Securing doors for a quick escape!

[Québec]

Reading the current thread started by MJG on securing doors and hatches from the outside in a non-obvious way, I started to wonder what others do - if you do- to secure your doors when you're on board - especially at night. - and, at the time, allowing for a quick and easy escape in case of emergency?

 

We have steel doors at the back ( with wood panels on the inside), and up to now we just close them and close the hatch behind them so the doors just push open. As we sleep at the back with a clear passage through to the doors we could be out of bed and out of the boat in seconds.

 

Our bow doors are wood with toughened glass panels, currently only secured from the inside by normal bolts, top and bottom.

 

What do those of you who do secure your doors when you're aboard use to ensure both a bit of security and also a quick escape if necessary?

[cotswoldsman]

Like you at present if I am on the boat I do not bother to secure the doors, I wont be bothering to change that.

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

I have a hook to secure the back hatch which in turn locks the doors shut. While we are about the front doors are locked with a yale and bolts We Use a big through bar when away for any time. You can't stop thieves but you can discourage them.

[gaggle]

Door handles on the rear doors are screwed onto wooden panels with screws that are just enough to ensure handles stay on , a bar is pushed through both handles across the doors , if emergency occurs then body weight should be enough to pull handle screws out and allow doors to fly open , anyone who pulls the door open forceably from outside will also pull the screws out and allow the bar to fall and hopefully wake us up.

[ditchcrawler]

Reading the current thread started by MJG on securing doors and hatches from the outside in a non-obvious way, I started to wonder what others do - if you do- to secure your doors when you're on board - especially at night. - and, at the time, allowing for a quick and easy escape in case of emergency?

 

We have steel doors at the back ( with wood panels on the inside), and up to now we just close them and close the hatch behind them so the doors just push open. As we sleep at the back with a clear passage through to the doors we could be out of bed and out of the boat in seconds.

 

Our bow doors are wood with toughened glass panels, currently only secured from the inside by normal bolts, top and bottom.

 

What do those of you who do secure your doors when you're aboard use to ensure both a bit of security and also a quick escape if necessary?

A single Dutch bolt on the rear doors and a Yale on the front, often the slide back and front is unlocked unless we are moored where it looks as if we may have a casual visitor.

[14skipper]

Really cannot understand why people treat a boat i.e their home so different from when a house is their home.(apart from their home not sinking).

Can not see many people going to bed at night and leaving all their doors and windows unlocked when living in a house so why would you do so on a boat ?

Can see the need for a quick exit but that is the same wherever you live be it boat,caravan,camper,house etc but to leave them unlocked no thanks.I have a torch at each end of boat and in bedroom which is in middle, two side hatches that only have a bolt on and yales on doors at each end, l lock the doors at night,more concerned about people getting in then me out.

 

14Skipper

Edited November 20, 2011 by 14skipper

[ditchcrawler]

Really cannot understand why people treat a boat i.e their home so different from when a house is their home.(apart from their home not sinking).

Can not see many people going to bed at night and leaving all their doors and windows unlocked when living in a house so why would you do so on a boat ?

Can see the need for a quick exit but that is the same wherever you live be it boat,caravan,camper,house etc but to leave them unlocked no thanks.I have a torch at each end of boat and in bedroom which is in middle, two side hatches that only have a bolt on and yales on doors at each end, l lock the doors at night,more concerned about people getting in then me out.

 

14Skipper

I often go to bed and leave the back door unlocked, mind you don't trip over the dog if you call round one night.

[14skipper]

I often go to bed and leave the back door unlocked, mind you don't trip over the dog if you call round one night.

 

No dog but the wife can growl when she wants too

 

14skipper

[matty40s]

Really cannot understand why people treat a boat i.e their home so different from when a house is their home.(apart from their home not sinking).

Can not see many people going to bed at night and leaving all their doors and windows unlocked when living in a house so why would you do so on a boat ?

Can see the need for a quick exit but that is the same wherever you live be it boat,caravan,camper,house etc but to leave them unlocked no thanks.I have a torch at each end of boat and in bedroom which is in middle, two side hatches that only have a bolt on and yales on doors at each end, l lock the doors at night,more concerned about people getting in then me out.

14Skipper

 

 

To get into my boat, you would first have to get on, either the counter or into the cratch, either way, you would wake me instantly, even before you tried to get through the doors.

[Québec]

Really cannot understand why people treat a boat i.e their home so different from when a house is their home.(apart from their home not sinking).

Can not see many people going to bed at night and leaving all their doors and windows unlocked when living in a house so why would you do so on a boat ?

Can see the need for a quick exit but that is the same wherever you live be it boat,caravan,camper,house etc but to leave them unlocked no thanks.I have a torch at each end of boat and in bedroom which is in middle, two side hatches that only have a bolt on and yales on doors at each end, l lock the doors at night,more concerned about people getting in then me out.

