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Boat security, advice would be hugely appreciated


JollyWonker

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For my tuppence worth, I think the OP is going about this all back-to-front.  I often leave my boat for a few days or a week at a time.  My approach is to make it look like there's somebody there.  I make zero attempt to make it look like it's been all locked up, secured and left empty.

 

My advice:

 

1.  Be careful about where you're moored.  Perfect places are where you're just one in a line of moored boats, ideally overlooked by houses, and where the towpath gets plenty of walkers.  Avoid mooring where there are no other boats in sight.  Really avoid mooring where you can see graffiti, fly-tipping etc. or just where your 6th sense is tingling.

 

2.  Change any outside padlocks for yale type locks so it's not possible to tell whether the boat has been locked from the inside or the outside.

 

3.  Leave things on.  An LED light uses a tiny amount of power, as does a radio.  If you can set these things up with a timer to turn on and off, even better.

 

4.  Get something like this:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mydome-Fake-Simulator-Anti-Burglar-Deterrent/dp/B076X5WMSK/ref=asc_df_B076X5WMSK/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=217947492190&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9636630707853332239&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007081&hvtargid=pla-422524008623&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

 

It makes it look like there's a TV on inside the boat during the evening.

 

5.  Leave a few items on view on the deck or roof.  Nothing valuable, just ordinary things which make the boat look used.  A mop, a folding chair etc..

 

6.  Get an apple air tag so you can see where your boat is.

 

7.  Don't worry too much, boat break-ins are pretty rare.

 

I admit I had my window smashed once while I was away (nothing was taken), but it was because I didn't follow my own rules and I moored in a slightly dodgy area when there were no other boats around. 

 

When I bought my boat, it came with a rear tonneau cover.  I've never used it.  It would make it obvious that the boat was unattended.

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2 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

 

 

3.  Leave things on.  An LED light uses a tiny amount of power, as does a radio.  If you can set these things up with a timer to turn on and off, even better.

 

 

But not a DAB radio,they will flatten your batteries surprisingly quickly.

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1 hour ago, doratheexplorer said:

For my tuppence worth, I think the OP is going about this all back-to-front.  I often leave my boat for a few days or a week at a time.  My approach is to make it look like there's somebody there.  I make zero attempt to make it look like it's been all locked up, secured and left empty.

 

My advice:

 

 

4.  Get something like this:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mydome-Fake-Simulator-Anti-Burglar-Deterrent/dp/B076X5WMSK/ref=asc_df_B076X5WMSK/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=217947492190&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9636630707853332239&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007081&hvtargid=pla-422524008623&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

 

It makes it look like there's a TV on inside the boat during the evening.

 

 

I have one of those at home, while we were away 3 other places in the village had unwelcome visitors

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I saw long throw bolt locks in Spain where double doors are common, so bought 2 when visiting my Brother. 

In the last few years I then saw them here, as Gate Locks, the only difference being the gate locks are keyed both sides whereas mine have a latch and sliding bolt on the inside. Looks similar to a Yale cylinder in the outside. The bolt is about 20mm square, would make it hard to open a double door. 

 

Screenshot_20220523-161203.png.f9a1c1d589a9c0a72f3b7877a22dea7c.png

Edited by Jim Riley
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If someone wants in to your boat they will get in.

I have twice broken into boats with screwdrivers. Both were on fire. One was mine, one I happened to insure! and was walking past on the way to work.(  that’s real personal service from your broker).

 

I have also seen the consequence of steel shutters, left on while the boat was occupied and only one means of exit. Paranoid owner had blocked all windows and front entry. The fire started under the rear cabin steps from his crappy electrics while he was in the boat, meaning he had to go over the fire to get out. Fortunately happened in daytime, with others around, so his subsequent burns were only to his feet. A lesson in escape routes.

 

There are many boats left on the towpath including my own. Generally I pick where I moor visit frequently if I can and engage with local boat owners when I do it.

My boat is clean and tidy but there are no signs of high value assets on board ( there aren't) and you cannot see inside. Try not to create an observable pattern ie returning to a familiar spot for another 2 weeks unattended. Randomness confuses those trying to case the joint.

 

 

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What doratheexplorer has said in point 4 of his list. I've had one of those Fake TV's for the last 20 years and they really do make it look as if somebody is inside watching TV, and you can set them to only come on when it's dark. Leaving a light on has become so common these days that it is less of a deterrent, but thinking somebody is watching TV is more convincing I think. The Fake TV won't hammer your boat's batteries either as their power usage is negligible.

