Theft and Security when docked/Moored- Newbie

[Ragshoe]

We are planning first ICW cruise in the Spring- Florida area and hopefully Bahamas. Question- When we anchor, moor or dock the boat and go ashore to explore a town in the dinghy, what security precautions do we take on the boat if we are going to be away for several hours even a full day? I am concerned about theft. Thieves can easily see that we are gone and get on our boat. Even with locked doors, a crowbar can make short work and say goodbye to all the electronics and anything else valuable.

Is this an unreasonable concern????

 

[DavidM]

Breakins of moored boats are miniscule, even in the Bahamas.

The following applies solely to the Bahamas where dinghy thefts are more common and replacement more difficult:

Dinghy thefts when you are ashore or at night when you are asleep are not unheard of in the Bahamas. We never locked our dinghy while ashore there, but if you are concerned then maybe you should. Or take the man overboard lanyard with you. We always raised our dinghy up on its davits when we were aboard for the night.

David

 

[rwidman]

I have travelled many thousands of miles up and down the US east coast and the only thing I have lost to theft was a crab net stolen off the back of my boat (I believe by one of a group of pre-teens who were hanging around on the docks at a public city marina).

I lock my boat and cover the electronics on the flybridge.

While theft is a possibility, I think it's a pretty remote possibility. Locking the boat, being aware of your surroundings and insurance take care of it for me.

 

[Larry M]

We locked our gas tank to the dinghy, used a large 15’ cable we bought at ACE hardware for a lockable painter and added a bunch of decals to outboard. Why make things easy?

We always locked the dinghy when we went to a dock and also locked it to the boat at night. It was rare but you did hear of people loosing their dinghies via a cut painter. We used a well oiled key lock and the locks were all key the same. We tried a combination lock but that was a pia if the dark.

 

[AlanT]

I agree with others, lock the boat, secure the dinghy at night and when ashore. A couple of other thoughts.

We and others leave a couple pairs of shoes on the dock next to the boat if we are leaving it for a considerable period somewhere sketchy. It gives the impression that the boat is occupied. It also helps if its not obvious that the boat is empty (ie no visible external padlock securing the interior). The only problem we had in incredibly theft-prone Barcelona was a stolen pair of shoes!

If you are really concerned while at anchor, buy a $100 inflatable dink and throw it over the side when you leave. It will look like you are aboard. Also leave shoes on deck somewhere they will be seen.

Simple measures.

~A

 

[ksanders]

Beyond the great measures mentioned...

In this day and age there is no reason not to have a intrusion alarm.

I have motion sensors. If someone enters my cockpit all hell breaks loose and i get a instant notification.

That said I have never had the alarm go off because like others I leave the impression my boat is occupied.

Leaving the pilothouse door open for example not only provides ventilation it sends a clear signal that someone is onboard.

Step through that door though and the alarm will go off.

 

[Ragshoe]

thank you-

thank you all for your replies....I will try a little bit of all the advice....I think maybe a battery power light and radio left on low volume might not hurt either

 

[BandB]

We have alarms and cameras but we don't ever leave a dinghy in the water when no one is there. A lot of outboard theft and occasional dinghy theft. Much is reported and even more never publicized as people just absorb it and move on.

 

[catalinajack]

We have lived aboard for six years and have completed the Great Loop. We have locked our boat for maybe a total of 60 days. Stopped locking a long time ago. Sure, there is a remote possibility that a theft occurs. That is what insurance is for. If locked, gaining access isn't difficult anyway. A simple wrecking bar will do the trick in about two seconds. We occasionally locked our boat tied to free walls such as Joliet, IL.

 

[READY]

Ring alarm is a very easy install. Maybe takes 1 hour and no wiring. I use a cell ular router added onto my cell phone plan. Also Lorex cameras from Costco. And my Victron system Cerbo GXmonitors the solar and battery from anywhere. I sleep well when away from the boat.

