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Hi. The lock on my trad stern is just the usual padlock. So why is this so common on boats? Why are common locks that are more secure not typically used? Eg a normal multi point lock from a house. Yes, I get anyone could break in a boat with an angle grinder just that is a little less discret that a 'clump' and their in with a bolt cutter.

As title. I'm looking to switch from external padlocks to internal bolts. As I can't weld, my options are either coach bolts (not sure how the square section works with steel doors) or pop-rivets. As with most things on the boat, my initial ideas are often not the best and searching here has already yielded many opinions on this sort of thing. I don't expect anyone to tell me how exactly they secure their hatches, all I'm looking for is advice on the best way to secure latches to the inside of steel doors. Thanks!

I tried doing a CCTV thing before using an old mobile phone (for wifi) and a USB camera, but that (I think) knackered my battery and had other problems. Anyway, this is version 2.0 using a solar powered Reolink 4G camera: It comes with a Vodafone 4G SIM card (£4/mth unlimited data). You register it using an app then pop it into the camera. Voila! You're online. You then install the Reolink app. Link the app to the camera and you're good to go. TALK - let's you send audio from your phone to the camera. Such as to frighten the bejeezus out of people PTZ - is to rotate the camera up/down and left/right PLAYBACK - to view footage. Footage is saved to the supplied SD card PIR - let's you set an alert if something moves QUALITY - let's you adjust the record (HD) quality and the 4G view (low) quality. Full screen (low 4G quality). Full screen with PTZ. Just fitted this. So we'll see how it goes. At least this set up can't kill my leisure battery. ? I got mine from Amazon.co.uk (~£230). Search for: 'Reolink 3G/4G LTE Pan Tilt Solar Security Camera' (Don't want to post a link in case it's against site policy and all that jazz)

how do I give another member my phone number securely ?

Hi everyone, I recently had a flooded engine compartment (fortunately no major damage) from a leaky weed hatch seal and when I approached my insurance company they said had it reached the alternator or battery bank I would not have been covered. As a student studying an engineering degree I want to come up with a solution to this and thought why not expand it to monitor other systems like the battery, shore power or even security, smoke/fire warnings etc. but my worry in considering the costs of R&D would be "Is this even a real problem?". I'd be really interested to hear of boaters' worries on the water, be it security, batteries discharging, shore power failure, flooding in the engine bay (from rainwater or leaky prop seal)? Or is this merely taken as a risk of boating? If anyone has had a major insurance claim I would like to hear about the circumstances so as to know whether a monitoring system could have alerted and possibly prevented it. I would also like to understand the human cost of a claim like being unable to live on your boat, dry dock costs and just how awkward (or otherwise) it proved. I'd be really interested to hear what everyone thinks, be it pleasure boaters, liveaboard canal boats, hire fleet managers etc. as it will help me make a decision about whether I pursue the prototype to commercial launch. Many thanks in advance for all your help. Chris

I am considering becoming a live aboard but security concerns me, being a musician I have a few expensive guitars and studio/computer gear. Would the addition of security bars to the windows contravene BSS regulations on fire safety grounds does anyone know? My feeling is that they don't as people have armoured glass fitted but one never knows?...... and further to this are there minimum widths for companionways as fire escape routes?

