Theft from Boat

[Nightwatch]

Friends of ours moor their boat on C&RT moorings on the K&A at Avoncliffe.

 

They were called to the boat to move it for some reason or other.(water levels?). When they got there someone had 'borrowed' their aged stern cover. It is (was) over 15 years old and looked it as well.

 

Nasty baskets!!! They spoke to the 'coal man'. Not sure if he is afloat or otherwise, and he said he had had coal stolen.

 

I am not that stupid to think this doesn't go on, but, come on you thieves, if it's not yours don't touch.

 

Martyn

[Pykebird]

In summer I walked past a couple fast asleep, all tucked up in a huge duvet, under one of the bridges. I thought how organised it was for them to bring a duvet when they were out on the town.

It wasn't untl later in the day that I realised the brand new(but covered in dog s**t) duvet that one of my dogs had been ill on was no longer on the front of my boat, awaiting the journey to the skip! I did snigger to myself and wonder if they noticed when they had sobered up! karma

[carlt]

Someone keeps stealing our beer!

That is an act of kindness, Bud.

[Jerra]

come on you thieves, if it's not yours don't touch.

 

 

I hate to be picky but surely if they don't touch things which aren't theirs then they aren't thieves!

[Nightwatch]

I hate to be picky but surely if they don't touch things which aren't theirs then they aren't thieves!

Which is my point, in a way.

 

But I take your point, to a point.

 

Martyn

[T.A]

Of course, the person who gave you the ball may well have been the person that nicked yours.

That's a bit of a cynical view, He brought two balls for different control levers one which was old with the worn thread the other was brand new he would have been happy for me to have the brand new one however there was difference in the threads so the worn one served as a temporary replacement. He then insisted on paying me for the handcuff key which I told him there was no need but he went to great lengths to catch me up and insisted he paid me ten pounds for the handcuff key there then pursued a further Mexican standoff but he was insistent, not the action I believe of a thief.

[carlt]

not the action I believe of a thief.

Guilty conscience!

 

(tongue-in-cheek mode engaged..)

[RichardH]

We've had bags of coal, life rings and a tiller bar go from the outside of boats

 

And a solid fuel stove from inside......

[luctor et emergo]

There are as many dishonest boaters as there are dishonest anybody else type people. Thats what always makes me laugh in the marina when we have to open ninety four gates and negotiate machine gun posts just to get to the boat. All those gates keep the thieves locked in with us.

 

Tim

 

Ahh, like good old Berlin

 

Ze mauer und ze mashineguns are there to keep ze dekadent Westernern aus of Ostberlin

[mango]

Many years ago after coming back from the pub I heard a load of drunks coming along the towpath. One of them got on the back deck and rattled the tiller. I emerged cautiously to check we had not been cast adrift and saw that the lifebelt was not on the roof. I followed the group for ages, expecting to find the lifebelt in the cut, but eventually gave up. The next morning I got up bright and early to resume the search for the missing lifebelt, only to trip over the confounded lifebelt that I had forgotten to put out the previous day. :

 

I suggest that the OP goes fishing with a magnet because the most likely explanation isn't always correct.

[Biggles]

Many years ago after coming back from the pub I heard a load of drunks coming along the towpath. One of them got on the back deck and rattled the tiller. I emerged cautiously to check we had not been cast adrift and saw that the lifebelt was not on the roof. I followed the group for ages, expecting to find the lifebelt in the cut, but eventually gave up. The next morning I got up bright and early to resume the search for the missing lifebelt, only to trip over the confounded lifebelt that I had forgotten to put out the previous day. :

 

I suggest that the OP goes fishing with a magnet because the most likely explanation isn't always correct.

 

We had a drunk run along our roof a week or so ago gone midnight when it was VERY frosty. I shot out of the bow doors setting off the Home set alarm only to see him jump and run away and slipping and falling on a tarmacked surface.

 

Oh! how I laughed out loud as he got up all limpy / stumbley and running away. His 2 "mates" were way ahead of him.

 

I'm sure he will think twice before mounting a boat again.

 

The sooner we all take serious the security of our boats the sooner the tw*ts that see them as an easy target the sooner we we will all benefit.

 

I now have motion sensitive CCTV as well as a sophisticated alarm system guarding my boat. 1 breach so far has resulted in 1 conviction. 100% sucess rate. Fortunatly no damage or loss.

 

IMO if 30% of boaters had decent security and very noisy alarms the word would soon get round that boat are NOT soft targets.

 

If you but a new car even at £7k it will have an alarm. Why the hell would anyone own an asset worth way more in emotional and finacial terms not protect it some how. £150 will get you a reliable SMS / GSM alarm system.

 

Wake Up boaters!

[mango]

We had a drunk run along our roof a week or so ago gone midnight when it was VERY frosty. I shot out of the bow doors setting off the Home set alarm only to see him jump and run away and slipping and falling on a tarmacked surface.

 

Oh! how I laughed out loud as he got up all limpy / stumbley and running away. His 2 "mates" were way ahead of him.

 

I'm sure he will think twice before mounting a boat again.

 

The sooner we all take serious the security of our boats the sooner the tw*ts that see them as an easy target the sooner we we will all benefit.

 

I now have motion sensitive CCTV as well as a sophisticated alarm system guarding my boat. 1 breach so far has resulted in 1 conviction. 100% sucess rate. Fortunatly no damage or loss.

 

IMO if 30% of boaters had decent security and very noisy alarms the word would soon get round that boat are NOT soft targets.

 

If you but a new car even at £7k it will have an alarm. Why the hell would anyone own an asset worth way more in emotional and finacial terms not protect it some how. £150 will get you a reliable SMS / GSM alarm system.

