How do you prevent a RIB being stolen?

Alan · 02 May 2002, 18:18

Reading the two recent reports of boats being stolen set me to pondering just how the hell one can prevent one's pride and joy going walkabout during the night. In both instances it appears that the boats were in locked compounds and had wheelclamps fitted.

Without inviting people to discuss exactly how little or much security they have (not wishing to invite trouble

) I am interested in thoughts and opinions! We have a wheel clamp, the boat is in a locked shed in a locked compound. I'dve thought that this, perhaps with the addition of a hitchlock if I were really paranoid is enough. I'm begginning to think its not!

Short of taking the bl**y wheels off the trailer what else can be done? Would the fitting of a "tracker" device as fitted to cars be a useful aid to recovering it.(Whilst on land not at sea)? Where would you fit such a device?

What d'you think?

Alan

Keith Hart · 02 May 2002, 19:10

Vehicles with 'trackers' generally get recovered very quickly. I suppose it would be possible to fit one to a RIB.

Keith Hart

Alan · 02 May 2002, 19:39

BTW you are now top poster on rib.net surpassing even me & JK!

A tracker would have to be wired in and always live. Guess this would not be impossible. Question would be how easily concealed would it be so that the tea-leaf doesn't notice it until the boys in blue pull him over! 'Spose it would be the last thing a thief would expect. Wonder whether the insurance co will give a discount for having one fitted

Alan

Keith Hart · 02 May 2002, 20:13

Ah, you've been checking 'top 10 posters'!

It seems that most RIBS are stolen on their trailer (just an assumpton here folks). The tracker needs a power supply either battery or from the vehicle electrics.

Now I know sod all about electronics (he knows sod all about most things - who said that? It's the voices in my head again BUY A FISH FINDER, BUY A FISH FINDER.... ).

Okay back to subject.

Put the tracker on the trailer and activate it when the thief couples up the trailer lights. Now they will do that because they DO NOT want to get stopped by the law. As soon as the trailer is taken (with RIB) the tracker activates. A small battery can be wired in to continue transmitting when the boat and trailer are unhooked.

Sure if they take the boat off the trailer you have no signal for the boat, but you still know where the trailer is. These things are often found within an hour or so in any case. Lets face it the theif needs the RIB on a trailer to move it and they are unlikely to take it of a perfectly good trailer and put it onto another (not an easy task I presume, not having one myself), just on the off chance of there being a tracker device.

Is the above feasible or have I missed something blindingly obvious?

Keith (off to surf the 'net about trackers) Hart

Keith Hart · 02 May 2002, 20:22

Well that was quick (funny, that's what 'er indoor say to me...)

Web page with questions about Tracker: http://www.tracker.co.za/help/help.htm

Web page with Tracker prices:
http://www.amber-performance.co.uk/trackers.htm

It says that they can be fitted to engineering plant. I would be sure then that they can be fitted to a Rib or a trailer.

Could be worth giving them a call.

Keith (I'd just LOVE to catch some b*****D trying to sleal my boat) Hart

Garygee · 02 May 2002, 21:23

a Tracker would do the job however the current drawn may be ok for a car which has its battey topped up every couple of days but would flatten a battery which may not get charged for a couple of weeks.

Also the cost of running is quite high aroung £10 per month.

I have developed a similar system to protect my RIB.
Its based on a product I designed at the company I work for.
If the RIB is moved a SMS message is sent to my mobile phone and my wifes. The unit takes very little current, will run for years of a battery and as it used a pay as you go SIM for the GSM section only costs.
It works quite well and while it does not stop your boat being stolen tell you that somone is having a go.

Regards Gary

Charles · 02 May 2002, 21:36

BUY A FISH FINDER, BUY A FISH FINDER....
Slipping up Keith?! ECHO SOUNDER

remember?

Keith Hart · 02 May 2002, 22:00

Ah, Charles it's the voice in my head, NOT what I say to 'er indoors! However I'll have a word with the voice just to make sure.

The point with tracker is that the vehicles are recovered very quickly, usually within hours so any battery back up would only need to last a couple of days. The chances are that the trailer and boat would be recovered whilst still hooked up to the thief's vehicle.

Keith (okay voice, I give in) Hart

Garygee · 02 May 2002, 22:21

The tracker uses the mian boat battery wich i am not sure of the exact currnt consumption but i belive would flatten the boat battery over a few weeks.
The units work on change in location when the unit has not been deactivated. To do this they must maintaing a constant GPS lock.

I will do some digging as we have some trackers units at work and let people know as I may be wrong.

Regards Gary(may have to eat humbug pie) Greenwood

jools · 02 May 2002, 22:52

OK - description of the "Tracker" device

"Tracker" is a brand and they have 3 types - there are other simular devices offered by different companies - but first I will try to explain tracker.

Tracker - A small unit is concealed in your car/boat. In standby mode this will draw very little current.
When you notice that your car/boat is missing you ring tracker - they then activate your tracker device which starts sending out a signal that can be picked up by near by police cars. These police cars have 4 airials on the roof which can home in on the stolen car/boat - The device also send out an ID which is displayed in the police car which identifies the tracker unit - and hence what car they are looking for.

The problem with this system and boats is that its only activated after your call to Tracker. By the time you notice that your RIB is missing the T-leaf may have found the device and destroyed it.

Tracker Monitor - Same system as above, but the system itself detects unauthorised movements - signals to Tracker control and starts sending the signal.
With a car I assume that it is deactivated when you switch on the ignition - with a boat, if you don't de-activate it you will call the police each time you move the trailer!

Tracker Horizon - Same as Tracker Monitor - sets itself off automatically, but has a GPS inside and send its location to HQ. This info is then fed to the police

Costs are £199, £299, £499 + fitting +£99 per year - it does say on the web site that it can be fitted to a caravan/trailer

UK website here

Jools
ps The technology behind tracker I believe to be Motorola

jools · 02 May 2002, 22:59

Alternatives.....

I saw at a recent caravan & boat show a device that basicly contained a GPS and phone module - you concealed it somewhere in you car/boat/caravan and you communicated to it via SMS over your mobile

To find out the location simply SMS your boat a code and it would SMS back its Lat and Long (Why isn't this fitted to SoC!)

Here's the important bit...
When you leave your car/boat you SMS it another code - it then sets up an "electronic fence" say .5 mile around the vehicle. If it is moved outside this area without being deactivated (by SMS) it will SMS you with an alarm and its current Lat and Long

Ring the police - tell them where it is and hey presto - you get your boat back!

This system only notifies you - it does not contact a control centre

Cost was in the £700 range - but with no annual fee

Jools

narked · 02 May 2002, 23:03

Or if you can't afford a tracker, sit under whatever covers the RIB whilst holding a shotgun, that should act as a nice deterrent.

But the tracker idea sounds good. So yeah, it's gonna drain the battery, but if you can easily get to the place once a week or so, you can charge the battery up regularly. Or perhaps getting it painted white and blue, and stencil the word "Police" onto the tubes might make them think twice, but you never know.

Rene · 03 May 2002, 14:14

Jools,

Do you know what the name of this davice was, or where there is more info on it.

Regards
Rene

Keith Hart · 03 May 2002, 17:33

Hi folks

Check out the 'Ribs Reported Stolen section. There are two stolen ribs there and they have not had many 'views' yet!

Do your bit and keep your eyes open.

Keith (keep 'em peeled) Hart

With appologies to Shaw Taylor