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Boat security, advice would be hugely appreciated


JollyWonker

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3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Have you ever had to comply with the safety requirements for a boat ? (which you need to meet to be granted a licence)

 

If the boat already has a BSSC you can invalidate it by changing (adding / removing / replacing) parts and systems that may no longer comply.

 

Fuel and gas are the two 'biggest sections' of the standards (rightly so).

 

BSS T&Cs

 

The owner’s on-going responsibility: it is crucial to maintain the vessel in good condition in accordance with the safety requirements; and, any other licensing, registration or mooring conditions of the relevant navigation or harbour authority. The validity of a BSS pass result may be affected and can be cancelled if the vessel is not properly maintained; and/or non-compliant alterations are made....

 

 

Nope. Boat was checked March so should be peachy. In terms of a secondary ‘master’ you could consider a radiator-valve or cooker isolator in the same vein. Or it’s tantamount to say the 6 or 8 trip switches for your DC circuits. We’ve viewed quite a few boats with recent BSS and (from an electronic Engineer) most are laughable (including ours!) 

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2 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Bit like the guy who was sure his house was safe because of the rottweiler. They just stole the dog - damn things are worth a fortune.

A car thief and burglar I used to know told me he reckoned he had half an hour from when an alarm went off before anyone would even think to report it. A copper told me they had so many false alarms from them they never attended anyway.

 

At Stone a couple of years ago we walked past a boat that had some sort of sensor that played a recording of a dog barking everytime somebody walked past the boat. Cheaper than a real dog 😀

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37 minutes ago, JollyWonker said:

All brilliant points. I’m not overly paranoid.

 

Lol, you should get a friend to read your posts and give you an opinion, you sure come across as beyond paranoid.

 

There are thousands of boats on the system and only a few scrotes out trying to break in. Rely on chance they won't choose yours. By broadcasting your paranoia with 5mm steel panels (more like 25kg each BTW) over every window you'll be attracting massive attention to your boat and expecting the fuzz to turn out if your automated alarm tells them a break-in is in progress is plain naïve. They haven't done that sort of thing for 30 years, not since automated notification was invented and their fones jump off the hook all night every night with false (and the occasional genuine) alarms.

 

Boat crime is actually pretty rare. Rarer than I think you think. I once returned to my boat after a fortnight moored on the public towpath to find the stern doors wide open, the tiller on and the tiller pin in place and my boat Apple laptop still open and sitting on the drop-down table in the back cabin. Initially I thought WTF but after a bit of memory-dredging, I realised I left via the front door and never shut the back doors up two weeks previously. I'm just pleased it didn't rain!  

 

Edited by MtB
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19 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Have you ever had to comply with the safety requirements for a boat ? (which you need to meet to be granted a licence)

 

If the boat already has a BSSC you can invalidate it by changing (adding / removing / replacing) parts and systems that may no longer comply.

 

Fuel and gas are the two 'biggest sections' of the standards (rightly so).

 

BSS T&Cs

 

The owner’s on-going responsibility: it is crucial to maintain the vessel in good condition in accordance with the safety requirements; and, any other licensing, registration or mooring conditions of the relevant navigation or harbour authority. The validity of a BSS pass result may be affected and can be cancelled if the vessel is not properly maintained; and/or non-compliant alterations are made....

 

 

Nope. Just had it done March so all should be well. A secondary main switch would be no different than a radiator value or cooker  isolator switch and tantamount to one of the 6 or 8 trips you’d have in a fuze box. It’s just another isolation switch, makes itnsafer if anything. Also viewed quite a few boats with recent BSS and the electric setups are mental (including ours)

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1 minute ago, JollyWonker said:

Nope. Just had it done March so all should be well. A secondary main switch would be no different than a radiator value or cooler isolator switch and tantamount to one of the 6 or 8 trips you’d have in a fuze box. It’s just another isolation switch, makes itnsafer if anything. Also viewed quite a few boats with recent BSS and the electric setups are mental (including ours)

 

 

Enjoy your life of paranoia, but rememeber :

 

“Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.”

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12 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Lol, you should get a friend to read your posts and give you an opinion, you sure come across as beyond paranoid.