 

14Skipper

Slightly off-topic, but as I'm the OP........

 

Yes, I suppose it is odd. Our house is near the centre of a city and we dutifully lock up and put the downstairs alarm on every night, especially after we were woken early one morning by our front door being kicked in by two guys (got down in time to lean against the door long enough till they ran off). But on the boat, whether it's in the marina or out on a usually deserted bit of rural canal, we feel - perhaps irrationally - very safe. I'd be a bit more concerned about security if we were to moor in a built up area.

 

The other difference, in relation, to escaping, is that you may have very little time to get out of a boat (remember the Lindy Lou and other actual or near disasters) whereas in a house - despite similar tragedies - you may have a bit more time.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Québec

[TimD]

I have worked out an ingenious method, which I would tell you in person, but won't for obvious reasons post it on the internet. Allows me to get out quickly but would be difficult to get in with out waking me.

[mrsmelly]

Like you at present if I am on the boat I do not bother to secure the doors, I wont be bothering to change that.

 

We never lock either end doors never have done. I did when I lived in a house but there is much more chance of vermin coming into your house than on your boat oh and a big dog with a big bark is better than any alarm system.

[Guest]

We never lock either end doors never have done. I did when I lived in a house but there is much more chance of vermin coming into your house than on your boat oh and a big dog with a big bark is better than any alarm system.

 

Little dogs with big barks are as good though....

[mrsmelly]

Little dogs with big barks are as good though....

 

Yeah any dog wiv a bark is better than no dog.........

[steelaway]

Yeah any dog wiv a bark is better than no dog.........

 

 

 

I have these back and front. Not very secure but adequate.

Although the rear hatch makes such a scream if you don't know to lift it slightly first - its a good burglar alarm

 

Alex

 

Edited November 20, 2011 by steelaway

[Guest]

Yeah any dog wiv a bark is better than no dog.........

 

Indeed -

 

 

But on the other hand...

 

[Tom and Bex]

Really cannot understand why people treat a boat i.e their home so different from when a house is their home.(apart from their home not sinking).

Can not see many people going to bed at night and leaving all their doors and windows unlocked when living in a house so why would you do so on a boat ?

Can see the need for a quick exit but that is the same wherever you live be it boat,caravan,camper,house etc but to leave them unlocked no thanks.I have a torch at each end of boat and in bedroom which is in middle, two side hatches that only have a bolt on and yales on doors at each end, l lock the doors at night,more concerned about people getting in then me out.

 

14Skipper

 

Never bother to lock doors and never have, and windows usually left open (but don't have working locks anyway) both in caravan where we're currently living and in parents house. Also rarely lock doors when camping in VW camper except if parked in middle of city centre. Never bothered to lock any doors on out boating holidays either. Come to think of it house is rarely locked at any time!

 

Cheers,

 

Tom

[Rebotco]

Never bother to lock doors and never have, and windows usually left open (but don't have working locks anyway) both in caravan where we're currently living and in parents house. Also rarely lock doors when camping in VW camper except if parked in middle of city centre. Never bothered to lock any doors on out boating holidays either. Come to think of it house is rarely locked at any time!

 

Cheers,

 

Tom

I feel much the same as you about locking doors, partly because thieves are likely to cause most damage and expense trying to smash in the doors. It would be more economical to let them get in easily and nick the TV, rather than replace a whole door and frames which can cost 4 or 5 times as much!

The only reason I don't is that insurers will call that negligence and an excuse to not pay out. But my best defence is not owning anything of much value anyway - but they won't know that until they're in, so why risk having the doors smashed in?

 

Brian

[Guest]

I feel much the same as you about locking doors, partly because thieves are likely to cause most damage and expense trying to smash in the doors. It would be more economical to let them get in easily and nick the TV, rather than replace a whole door and frames which can cost 4 or 5 times as much!

The only reason I don't is that insurers will call that negligence and an excuse to not pay out. But my best defence is not owning anything of much value anyway - but they won't know that until they're in, so why risk having the doors smashed in?

 

Brian

 

But the OP was about when you are on the boat - surely you would hear somebody engaging in a forcible entry if you were actually on it..?

[Rebotco]

But the OP was about when you are on the boat - surely you would hear somebody engaging in a forcible entry if you were actually on it..?

True, but I wasn't replying to the OP. I was merely resonding to the previous post from Tom and Bex, which was more generalised.

Brian

[Guest]

True, but I wasn't replying to the OP. I was merely resonding to the previous post from Tom and Bex, which was more generalised.

Brian

 

Sorry yes - I should have addressed the question further up the thread..

 

 

 

ed - thread even

Edited November 20, 2011 by MJG

[BGA]

I have worked out an ingenious method, which I would tell you in person, but won't for obvious reasons post it on the internet. Allows me to get out quickly but would be difficult to get in with out waking me.

Not the string round the big toe trick