 

[Hippocampus]

In the eastern Caribbean dinghy theft is common. Cable is worthless. Use chain and a high grade lock that covers both handles of the engine. As a secondary locking lock the engine to the dinghy and then lock the dinghy to the dinghy dock.
They want the engine and not usually the dinghy. Yamahas are most in demand. Like the bear story you only need to be faster than the other person running from the bear. Other measures. Never put T/T boat name on a dinghy. Don’t even name your dinghy at all. If they see your dinghy and can match it with your boat that’s the first boat they will break in to. Most theft is daytime. Takes a second or two to use hydraulic cutters(cable) or a a battery powered disc cutting wheel (chain) and be gone. You can only make yours harder than the next guy. Local law enforcement is a joke. Cruisers know that and don’t bother even reporting theft unless they’re making a insurance claim.
At night even in the davits lock the dinghy. Know one couple had their new AB with new Yamie 20 stolen from their davits while they were sleeping below. Some use their crane and lift on the side of the boat. Use an old blanket to protect your gelcoat. Makes it more difficult to splash the dinghy without waking the occupants. Of course raising it and placing it on the boat deck is best.
I would guessamate fully half the cruisers I know have had at least one episode of some form of theft. We (knock on wood) haven’t.
A pressure pad, horn and lights are cheap. In some anchorages there are bands cruising at night looking for opportunities. Have street sense and read noonsite. Listen to the cruiser net. Avoid known hot spots and islands. We don’t use chaps nor maintain the cosmetics of the dinghy. It’s our daily driver so want it to run perfectly but look like a beater.

 

[FF]

The days are past when Slocums tacks on deck would keep the savages at bay.

Simplest is a pressure mat and loud alarm, I prefer a bell, as its different from the transistor squeal.

A tripwire on the main entryway can trigger an alarm. There are small CB receivers that can hear a CB alarm miles away.

Securing the dink ashore use a key lock as number locks need a bunch of light to operate .

While ashore a crap aluminum dink tied to the stern will leave them wondering who is aboard..
IF you sometimes row it ashore be sure to lock the oars , Edson has a fine oar locking system.

Like others we lifted the dink at night , be sure to pull the rain drain.

In the Carib in the 70's my B Whaler with an 18 Johnson was the local fish folks dream , so we masked the lower sections and painted each so it would look repaired. We painted the boats name on the very bottom , so taking the boat and flipping it on the beach could not be done.

The best I have ever heard of was done by a German friend. He had a home made van de graff generator and would anchor and then at sunset would come on deck in his birthday suit do a strange dance and have sparks go from hand to hand.

No problem with the locals !

 

[live2fish]

We've only been to the Bahamas (Abacos) once and never had a problem but took precautions as others have said. We traveled the ICW 2016-2019, but now store the boat during the summer indoors in FL. We never had a problem between VA and anywhere in FL. Having said that we always took care to lock the boat and make it appear someone was on board. ICW, in our opinion is a low risk. Bahamas depends on where you are

 

[JRO]

Play the odds…

Yeah odds, that’s the only real security you have.
Carry a hand-radio and meet your floating neighbors to commit to keep watch for each other. Leave your radio on set to a busy channel.
I spent a year in the Bahamas and never had an issue.

 

[ProMaritime]

If you leave the dinghy in the water at night rig yourself a Vietnam style trip-line with monofilament line and a empty beer cans. Tie the beer cans on to the line about every four or five feet from bow to stern. Tie the monofilament to the dinghy with plenty of slack. Night time thieves will not notice the light line in the water. When they cut your painter and start to move away with the dink the beer cans will drag across and deck make a hell of a racket. If you have any Claymores, mount a couple on the transom pointed aft and connect to the monofilament.

 

[BogCollector]

My boat has Blink cameras from Amazon. I have 5. One cockpit, one bow, one port and starboard both mounted at the stern upper deck pointed towards bow. 2 engine room.
I get notified on my phone whenever there is movement in those areas (Wednesday there was a bird in the engine room that set them off several times. I get notifications when there are birds, neighbors and even insects near the cameras. Not so many to be annoying yet. Every night between 1am and 3am I see the Marina security guy walking by (usually looking at his phone).
You have to have a wifi network. The cameras are inexpensive. They have infrared for night and engine room.
Best of all they are wireless, they use AA batteries, mine are rechargeable using usb plugs.
The batteries will last about 2 years.
I didn’t mention sound. You can hear what’s going on and speak over the camera if you need to.

 

[Seevee]

Great ideas...
Please post your actual product if you can. I'm really interested in pressure pads, noise makers and lights. Don't care much about cameras.



Want to scare them away, not look at them on the camera.


Thx.

 

[rwidman]

Cameras do not prevent theft, they just provide photos or videos of your stuff being carried away.