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I think this is what the OP has in mind. This boat was seen a couple of days ago unattended and hard aground on the off side, when we passed it a couple of weeks earlier it was chained and padlocked to the piling. The photo is from https://nbhuffler.blogspot.com/ and not mine

 

 P1320198.JPG

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2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I think this is what the OP has in mind. This boat was seen a couple of days ago unattended and hard aground on the off side, when we passed it a couple of weeks earlier it was chained and padlocked to the piling. The photo is from https://nbhuffler.blogspot.com/ and not mine

 

 P1320198.JPG

Looks like the one that was swinging around above Sandon lock last week.  The owner doesn't appear to be very good at mooring.

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9 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Looks like the one that was swinging around above Sandon lock last week.  The owner doesn't appear to be very good at mooring.

Thats the area I saw it in, but chained bow and stern to the piling

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23 hours ago, MtB said:

 

 

Once installed in the OP's boat, how long will it work for? The full two weeks the OP intends to leave the boat for, each month? 

 

Where do the batteries go?

 

 

 

 

If you leave the door open it will be self feeding.

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On 23/05/2022 at 10:14, MtB said:

 

 

Once installed in the OP's boat, how long will it work for? The full two weeks the OP intends to leave the boat for, each month? 

 

Where do the batteries go?

 

 

 

 

One guess. That’s why it’s showing it teeth 😬😬😬😬

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52 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I think this is what the OP has in mind. This boat was seen a couple of days ago unattended and hard aground on the off side, when we passed it a couple of weeks earlier it was chained and padlocked to the piling. The photo is from https://nbhuffler.blogspot.com/ and not mine

 

 P1320198.JPG

Quite possibly cast adrift by kids who were confident there was nobody in it.  Which would back up the post I made earlier.  Rule 1:  Don't make your boat look unattended.

 

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43 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Quite possibly cast adrift by kids who were confident there was nobody in it.  Which would back up the post I made earlier.  Rule 1:  Don't make your boat look unattended.

 

Or even going out of their way to prove you could defeat the chains and padlocks holding it to the piling

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Surprised no one's mentioned the most obvious means of identifying that a boats unattended. The way it's tied up. More mooring warps, springs and goat chains than the QE II would need with everything doubled up and neatly made off. Spotting them is one of my favourite games  whilst cruising along.

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Another thing about chains and padlocks to moor a boat is it's impossible/near impossible for fellow boaters to slacken your mooring lines if the levels rise on a river section, as happened on the Soar 4 years ago on boxing day. Owners were away and there was little anyone passing could do about the excessively taught chains, so the boat sank. 

 

The cabin sides of my current boat are 90% glass area, which is quite annoying... I've often wondered about polycarbonate sheets over the windows, fitted to size and bolted to the frame. Would stop most casual breaks being possible, and you wouldn't have to remove them to see. They also shouldn't look like a deliberate thing to hide valuables 

 

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5 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Why not just replace the glass with polycarbonate then? 

 

Your windows are probably already toughened glass.

 

As it yellows and crazes with age, and the covers could sort of act as double glazing if reasonably airtight. I haven't personally done it as I've been on a secure residential mooring for 3 years and now only boat to nice places, rather than being a bridge shuffler and mooring anywhere 

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20 minutes ago, harrybsmith said:

 

As it yellows and crazes with age, and the covers could sort of act as double glazing if reasonably airtight. I haven't personally done it as I've been on a secure residential mooring for 3 years and now only boat to nice places, rather than being a bridge shuffler and mooring anywhere 

Can you please tell me where is 'a nice place' - our breakins have both occurred in what we thought were at least safe places.

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8 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

Can you please tell me where is 'a nice place' - our breakins have both occurred in what we thought were at least safe places.

OK fair enough, and sorry to hear you've been broken into twice. I was more meaning I used to moor literally anywhere with no discretion for how nice an area it was nor regard for personal safety (due to being young and naïve) but now I follow the advice above and largely moor outside of suburbia, usually for 1 night at a time and often with other boats 

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27 minutes ago, harrybsmith said:

OK fair enough, and sorry to hear you've been broken into twice. I was more meaning I used to moor literally anywhere with no discretion for how nice an area it was nor regard for personal safety (due to being young and naïve) but now I follow the advice above and largely moor outside of suburbia, usually for 1 night at a time and often with other boats 

But it was a CC boater moored next to us in a line that most probably did the latter breakin.

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