Boat Security

[steveh]

I have search for bits and bobs if the forum but nothing came under this topic.

 

Any top tips for locking down the old boats whilst away?

 

ie SMS texting security alarms? Additional bars across bow / stern doors?

[Alastair]

erm - try reading "boat crime & vandalism" - the thread below this one!

[steveh]

erm - try reading "boat crime & vandalism" - the thread below this one!

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The reason i couldn't find anything was becuase i searched for security. Still would be nice to hear what people had installed.

[Gary Peacock]

I am quite good with boat alarms both SMS stuff and domestic if any body needs any advice.

 

This security set up is good Boat Shield but it's a bit pricey!

But you can do a good domestic type system for under £60.00 that will be far superior to a car type alarm.

 

Gary

[khaffra]

Gary

Do you know of any SMS systems that are a bit cheaper than that?

[David Schweizer]

I leave my boat unattended all over the system, in all sorts of locations, and apart from a five lever lock in the forward door and a padlock and bolt of the rear doors have nothing that could be called security. Ironiocly the only time I have been broken into was on a so-called secure Club Mooring, and the person gained acces by breaking a window. No amount of bars and locks could have prevented that.

[Gary Peacock]

Gary

Do you know of any SMS systems that are a bit cheaper than that?

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The SMS side of it is available from here SM Shield

I had the BoatShield system developed, unfortunately due to limited production the price became a bit steep, if you don't mind a bit of messing the OEM SMS unit could be added quite cheaply to a standard alarm panel.

 

Gary

[wynd lass(nb.Black Pearl)]

another tip re where you moor your boat....

try to moor near other boats, and if the area looks dodgey, go somewhere else.

[nigel carton]

Just to add to Lass's post, if you see boats moored with boards hung down over windows.... hmmm dodgy area!

[Noah]

There's nothing quite as depressing as a line of boats with boards and Perspex hung over the windows, some even with purpose-made, welded-on channels to hold the boards in place. Makes me feel lucky to be on a mooring with "live-aboards" on both sides. With any type of security system and locking device, I've never felt confident enough to leave my boat unattended for more than a few hours whilst out on the cut. This is a shame, because it means that my cruising range is limited to return trips within range of my permanent during my holidays off work.

 

When I do leave the boat to go to the pub, shopping etc. for just a few hours, I draw curtains and leave a light and/or a radio swithced on as a deterrent.

 

Noah

Just 'cos you ain't paranoid, it don't mean they ain't out to get ya! (S.Earle c.1975)

[John Orentas]

Noah

 

Can't you train the parrot to bark in a vicious sort of way, or maybe when he /she hears a noise outside to say "Hello is that the police".

[nigel carton]

Has any body got an sms set up on there boat? and if so, have you got it set up for anything else, such as bildge, low battery etc? as well as a break in detterant.

[DHutch]

Has any body got an sms set up on there boat? and if so, have you got it set up for anything else, such as bildge, low battery etc? as well as a break in detterant.

 

Yeah, that would be insternting. I did read a web site write about a boat that did tho, i'll try and find it (it also had a 8foot mast for the internet, rail colecting and filtering, solar, etc)

 

 

Daniel

[Alan Saunders]

. . . But you can do a good domestic type system for under £60.00 that will be far superior to a car type alarm.

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I got a domestic type alarm working on a friend's boat. The internal 12v battery in the alarm control box is disconnected and 12v wired in from the service batteries. I would like to re-commission the internal battery. Two power diodes in series would drop the 15.5v from the Kestrel controlled alternator to 14.3v. Is this adequate or do I need a voltage controller?

 

The same boat has double glazing, said to be vandal resistant, and additional security on the rear and side hatches and front doors. All the doors and hatches are steel, or wood with an outer steel skin.

 

The rear hatch has a piece of wood which is fitted between the rear of the hatch and the front coaming. It is retained by a peg at one end and a door bolt at the other. The rear doors have two pins which pass through holes drilled through both doors, secured on the inside by the type of clip found on farm equipment, over washers.

 

The side hatch has pins inserted from the outside and passing through both the hatch lip and the doors, secured as above.

 

The front doors have a massive vertical square steel bar which hooks onto a steel bracket above the doors and a central bracket on the outer door. Below the doors a tab, drilled for a padlock, passes through a slot in the top of an open-bottomed steel box. The box prevents the padlock from being cut and makes picking very difficult. I find it hard enough to open the padlock with the key! Perhaps this crossection will help the explanation:

 

The owner also intends to fit externally visible flashing red led 'alarm active' indicators.

 

I daresay even this system is not infallible but, moored in company with a dozen less secure boats, it may be the last to be broken into.

 

I have found local BW and Environment Agency staff very willing to give an assessment of the safety, or otherwise, of their beat.

 

Alan

[David Schweizer]

I seem to be the most layed back person about securuity on this thread, yet I aloso appear to be the only one whio has actually suffered a breakin. Has anyone else ever had a breakin or know of someone who has, or is an outbreak of paranoia occuring?