The most practical way to minimize the chance of theft is to stay away from suspicious places, keep your stuff concealed so it won't be a temptation, lock your stuff and carry insurance.

 

[FF]

The simple motto in The Bronx is Show Sh**.


If it looks like the pickins will be dismal, most thieves will choose a different vessel.

 

[rslifkin]

If people know they're on camera, that can be somewhat of a deterrent. Not necessarily a terribly effective one in all situations though.

 

[slowgoesit]

Cameras do not prevent theft, they just provide photos or videos of your stuff being carried away.

The most practical way to minimize the chance of theft is to stay away from suspicious places, keep your stuff concealed so it won't be a temptation, lock your stuff and carry insurance.

Aye, but there be the rub . . . . not always easy to know which places are "suspicious" and which are not. I guess if the "places" ask you a lot of questions, they could be considered "suspicious", right?

 

[sailormike]

A couple of True stories and so ideas on how to prevent it. Sorry for long post.

locks and security systems only keep honest people honest it doesn't matter the size or the lock if they want it bad enough they will get it.

As for security.

I miss the days in the Bahamas and BVI of pulling up to a crowed dingy dock and you pushed you way in got your painter tied tight and spent all day and came back and you dingy was still there. With that being said we digress to where we are now. First things first when my boat a 21ft cc was stolen from my dock and found the only consumer grade affordable GPS tracking unite was the spot trace. Tile had just come out too and all my friends were epoxying tiles to there boats. I don't know how well they work as they relay on other tile users around you to be found. I love the now affordable gps units and when we start cruising and take our inflatable and hide one on it. a set of the lithium aaa's last entire year and I have geo fencing and instant tracking turn on on it. Will also have one hidden on big boat as well. I have a smart things alarm system set up on it that has door sensors bilge alarms temp alarms motion alarms, sirens, lights and I can control alot of our boat from alexa or the app if i want. It also notifies me as to what is going on. We also have an extensive camera network and i can see 360 around boat with motion alerts that even set loose catch the people walking down the Nice thing about these cams 1 cheap!!!! and you don't have to pay for extra service if you don't want and the amazon fire stick has a skill for it so i can sit in my recliner at the house and watch the engine room back deck or any of the other cameras at home or away. As for a dingy in water stickers are great for telling what dingy is yours but i would try to hide a tracker somewhere on the engine itself. Also inside the cowling on alum frame engrave something unique. and if you want something to alarm if the untie or start your dingy make a loop of wire that looks like it goes to the battery and instead it goes to a siren back on the boat with red and black connectors and lable it very well dingy charging line. Unplug siren goes off. At a dingy dock have a hidden switch that when it is on as soon as motor is started a siren goes off. Too bad we have to come up with this stuff. I all this fails a big mean dog a shotgun and a chair on deck for watch lol jk.







Story 2
Our Yachtclub has had some nefarious characters in it over the years. We had a liveaboard's family member who had a sever drug and alcohol and steeling problem. He was selling drugs and breaking into all the cars and boats at the marina. I like 95 percent of the people at the marina considerate a safe and secure yachtclub I left my key on the boat, not anymore. One night one of my neighbors said you left awfully late last night on you boat ride? I responded back I was working last night and not on the boat. well you boat left eh marina. I went down to my boat my covers were missing, cigarette ashes and butts and marijuana ashes on it. and it had a full tank of fuel that was now 1/4.and boat was trashed. I knew exactly who had done this as they were at the marina that night serving house arrest for previous charges of this nonsense. As people woke up the next morning communities that had communal docks and parking areas were his hard. He racked up 12pages on his rap sheet that night alone. Thank goodness sometime after that they moved out and now it the only occasional hose or nozzle that get gone that we hear about.



Story 2

I had a guy renting a boat slip from me who hadn't paid in over a year and wouldn't respond to me or the mechanics l put on his vessel and wouldn't show up in court to the eviction. I was instructed to put a chain from the cleat of the boat to the one on the dock. I used a leftover scrap of super hardened military chain from me towing and recovery days. I also let out his windless and locked its chain and anchor to the dock. this didn't last a week. I got a notification from my private security camera overlooking the marina saying motion was detected. I pulled it up and he had cut it loose and TOWBOAT US was pulling him out the slip. I raced to the boat ramp with my dad where an argument broke out with the guy. I wont go into the details of what ended up happening other than the cops cited owner and towboat. I ended up with a really nice ss anchor with ss chain. The boat at the time it was finally just hauled off had at least 12 liens on it and the owner filed bankruptcy and we all lost out. I know this does really talk about boats or dingys.