 

There are thousands of boats on the system and only a few scrotes out trying to break in. Rely on chance they won't choose yours. By broadcasting your paranoia with 5mm steel panels (more like 25kg each BTW) over every window you'll be attracting massive attention to your boat and expecting the fuzz to turn out if your automated alarm tells them a break-in is in progress is plain naïve. They haven't done that sort of thing for 30 years, not since automated notification was invented and their fones jump off the hook all night every night with false (and the occasional genuine) alarms.

 

Boat crime is actually pretty rare. Rarer than I think you think. I once returned to my boat after a fortnight moored on the public towpath to find the stern doors wide open, the tiller on and the tiller pin in place and my boat Apple laptop still open and sitting on the drop-down table in the back cabin. Initially I thought WTF but after a bit of memory-dredging, I realised I left via the front door and never shut the back doors up two weeks previously. I'm just pleased it didn't rain!  

 

I’m not paranoid. Do you own a home which you’ve left unlocked for going on a year? I know my village and the calculated risk. Everybody on our street has a shotgun (in the tweed-wearing sense) but I’ve not collected our boat yet so I can’t calculate the risk, hence the reason I’ve asked for support from those in the know. 
 

My mistake on the plates, I was thinking of Ali as i can powder coat them to blend in and you couldn’t tell it wasn’t steel you get the grinder out..and in that case it’s too late anyway as the sides are 4mm. 
 

and I’m not talking about a ‘bat-phone’ here..it’s a means of me knowing what’s going on for piece of mind and having the opportunity to address the situation, albeit remotely. 
 

11 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Enjoy your life of paranoia, but rememeber :

 

“Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.”

yeah, nice one. Thanks for that. 

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10 minutes ago, JollyWonker said:

Do you own a home which you’ve left unlocked for going on a year?

But you are planning to leave your home unoccupied (but presumably not unlocked) for a fortnight or so every month. Why should it be such a problem to do the same with your boat?

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Just now, David Mack said:

But you are planning to leave your home unoccupied (but presumably not unlocked) for a fortnight or so every month. Why should it be such a problem to do the same with your boat?

I can leave my house for a few days or a week but it’s normally only a matter of hours. Perhaps I am coming across as paranoid. (Almost) worst case I lose a window and some mess is made. As long as whoever breaks in isn’t a total dick and smashes it all up I can deal with that. 

5 minutes ago, David Mack said:

But you are planning to leave your home unoccupied (but presumably not unlocked) for a fortnight or so every month. Why should it be such a problem to do the same with your boat?

Ah, that’s a super good point!! Need to get on that first thing. You’re awesome. 

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59 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

At Stone a couple of years ago we walked past a boat that had some sort of sensor that played a recording of a dog barking everytime somebody walked past the boat. Cheaper than a real dog 😀

 

Also you don't have to take it for walks. 

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1 hour ago, dmr said:

 

At Stone a couple of years ago we walked past a boat that had some sort of sensor that played a recording of a dog barking everytime somebody walked past the boat. Cheaper than a real dog 😀

 

How do you know it wasn't a real dog? And more pertinently, would a thief be fooled when you weren't? 

 

 

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I think a lot depends on your basic approach to life. If you're fairly laid back and don't worry about stuff too much, you'll be fine leaving it on the towpath. I'm of a more edgy disposition and I'd be worried about it all the time - I get twitchy leaving it to go shopping - so it wouldn't suit me.

But it works well for a lot of people, and very few of the dumped boats you go past show any signs of damage or interference, and some have been in the same place for months. So it probably isn't really worth worrying about as long as you can cope with the hassle and expense if it goes wrong.

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3 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

How do you know it wasn't a real dog? And more pertinently, would a thief be fooled when you weren't? 

 

 

 

Its interesting, if we watch a little video of a dog barking on our iPhones then Sophie sometimes pricks up her ears. This recording was so bad that Sophie showed zero interest. I wonder if reproducing a dog bark is a good test of HiFi speakers?   It was also a very short and repetitive loop. I reckon a solenoid system is also needed to rattle the front doors to simulate a really big dog throwing its weight around.

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16 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I think a lot depends on your basic approach to life. If you're fairly laid back and don't worry about stuff too much, you'll be fine leaving it on the towpath. I'm of a more edgy disposition and I'd be worried about it all the time - I get twitchy leaving it to go shopping - so it wouldn't suit me.

