Leaving Navpod on boat and security?

Rich Stidger · Jan 3, 2014

I have a similar sized chartplotter and four nav instruments and another GPS/plotter. All are mounted in a Navpod or on the console. I've never had any problem with theft or vandalism. I do keep the boat on a mooring rather than a dock, so it is less accessible.

I even leave the chart chips plugged into the plotters.

I wouldn't worry about it. Your fellow sailors aren't going to steal from you; only an outsider. Ask your marina what their history of problems have been. My marina had a problem one time in the last 11 years where thieves broke into boats over the winter and stole stuff like TVs- items that could be used or sold to the general public.

Just my experience in Rhode Island. And if you were in Maine, you could leave the keys in the ignition, cabin unlocked, and your wallet on the console and the fine Mainers wouldn't do you any harm. YMMV.

seadaddler · Jan 3, 2014

Removed

Well living in NY most of my life and hearing about how robbers did a job in
a marina even with boats shrink rap and stole from some 20 boats and even had a security guard but got the robbers trying to sell on Craigslist and inside job.
Any way I only had my C-80 in nav-pod and so just took the front half of the nav-pod with chartplotter and rapped the other half in plastic bags and all wires with electric lube in wire connections and well recently found the wire connections needing cleaning up but here in Florida I don't remove anything any more.
When winter came with chartplotter home and would plug in and play with
routing with it.
Nick

kjretlaw · Jan 3, 2014

I just have a cover for the wheel and Navpod and leave everything hooked up. But it's going to depend on the security at your marina and where it's located. As other have said, ask around and follow the crowd if everyone else removes their gear I would as well.

hvbaker · Jan 3, 2014

I leave everything hooked up in the Navpod and don't worry. I am in a marina and I have a 25 yr old sailboat; in the same marina there are many million dollar boats. If I were a thief, my boat would be very low on the hit list.

Bill Roosa · Jan 3, 2014

Another reason to avoid lots of high value electronics mounted on the outside of the boat. You are only going 6ish knots!! It is not like things are going to jump out and bight you and they don't do squat for docking or gunkholing.......... A simple GPS Lat/Long and paper charts work (but are not very sexy)

kito · Jan 3, 2014

I am taking all the old electronics off my project boat and installing a removable chartplotter/fishfinder. It will tell me everything I need to know except wind speed....which I don't need something to tell me that anyway. It's when you get comfy and secure about not having anything stolen is when it happens. No way I would leave expensive stuff outside my boat.

Maine Sail · Jan 3, 2014

Two words, PEDESTAL COVER

Out of sight, out of mind....

seadaddler · Jan 3, 2014

Cover

I have always had a pedestal cover from day 1 made the cover from the dealer
like main said out of sight out of mind and out of sight for some one to think about and good sun protection too.
And thanks Mainsail for all your helpful info on your web site,I just changed the
PSS rubber booth removing the shaft and also new cutlass bearing with help from your web site.
Nick

Steve Dion · Jan 3, 2014

Can you install these units with security screws?

It is probably a good idea to cover you wheel & instruments too. This prevents the units from premature aging from the sun and keeps everything out of sight of the crooks.

LiveAloha · Jan 3, 2014

NavPods come with security screws, but anyone can order the tools if needed

Steve Dion · Jan 4, 2014

Probably the a--holes that are going to steal these types of electronics are not going to have these types of tools with them.

They are looking for the "eazy takens"!