[sbillis]

David,

At the begining of last year someone got into our boat (forcing the back door). A thermal mug (one of a pair) was taken and a very old tub of Ajax floor cleaner was split open and scattered over the floor. No food was taken or anything else. We were alerted by the boat yard owners who re-securred the boat. Following this we had some steel bars with padlocked welded across the steel doors which we hope will prevent any further problems.

 

 

Simon

nb Bulrush

[Alan Saunders]

I seem to be the most layed back person about securuity on this thread, yet I aloso appear to be the only one whio has actually suffered a breakin. Has anyone else ever had a breakin or know of someone who has, or is an outbreak of paranoia occuring?

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Whilst I posted about the alarm and security on a friends boat my own boat is about as insecure as they come.

 

On offside moorings in a small country village we seem to suffer waves of break-ins every couple of years. Out of the twenty or so boats moored here I know of three break-ins in the last year. One was a Finch type - no damage done, beer & food used, washing-up not done! Also two cars (one mine) in the (public) car park had quarter-lights broken.

 

Three years ago several boats were broken into, including mine. Modus operandi was to lever off staple/hasp or lever open side hatches. Nothing stolen. My neighbour left his boat unlocked for several months on the principle that his losses would be less.

 

Ten years ago there were so many break-ins most people took their boats elsewhere. It was said that a local teenager with inadequate parents broke in to get food and alcohol.

 

I have never heard of anything of value being stolen here.

 

Elsewhere I was present when boat owners who had gone for a couple of hours walk returned to find a camera and a handbag missing. An alarm would have been a deterrent on this occasion.

 

Alan

[bottle]

I believe that you can only stop the opportunist thief but if they are out and out thiefs (professionals) you will not stop them.

 

When does an opportunist become professional though.

[Gary Peacock]

Has any body got an sms set up on there boat? and if so, have you got it set up for anything else, such as bildge, low battery etc? as well as a break in detterant.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I have done quite a few normally Doors, PIR's, Glass break detectors, Smoke detectors, Carbon monoxide detectors, bilge alarm and internal microphone.

The boat can also be tracked using the GSM system.

You could also use the system to allow you to make the boat do something if you were alerted to an intrusion. (Like turn on the lights or !!!)

 

Gary

[John Orentas]

The principle is the same as houses or anything else, it is just a matter of making the house or boat next door more attractive to the felons.

 

Having said that I arrived at the boat one Friday night, not having been there for a couple of weeks, the front doors were wide open, thinking the obvious I looked around for signs of damage or loss and could find none, I came to realise that we forgot to lock up or even close the doors a fortnight before.

 

I have friends who are obsessed about security, they seem to spent a good chuck of their lives bolting and unbolting doors. I am not sure that we live in such a lawless society and in some ways there is some satisfaction in putting trust your neighbours.

[David Schweizer]

Having said that I arrived at the boat one Friday night, not having been there for a couple of weeks, the front doors were wide open, thinking the obvious I looked around for signs of damage or loss and could find none, I came to realise that we forgot to lock up or even close the doors a fortnight before.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I've done the same thing John. I once diligently put the padlock through the staple on my back doors and fastened it shut. Unfortunately I had forgoten to place the hasp over the staple first, it was like that for a fortnight, but no-one tried to get into the boat.

[stuart]

Whilst I'm building Dusk Till Dawn I've purchased a small "vault" from www.toolstation.co.uk which I intend to bolt to the beams under the floor and hide under a kitchen cupboard.

 

Its only £15 and should provide a secure place to put cards/phone/money/cameras etc. when I'm in the pub!

 

When the boat is moored permantely then I will probably leave the vault door unlocked just so people dont bother to attempt to break into/damage an empty box!

[bottle]

An amount of security is required but lets not go over the top.

 

Is there information as to the number of incidents to the number of boats on the cut.

On another forum, or maybe this one I get confused, that said people tend to complain but not praise. A boater thats been attacked or had something stolen is more likely to shout than those that have not.

 

But watch out there's a thief about

[wynd lass(nb.Black Pearl)]

Noah

 

Can't you train the parrot to bark in a vicious sort of way, or maybe when he /she hears a noise outside to say "Hello is that the police".

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==================================================

 

excellent idea!

[dor]

Just to be a counter-statistic......

 

We have had our present boat four years now. It is moored at an offside BW mooring in a fairly quiet spot, but we do have a liveaboard on the mooring.

 

We have done about 1500 hours of cruising over these four years, mostly around the shropshire, cheshire, staffordshire area.

 

I can't say my boat is particularly secure; if someone sneezed on the towpath as they walked by the doors would probably pop open.

 

In all this time I have never experienced a breakin or bandit activity, including travelling up the Caldon in Stoke during a school holiday.

 

I wonder sometimes if this whole thing is a bit overstated.

 

Having said that, I am sure there are far worse areas than here, and I wouldn't for a minute try and diminish the impact of a hooligan attack. Maybe I've just been lucky.