 

Wake Up boaters!

I've made a note to have a lock fitted to the diesel filler of the boat I look after.

[mrsmelly]

We had a drunk run along our roof a week or so ago gone midnight when it was VERY frosty. I shot out of the bow doors setting off the Home set alarm only to see him jump and run away and slipping and falling on a tarmacked surface.

 

Oh! how I laughed out loud as he got up all limpy / stumbley and running away. His 2 "mates" were way ahead of him.

 

I'm sure he will think twice before mounting a boat again.

 

The sooner we all take serious the security of our boats the sooner the tw*ts that see them as an easy target the sooner we we will all benefit.

 

I now have motion sensitive CCTV as well as a sophisticated alarm system guarding my boat. 1 breach so far has resulted in 1 conviction. 100% sucess rate. Fortunatly no damage or loss.

 

IMO if 30% of boaters had decent security and very noisy alarms the word would soon get round that boat are NOT soft targets.

 

If you but a new car even at £7k it will have an alarm. Why the hell would anyone own an asset worth way more in emotional and finacial terms not protect it some how. £150 will get you a reliable SMS / GSM alarm system.

 

Wake Up boaters!

 

I have cruised and lived aboard for over 23 years and that includes leaving my boat unattended for several days all over the country in many varied and often so called black spots. My boat has never been damaged or broken into nor anything nicked. I am awake and not scared of my own shadow. I for one will not be getting paranoid about a few drunks and idiots, I have been drunk myself on the odd occasion or so it has been said. Lets not blow things out of all proportion, more stuff gets nicked from houses than boats pro rata.

 

Tim

[Biggles]

I have cruised and lived aboard for over 23 years and that includes leaving my boat unattended for several days all over the country in many varied and often so called black spots. My boat has never been damaged or broken into nor anything nicked. I am awake and not scared of my own shadow. I for one will not be getting paranoid about a few drunks and idiots, I have been drunk myself on the odd occasion or so it has been said. Lets not blow things out of all proportion, more stuff gets nicked from houses than boats pro rata.

 

Tim

 

You have been fortunate so far then, well done I hope your good fortune continues. Attitudes like this just makes it easier for scum to attack boats.

 

As I said if 30% of boaters made some security effot instead of trusing to good fortune the arsses that target boats would serioulsy think again.

 

I have lived in houses for 52 years trumping your 23 years on a boat, and never been violated. Doesen't mean I take securitey of my family, me and property for granted. You might chose to but not me. Ask any security firm about their new customers. The majority will be those that had none and were violated THEN decided to get some installed.

 

I have lived part time on my boats for 7 years as well.

[mrsmelly]

You have been fortunate so far then, well done I hope your good fortune continues. Attitudes like this just makes it easier for scum to attack boats.

 

As I said if 30% of boaters made some security effot instead of trusing to good fortune the arsses that target boats would serioulsy think again.

 

I have lived in houses for 52 years trumping your 23 years on a boat, and never been violated. Doesen't mean I take securitey of my family, me and property for granted. You might chose to but not me. Ask any security firm about their new customers. The majority will be those that had none and were violated THEN decided to get some installed.

 

I have lived part time on my boats for 7 years as well.

 

Now dont take it personaly, I am just aying it how it is. In my days as a Bobby I came across every crime imaginable so petty stuff like a few drunks running across my boat wouldnt upset me one iota, I can understand peeps from other walks of life being bothered by matters of that nature but not me. We live in the best and one of the safest countries in the world thats all I meant.

Just always make sure none of your locks are visible such as padlocks telling the world you are not at home and buy a big dog and Sues your auntie

 

Tim

[Lady Muck]

It doesn't bother me either, but then again as you know I am ftom Knotla.

[Alanji]

Just always make sure none of your locks are visible such as padlocks telling the world you are not at home and buy a big dog and Sues your auntie

 

Tim

 

Any tips on how to make padlocks not visible?

 

I was thinking of installing an alarm system as discussed earlier on this thread but am a bit concerned about false alarms when I am away and upsetting the neighbours.

[Biggles]

Tim I wasn't taking it personalally. I just can't emphasise enough how important I feel personal and boat security is on a boats like ours because they are easy targets for much of the time. For such a relitvly small sum £100 -£150 a really reliable sophisticated alarm can be self fitted. I know in the motorhome world pretty much everyone takes security much more seriously.

 

We also up till yesterday had 2 big dogs. Sadly we had to have the elder one put to sleep.

[Chris Pink]

What use is this alarm system when you're not there?

[Biggles]

It phones you and or any 6 numbers and txt's you so that 1. You can worry all the more or 2. You can take active steps to get yourself or someone on site hopefully to mitigate loss and damage.

[MtB]

Can you set it to dial a different number for false alarms?

[Taslim]

Can you set it to dial a different number for false alarms?

 

No need. Make sure you put the cat out before you leave the boat.

[Jerra]

No need. Make sure you put the cat out before you leave the boat.

 

A self assembly system totally free from false alarms - at any time - ever?

 

That is a better record than any of the professional systems I have had anything to do with including the one the insurance company insisted on linked to the police.

[Biggles]

It has a home set mode so you can program it to ignore designated sensors. Since being afloat it has had 2 false alarms. A close neighbour has a remote and it can be controlled by phone or txt.

 

1 falsy in very high winds on the pram hood so sensor repositioned with no more problem an one the other day when I was on the boat due to condensation on the bilge sensor. Nothing is perfect. Well accept me of course ;-)

[matty40s]

Nothing is perfect. Well accept me of course ;-)

except