boat, a very bright light lit up, not just his, but the adjacent neighbour's boat.
Well, this was a bit of a problem for the neighbour insofar that when he went down to his boat late at night, it made the the area very visible.
Normally, this is a very good thing;
Unless of course the person accompanying you on board doesn't look exactly like your wife.
So, rather than asking his neighbour to get rid if the light , ( for obvious embarrassing reasons), he would "disable it" with a baseball bat.
So, every week this guy would patch up his light & replace the bulb, only to find it smashed to bits after the weekend.
A number of years ago, a guy at our yacht club had a motion sensing light on his dock.
So, whenever anyone walked down the dock to his boat, a very bright light lit up, not just his, but the adjacent neighbour's boat.
Well, this was a bit of a problem for the neighbour insofar that when he went down to his boat late at night, it made the the area very visible.
Normally, this is a very good thing;
Unless of course the person accompanying you on board doesn't look exactly like your wife.
So, rather than asking his neighbour to get rid if the light , ( for obvious embarrassing reasons), he would "disable it" with a baseball bat.
So, every week this guy would patch up his light & replace the bulb, only to find it smashed to bits after the weekend.
get a simple reed switch (Magnetic proximity switch like is found on doors and windows in the "affordable" home security systems, home depot, lowes).... then hook it up to the hatch and wire it to an alarm... when the hatch moves, the switch gets tripped and the alarm goes off....
mine is wired thru a key switch, so I can turn it off or on from outside with the hatchway all closed up.
and to minimize the chance of damage by someone trying to enter, I posted a notice on the slider that the boat has an armed alarm system when its locked up.
I dont know if it has actually deterred anyone, but ive not had a problem, and in the chance that any potential burglar can read, it lets them know there may be a less troublesome target elsewhere.
mine is wired thru a key switch, so I can turn it off or on from outside with the hatchway all closed up.
and to minimize the chance of damage by someone trying to enter, I posted a notice on the slider that the boat has an armed alarm system when its locked up.
I dont know if it has actually deterred anyone, but ive not had a problem, and in the chance that any potential burglar can read, it lets them know there may be a less troublesome target elsewhere.
I was looking at a boat to purchase that had an interesting locking setup. The theory being if a boat is padlocked a burglar knows no one is on board. This owner drilled an inconspicuous 1/4" hole through the fiberglass and companionway slider track and dropped a rod magnet in the hole. The magnet acted as a pin that locked the companionway lid so it appeared to be locked from the inside. To unlock he had a steel bolt kept in a line bag at the winches and poked it in the hole to remove the rod magnet. I thought this was a pretty ingenious idea.
That is a great idea, and one, I think, that could even be improved upon, possibly using a magnet on an interior-mounted steel locking jig.
Far enough way from the compass, of course.
