Kill switch ?

[blackrose]

I used to CC on the southern GU about 25 years ago and I once drove back to Hunton Bridge where I'd left the boat, and as I walked onto the towpath and looked up I got a shock as my boat had disappeared. I immediately thought it had been stolen until I remembered I'd moved on the day before... 😌

[Ewan123]

On 31/01/2024 at 07:17, LadyG said:

... padlock with a fairly secure padlock on the sliding hatch if I had to leave the boat in a rough area.

It's just a matter of making my boat a bit less attractive than others.

I reckon that padlock on the hatch is like putting up a sign to say "no one on board" and if anything makes your boat more attractive to opportunists. Many padlocks are sadly easy to break with brute force.

Edited February 3 by Ewan123

[Tracy D'arth]

Many years ago I had   garages that were AA approved for recovery and breakdowns.

The AA brought in a Jensen Interceptor which would not run.

They had relayed it several times from the North West back to London for the same problem and were suspicious.

It seemed that the owner was a motor trader and he would drive up from London for auctions in the north with a few pals as passengers. He would buy cars and the pals would drive them south. If he bought one too many he would drive it back and get the AA to relay his Jensen home for him at no cost.

We went all over the car looking for why it was not getting fuel to the engine. Eventually we removed the carpets and the front seats and found a well constructed access panel over a box member. Inside was a solenoid valve in the fuel line. The switch for the solenoid was inside the the front of the rear seat squab so that if you knew where it was it could be switched off to disable the vehicle.

[LadyG]

46 minutes ago, Ewan123 said:

I reckon that padlock on the hatch is like putting up a sign to say "no one on board" and if anything makes your boat more attractive to opportunists. Many padlocks are sadly easy to break with brute force.

Agreed, but my padlock is an heavy duty Abus I believe, and it would deter most people compared to the standard brass and chrome thing. I think the hasp would be easier.  It's easy enough to determine if a boat is unattended, (knock on the roof). I attach a chain to door handles internally, so even if they jemmied the front door, they would not be inside. I would normally not leave the boat in an isolated area.

Opportunists are not likely to carry an angle grinder, or return with one if they see an easy target.

 

Edited February 3 by LadyG

[ditchcrawler]

8 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Agreed, but my padlock is an heavy duty Abus I believe, and it would deter most people compared to the standard brass and chrome thing. I think the hasp would be easier.  It's easy enough to determine if a boat is unattended, (knock on the roof). I attach a chain to door handles internally, so even if they jemmied the front door, they would not be inside. I would normally not leave the boat in an isolated area.

Opportunists are not likely to carry an angle grinder, or return with one if they see an easy target.

 

But they come with pumps and drums to pinch diesel 

[magnetman]

If the padlock is on the hatch slide and it is a normal angle iron slide its pretty easy to hide it. 

 

padlocks in view are flags and also if a rear door is secured from outside people can become lazy and end up losing a valuable escape route. 

 

Hatch locked on the slide after door bolted from inside. 

 

 

[Rincewind]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

padlocks in view are flags and also if a rear door is secured from outside people can become lazy and end up losing a valuable escape route. 

 

Like Magnetman, I lock my rear doors and slide hatch from the inside with simple slide bolts, it gives an easy escape route in case of fire without looking or fumbling for keys.

 

Mind you, I once left my boat in Middlewich for a week and when I returned the rear doors were wide open. 

After a few minutes of puzzlement I realised that it was in fact me that had left them open 7 days previously! 

No one had been inside and nothing was taken though - they are a nice lot in Middlewich!

[ditchcrawler]

49 minutes ago, Rincewind said:

Mind you, I once left my boat in Middlewich for a week and when I returned the rear doors were wide open. 

After a few minutes of puzzlement I realised that it was in fact me that had left them open 7 days previously! 

No one had been inside and nothing was taken though - they are a nice lot in Middlewich!

They probably thought you were at home 

[MtB]

4 hours ago, LadyG said:

 

Opportunists are not likely to carry an angle grinder, or return with one if they see an easy target.

 

I've just bought one of these for work, for shortening 3/8" diameter hardened steel motor spindles.

 

Works like a dream and would make really short work of your Abus padlock.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385503668261

 

Its tiny and would fit into a roomy coat pocket. 

 

 

 

[roland elsdon]

When we were at university we used to have a little business fitting kill switch's to students cars .Many student had cars because the courses involved 6 month work placements with salaries.

Any ford escort or viva was easy for the crims in uxbridge and slough. Only a few keys.

We used to regularly have to go and find my wifes Singer Vogue until we did this. You could start it with a halfpenny.

 

one day I got into my spitfire outside the swan and bottle span the engine and hit the hidden switch. Oil went everywhere.

Little shits had stolen the oil pressure gauge and voltmeter, but hadnt been able to take the car.