BoatMON A comprehensive Monitoring & Control system for inland boaters I am looking for a few people who would be interested in trialling a system that I have been working on for the last two years. The genesis of the project was that I was new to boating at the time and was anxious that during the prolonged periods away from my expensive investment I could be confident that it i) hadn't sunk and ii) wasn't frozen up! As my background is in electronics and for the last 20 years IT it seemed reasonable to combine these skills; thus was born BoatMON. In it's original format it simply worked as a glorified frost protection system using the Webasto heating system to keep the cold out during the winter months and monitored whether or not I had shore power. However during the intervening period much has been added and what started off as a laptop and a large box of electrical ironmongery has reduced to a unit no bigger than a lunchbox. I know there is at least one other product out there (Boat Warden) that purports to do a similar job but to me it seems that this device is not really aimed at inland boaters and to be honest seems expensive. My aims are thus: Reliability Cost effectiveness (I am hoping to be about the £350 mark for the finished article) Flexibility, I am trying to build in as many features as people request. What can it currently do? Monitor 2 DC supplies up to 20v (Starter/Aux batteries) Monitor 2 AC/DC supplies up to 300v (Shoreline/Generator/Solar output - nice to graph this!) Can control diesel heating systems (tested on Webasto so far) via a clean relay contact, optionally can switch up to 2Kw of electrical heating.Heating setting is set by a scheduler, essentially a heating 'diary', start time is automatically offset to achieve desired temperature & time. Additional On/Off and Custom temperature override settings are available, however even when Off it will still frost protect. If required can also use diesel heating to control hot water if piped to do so.Multi-zone security system with most of the features that you would find on a modern alarm system, alarm time-out, auto rearm, zone omit etc.Bilge alarm - operates a local alarm as well as remote notification.Ability to remotely switch up to 4 x 240v/10A relays to operate something of your own choice. One thought I had for this was for an automatic generator start to recharge batteries.Virtual Fuel gauge and electricity credit meter The whole thing is driven from a web interface which can be accessed local through the WiFi network or remotely via an internet connection from anything that can browse the web, PC, smartphone, tablet .... If you don't already have an internet router I can supply one suitably configured with a 'Three' data sim. As well as presenting real-time data in the web interface it also stores data for one year and presents this data graphically again in a web browser. I have found it fascinating over the two years (yes I know I'm sad!) watching the trends not only of temperatures but battery voltages as they change with temperature and age, the latter can be a useful tool in diagnosing failing batteries. BoatMON can email or text you with messages which are prioretised as info/warning/critical so you can choose which to text & which to email SO! where do YOU fit in? I am initially looking for 2-3 people to trial this for me, during the trial you will obviously have direct support from myself, updates and fixes will be downloaded directly to your device and I will try to incorporate all reasonable requests for enhancements into the updates - so you get a chance to have your personal enhancements built in at no cost. I will unfortunately have to make a charge to cover the cost of the kit but I am offering a six month no questions money back guarantee if you are not happy, all I ask is that you have a reasonable attitude to bug fixing and product development and wait until the end of the six months before demanding a refund! I genuinely welcome all comments, pro and against. Remember that I am happy to customise where practicable. So... over to you!

Hi everyone! My first post! Thanks to Canalworld for solving so many problems and avoiding so many pitfalls over the years! I must be getting a bit ahead of the game as my question doesn't appear to have been asked before! Have just bought a Snipe V3 automatic satellite antenna and it does what the adverts say it does! My big worry is that being shiny (hi-tech) white, it will act like a magnet to the criminal fraternity! I want to spray paint it to camouflage it somewhat. Can't see any reason why the non receiving areas can't be painted......but has anyone painted the antenna face? Obviously has to be metal free paint...??matt black? Thanks in anticipation!

When the boat is moored in the marina and not on mains, there is a nifty little tab on the blue flap over the bollard socket which lines up with a tab on the socket. The marina advocates that the flap be locked shut with a little padlock to avoid accidental use by someone who is not buying the amps. Fine... But when I leave the hookup lead actually plugged in, say over winter to power a backup heater, there is nothing to stop someone accidentally swapping their lead for mine. However, I have seen a cable which has a tab on the plug end which matches up to the bollard tab when the cable is plugged in (but mine does not have one!!) which will take a mini-padlock and stop 'accidental' unplugging. I've looked through Amazing and Fleapay but can't see one - can anyone point me in the direction of an on-line supplier?? cheers, folks.

It's bit late for the poor souls who have had their boat nicked, but given that this has spawned a couple of threads of security recently I'd ask about peoples' thoughts on this. I've not really researched commercial tracking products as I'm planning to build my own (about 60 quid if you've some basic electronics knowledge and / or computer skills) but it feels like something that should be getting more common by now. Anyone got one? Stories about GPS tracking being used to recover a boat? A plug for a cheap commercial solution?

Hi All, One of the things i have in mind for our new large girthed boat is upgrading the existing bow doors. They are made of wood and have glass windows and although look great they are not the most secure. I was wondering what people's advice was on upgrading these rather than replacing them? Im not too sure the best place to start looking but i was thinking about an iron grill on the front? Many Thanks in advance