 

[Craig_b]

Spent the winter in The Exuma Bahamas on our PT-38 trawler. First time visiting the Bahamas by boat.
Not once did we lock our doors. One doesn't even lock if we wanted it to. Never even removed the key from the ignition.
Not once did we lock up the dinghy. On shore or overnight.

That was just our experience but I would expect to do the same when we return to the Bahamas next time.

 

[Jc180]

Cameras do not prevent theft, they just provide photos or videos of your stuff being carried away.

The most practical way to minimize the chance of theft is to stay away from suspicious places, keep your stuff concealed so it won't be a temptation, lock your stuff and carry insurance.

Have cruised the East coast of Florida, Abacos, and central Exumas for many years, as well as Tennessee River in a second boat. Agree that theft potential is becoming more of an issue. Also agree that the potential risk increases exponentially in urban areas in both the US and Bahamas and the farther south you go in Florida. We try to avoid the cities south of Lake Worth in Florida; Nassau, Freeport, and Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas; and Chattanooga and Knoxville on the River. Otherwise seldom lock boat or dinghy.

 

[milestogo]

We and others leave a couple pairs of shoes on the dock next to the boat if we are leaving it for a considerable period somewhere sketchy. It gives the impression that the boat is occupied. It also helps if its not obvious that the boat is empty (ie no visible external padlock securing the interior). The only problem we had in incredibly theft-prone Barcelona was a stolen pair of shoes!~A

I'm in Spain and knowing well the people of this region, this struck me as hilarious. Perhaps they were following this little piece of wisdom:

 

[BandB]

Cameras do not prevent theft, they just provide photos or videos of your stuff being carried away.

The most practical way to minimize the chance of theft is to stay away from suspicious places, keep your stuff concealed so it won't be a temptation, lock your stuff and carry insurance.

If you think any area is completely safe, you're in for a shock some day.

Actually we have cameras tied to lights and they do prevent plus the notification that allows us then to look and to speak. When a voice comes over a speaker, people do jump. It's as if god is speaking in some strange alternate universe. But the lights definitely help.

 

[AlanT]

I'm in Spain and knowing well the people of this region, this struck me as hilarious. Perhaps they were following this little piece of wisdom:

Glad you enjoyed it! We loved Barcelona, spent a winter there. I went to Spanish language 'immersion' classes. The other students hailed from China, France, Egypt, Sweden etc. a real mix. One day the teacher asked us (in spanish) if any of us had experienced any thefts in Barcelona. The entire class put their hands up!

We all told our stories. One guy had his tire knifed from a scooter while stopped in traffic, without them noticing. The helpful scooter couple then pulled alongside and told him about the 'puncture', helped him maneouver off the road and one offered to help with the wheel replacement. A couple minutes later they both took off, one with his wife's purse that had been left in the car.
~A

 

[milestogo]

Glad you enjoyed it! We loved Barcelona, spent a winter there. I went to Spanish language 'immersion' classes. The other students hailed from China, France, Egypt, Sweden etc. a real mix. One day the teacher asked us (in spanish) if any of us had experienced any thefts in Barcelona. The entire class put their hands up!~A

Yes, that seems pretty typical. At least I find their crime is seldom violent which is my glass half full approach.

Regarding security, I find some combination of the following can create simple but formidable security.

1. Abus has a small but rugged Alarmbox that alerts through motion (I modified the bracket to screw on as opposed to using the straps which is a design flaw in my opinion).

2. Invoxia sells a mini tracker that works on the European and US coastlines. I like that it is small and waterproof

3. A nice chain lock from kryptonite endorsed by the lock picking lawyer

4. A legally tenuous lock I use called the Skunk Lock.

These are mainly bike/moto security devices but would work well on say, a dinghy or engine as well.

 

[milestogo]

...Apple tags are also starting to be an interesting option and are also waterproof.

 

[rwidman]

Aye, but there be the rub . . . . not always easy to know which places are "suspicious" and which are not. I guess if the "places" ask you a lot of questions, they could be considered "suspicious", right?

You can research crime rates for particular places on the Internet, but much of this information is passed around on cruising websites and Facebook groups.