A newbie question about security when mooring

[Burtie14]

Hi guys

We’ve taken our RIB out three times now and after a few nervy moments when we first launched, we now LOVE it! It’s given us a whole new lease of life!

Quick - and perhaps daft - question about security. If we want to moor up somewhere and take a stroll, how can we best secure our beloved boat? What’s to stop someone simply hopping in, firing up the outboard, and scooting off?

Suggestions gratefully received...

[Pikey Dave]

Switch the battery off, take the keys & killcord, cross your fingers.

[GuyC]

Take the keys, turn the battery isolator off, fit a cover over the console. If the isolator is in a lockable errr locker, it would improve the situation.

Crossed in the ether with PD above

[jeffstevens763@g]

Take the fuel line with you if possible

[Fenlander]

Burtie is this your Zodiac 340 with Honda 20hp?

Assuming so (and then it's a SIB really not RIB) your OB is the most desirable bit and the outfit if ever taken might be so the OB could be removed away from public gaze.

Most important unless you are happy to stand the loss is to make sure you have insurance to its replacement value and make sure it covers being unattended on tidal waters... which many smallcraft policies don't.

It will be a part of all insurance policies that you have a purpose made OB lock... that will not stop it being removed but slow the process and satisfy the ins co if a claim is made.

Yes take the kill cord as that slows folks down unless they are ready equipped but in truth a simple few inches of elec wire will substitute most kill cords.

Where possible moor/tie up within sight of where you might eat or wander but not to the point of spoiling your time at the coast.

Our outfit is about to be moored 24/7 for two weeks on holiday... I will take all the precautions mentioned above and beyond that if it goes then so be it... I'll just get another. To stress over it every moment would ruin the holiday.

[Max...]

If it's a SIB not a RIB (not that it makes much difference bar engine starting) then not much you can do except basic precautions and padlocking engine (more to satisfy insurance than any meaningful deterrent).

And having good insurance above all else but you'd have that anyway for third party necessity.

[Yabadabadoo]

Buy one or two of these http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=78798 hide one in the outboard or boat and at lease you can sup a pint watching your boat on the GPS in the place you left it, or (hopefully never) where it's being taken to

Like all good security the advice is layering, multiple devices or obstructions will make the thief pick the one next to yours. Disable the motor ideally take a bit of it with you, lock it, remove anything valuable and get a lightweight cover to put over it which packs away to nothing when not in use

[Xk59D]

If you have space then don't bother with the tk102, pay a little more and get the tk103.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Burtie14

What’s to stop someone simply hopping in, firing up the outboard, and scooting off?

There are potentially two types of thief who would take your boat:

1. The joy rider, quite possibly young and stupid, drunk or both.
2. The professional thief.

The first can probably be stopped by taking the kill cord, disconnecting the fuel line, leaving the engine in gear, etc. I know some people disconnect an HT lead. All those things make it harder to take than the boat next to it, or make the opportunist anxious about drawing attention to themselves.

It must be possible to fit a lock somehow that would stop it being tilted down (without some tools to cut it off).

As others say the second will have it, or the engine, anyway. If you have transom wheels you might want to hide them to make it harder.

If you are tying up to a pontoon some people do lock their tenders to them. i personally think this is discourteous to the next person who might want to jiggle boats around to squeeze in. Most marina's etc - discourage it. It does stop any drunken idiot just untying your boat and casting it adrift though, which is probably as big a risk in busy areas as it actually being nicked...

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Yes take the kill cord as that slows folks down unless they are ready equipped but in truth a simple few inches of elec wire will substitute most kill cords.

That requires a bit of nous, and probably sobriety which massively reduces the group of people in category 1 above. In reality even a rib with a key is trivial to hot wire.

Originally Posted by Max...

not much you can do except basic precautions and padlocking engine (more to satisfy insurance than any meaningful deterrent).

in broad daylight somewhere with people around (otherwise you've been very unlucky that the 1 person who saw your boat was an experienced thief) a lock will deter people helping themselves. It won't stop a professional.

Originally Posted by Yabadabadoo

Buy one or two of these Tracker - Rewire TK 102 Nano - RIBnet Forums hide one in the outboard or boat and at lease you can sup a pint watching your boat on the GPS in the place you left it, or (hopefully never) where it's being taken to

I think GPS trackers are a reassuring idea for when you leave a boat unattended for days on end. If I felt the need to track my boat when I had gone for lunch I'd not leave my boat there.

[Fenlander]

Originally Posted by Fenlander >>> in truth a simple few inches of elec wire will substitute most kill cords.

>>>That requires a bit of nous, and probably sobriety which massively reduces the group of people in category 1 above. In reality even a rib with a key is trivial to hot wire.

I was meaning an even more basic step than wiring. OBs not on remotes all have a variation of the kill cord end being a wedge clip to pull a button off its stop.... well apart from Mercury/Mariner where the kill cord isn't needed to start anyway.

A twist or two of boat wiring elec wire or a cable tie tightened behind the button will enable a start and only takes seconds.


>>> tying up to a pontoon some people do lock their tenders to them. I personally think this is discourteous to the next person who might want to jiggle boats around to squeeze in.

Yep really bad form to lock to a pontoon and risks "accidental" damage from frustrated boaters who you may be inconveniencing.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

I was meaning an even more basic step than wiring. OBs not on remotes all have a variation of the kill cord end being a wedge clip to pull a button off its stop.... well apart from Mercury/Mariner where the kill cord isn't needed to start anyway.

A twist or two of boat wiring elec wire or a cable tie tightened behind the button will enable a start and only takes seconds.

Yeah - I realised that - I've seen it done with some paracord. My point was someone needs to have two brain cells to do that. People that joyride small outboard boats probably don't use kill cords, and whatever experience they have of kill cords is that there is a red springy thing clipped in place and dangling there - if they are wise enough to know how to improvise one (especially one that stays in place and doesn't leave them stranded a few feet from shore) they probably aren't in the drunk teenager having a laugh camp.

Of course people "joy rode" boats before o/boards and so if you have oars on board a fit idiot might still nick it!

[Fenlander]

There's a rather worrying image on the Fowey Boatwatch scheme Facebook page from a while back... Where a chain and padlock plus the metal bow handle of a SIB is still fixed to a ring or other supposed secure point. They have obviously just cut through the fabric tab on the bow and away.

[beamishken]

In all our years boating (40) we've left boats sibs and tenders unattended many times from cornwall to inverness and never had a problem & never locked one up. We regularly leave our hard boat tender on a beach or slipway/ pontoon around the west coast of scotland for hours with the engine on (5hp or 8hp yamaha) and never worried.
Done the same with a sib around Cornwall when we used to holiday at pentewan.
While we are probably a bit lax about security we find that nice boating areas with people about are reasonably safe without any security
Maybe we've just been lucky over the years but dont overthink the whole security thing cos if a pro wants your boat/ engine they will take it no matter what you do.
Go boating enjoy dont worry just be sure of it goes missing it was secured when you fill in the claim form

[Burtie14]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I’m definitely thinking more about the deterrent for the opportunist twit, I appreciate there’s little you can do to deter a pro thief.

In other news, we went on our longest jaunt yet yesterday - from Cookham to Medmenham and back. Happy days.