Could we consider adding a forum?

[bobjarrard]

Hi all,
With Johnny's theft of his C-Dory I was brought to think we might consider a forum for "Lost or Stolen Property" such as we have over at the ifish site (http://www.ifish.net/board/index.php). I see some of you over there from time to time and I know that the classifieds are like candy for some of us, we always open the jar and look inside.
Perhaps we could have a sticky or two on better posts for security on our boats. Certainly having a great "This is our boat" album with pictures that help others ID a possibly stolen boat or motor is available right now. Here are just a few of the things I have done or seen done in the past to stop theft:
- Paint the ID numbers on top of the RV, thieves don't look at roofs but cops in the air do. If you add ScotchLight reflective tape to the package, everyone in the air will take a look. Also, put on two to four copies at 90 degree to each other.
- Lock the trailer hitch lever and the ball receiver. Also lock the safety chains to a dead man with an eye bolt in the ground where you park.
-Lock the wheels of the trailer with a chain and lock on each wheel. Lock the spare tire too. Put a cover with your boat name and CF number on your spare tire.
- Take the tires off the trailer and stored them elsewhere - lug nuts too!
- Lock the boat to the trailer at the bow eye and the two stern eyes.
- Micro-drill the TIN/HIN number into a fiberglass part that is at eye level
- Have a welder tack weld/write the trailer VIN/ID numbers on both side rails in 3" letters/numbers. Doesn't hurt to paint a good part of the trailer a color that is unusual
- Never done this, but LoJack works. You could also hide a cell phone and use either the Android or the Apple phone finder application.
- Add one or two very loud alarms, Harbor Freight has them cheap.
- Add your boat to you home alarm with an RF or Blue Tooth system. They have ones that will use your cell phone if you are not at home. Cameras, trip wires, motion sensors - hire a Marine to give you a hand.
- Really fasten the license plate to the trailer so it can not be taken off without time and tools galore. I like JB weld, it drive thieves nuts after they take out four little screws and cannot get the plate off!
- Motors are difficult, thieves may ruin a transom to get a motor. If it is going to be locked, use every lock device known to man and put a note to that effect in plain sight and four languages.
Thanks for reading this book.
Bob

[thataway]

Bob, I agree with your idea to have a thread on security--and your great ideas, some of which I already use....We see a lot of boat thefts on a regular basis on The Hull Truth--which are handled on the general boating forum. The theft of a C Dory is a very unusual event. I doubt that there would be much use of a separate forum (?).

Could this thread be re-named security? "Adding a Forum" Does not identify with the issue.

We also use wheel locks. A hardened chain to attach the boat trailer (locked on) to the chassis of the truck.

I had hitch locks cut off.

Spot has a tracker (not sure how well this works) for the stolen boat tracking.
One of the apps has TV cameras on the boat--and one boat was recovered in hours, because of the streaming videos of the locations.

We use an alarm system, with a trip monofilament, to trip a microswitch, which activates a relay to run a 120 dB siren. This is normally for boarding intrusion, That same system can be fitted to point in the ground or between a truck and trailer. (Today's posts on THT included a 25 foot boat taken out of a motel parking lot, where the railer was locked to the truck, and a car parked right against the motor.)

[South of Heaven]

Interesting read. Thanks. We get lots of car and motorcycle theft up here but thankfully not too much boat/trailer. Its probably only a matter of time though.

I do have a hitch lock on my trailer but I feel that it's pretty useless but better than nothing!

[jack keifer]

Since our boats spend most of their lives on the trailer, here are a couple of thoughts. First, if a thief really wants what you have, he likely will get it, unless you stand out there 24/7 with a. 357. We have had a couple of small thefts when we had our 22. Both times when it was in a open storage area just under a roof. So the strategy became one of making what we have less obvious and a little more difficult to get away with it. This means always leaving the travel cover on so the bad guys don't really know what is there without taking the time to undo the cover. We also padlock the hitch lock and the receiver ball so it should take a crook more time to get our boat and/or trailer than the one parked next to us. We think bad guys are more likely to go after the low hanging fruit, so we tried to make it a little more difficult to get ours. Localboy can likely comment on my thoughts. Now for many years we have kept our C-Dory we in a fully enclosed storage facility, essentially a garage. Does it cost more? Yes, but I can sleep a lot better knowing that the C-Squirt and all its parts and pieces will be there when we are ready for another trip. A side benefit is that she stays a lot cleaner and we have a lot less weather deteration which, of course is good for resale.