But it works well for a lot of people, and very few of the dumped boats you go past show any signs of damage or interference, and some have been in the same place for months. So it probably isn't really worth worrying about as long as you can cope with the hassle and expense if it goes wrong.

Perfect. Makes sense - it’ll be fine. Thanks  loads for this

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2 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Number plates, tax, insurance, police in cars with cameras that automatically spot any uninsured or untaxed car on the road (don't ask how I know...)...  as do endless cameras all over the road system. And still hundreds of cars get stolen every day. And cars have id numbers all over them and full legal documented owner histories.

Boats have nothing like that. They sell, essentially, on a handshake, which is nice but not terribly secure.

Best security idea is to weld the CRT number on the side so it can't be painted over.

The windows can also be etched with the CRT reg number, as used in cars.

I would use a large Abus padlock on the gas locker and the rear hatch, this is the only entry point, so you have to unlock it, remember it is your fire exit when staying on board, so must be unpadlocked. The casual observed would think my boat is padlocked when I am on board, but scrotes are not all casual. My hatch makes quite a noise when opened, I like it that way

When leaving my boat, I secure the front doors from the inside, padlocked bolts and maybe chains on the handles so the door can't be quickly opened, but they don't look as though no one is at home. I can put a padlock n the bolt I side the rear doors before I lock the hatch, it all makes things difficult and makes more noise.

Keep documents at home, note the engine number.

 

Small LED lights are on in my boat all the time, and illumination is fairly obvious from outside.

The curtains should be closed, but I'd use steel horizontal bars to stop access via windows. Steel shutters are just awful and will end up rusting.

Don't forget the diesel lock, as you will often have a hundred litres in the tank, other boaters may be watching out, it's not unknown.

I think the most secure sites are those with other boats , not close to a pub, or a rough area

. On the Aire and Calder there are a lot of "fishermen" who check out boats carefully during the day and come back at 4:00am when the sandwich factory finishes. They will take anything which is not padlocked. You could ask them for their fishing permit, and or take a photo. They don't speak English.

Obviously take laptop etc home, don't have huge TV etc.

Remove ignition keys. Though that will not stop the determined theif. You could remove the battery isolator keys if they are that type.

I have my well deck looking a bit untidy, half a bag of coal, odd things of no value but look as though someone is in residence.

Welding the CRT number in a prominent position has to be a good deterrent.

 

 

Edited by LadyG
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Welding the registration numbers to the steel hull is a good idea.......cut out the numbers from 1/4 steel ,and weld to the hull in the places where the rego should be painted ........also simplifies repainting the numbers after the hull is painted.

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Do you have solar panels to keep the security system live for 2 weeks without draining the batteries, preferably 12V powered equipment so you do not need to leave your inverter running. The security if 12V will need powering on its own, not through the masterswitch if you are to turn that off. Are you sure that you will always be able to moor in a spot with good 4G coverage for camera feeds, there are many more rural areas with poor 4G.

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Things are better than they were, Mr Finch is no longer on the roam.

 

Locks outside are a dead giveaway that the boat is unattended. Extra "precautions" suggest something worth stealing is aboard.

 

Upset a thief or vandal and they may just fire your boat.

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Nobody breaks into an occupied boat, so obviously the best deterrents is making it look occupied. Padlocks on the outside etc aren't the best as its obvious nobody is in. Install key locks instead. Apart from that damage limitation is your best bet.


I've installed one of those vanguard boxes to keep tools in etc. Also installed one of those alarms that text/calls you if its set off. Chances are if someone does break in they aren't equipped and won't have time to get through the box to get the real valuables. They can run off with the TV or whatever don't really care about that. 

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11 hours ago, JollyWonker said:

I have not considered the weight of the plates but to hazard a guess I’d say c.3 or 4kg ea

It seems I am not understanding the dimensions of the plates 

 

 

 

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1 minute ago, MartynG said:

It seems I am not understanding the dimensions of the plates 

 

 

 

 

You are not alone.

 

Quote : I think we’ll be fine..might need 30x300x250mm

 

It reads as if he is using 30mm thick plate each sheet 300mm x 250mm (less than 1' foot square and 1 1/4" thick.

 

Sounds like very tiny 'bus windows'. or maybe it is a deep water submersible ?

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