Parking Security

colbysmith

colbysmith

Active member
In another thread, Mark writes:
Probably a good time for a thread on anti-theft measures for tow rigs, trailers, boats, and boat equipment. A couple of times I have forgotten to turn off my floor mat alarm and had my horn go off when entering the cabin. Scares the crap out of me, but I don't know the effect on a drug-addled thief.
Click to expand...

As summer arrives and many of us are planning for some short or extended cruises, I think you are right!

I've been very fortunate in my travels, but these are my ways of doing it.

-The boat is locked up when I'm not on it. Some things remain in the cockpit, but the highest priced items are my fishing rods, which are locked in a fabricated rod holder. If someone wants them bad enough, they'll find a way. But that's pretty true with anything!
-The trailer coupler is locked in the down position.
- During longer periods of boat storage, I have a full cover that is on it.
-Spare tire is locked.
-Kicker is locked and hard bolted to stern.
-Prop has special locking prop nut.

- When parking the rig, I don't park in areas of known break-in or vandalism problems.
- Prefer to park in well lit areas, or areas that are not hidden from view.
- Lock up the vehicle, and don't leave anything of value in sight.
-Keep my insurance up to date.

That's the jest of it anyway. Fortunately, I live in a pretty safe neighborhood, and mostly use ramps that are patrolled and relatively safe/secure from vandalism.


So far, this has worked for me.
 
Thieves want easy in, easy out, not to be seen and not heard.
Easy in, easy out takes some imagination for your specifics.
Light and noise is easier.

Regardless , the pros will take it from you if they really want it.

Aye.
Grandpa used to say, "Everything is temporary; nothing lasts forever."
 
23+ yrs in LE. Here is my advice. MAKE IS AS HARD AS POSSIBLE SO THEY GO VICTIMIZE THE GUY NEXT DOOR WHO DOESN'T.

Yes it's cold and selfish...and real. It's the truth. The usual victims I deal with are the naive, Pollyanna-believing, it won't ever happen to me, type. The ones that park their car in Seattle and leave their laptop on their front seat or their purse on the floor. They are the sheep of society and the wolves find them. Especially, when the wolf pack is large and spread out.

Is this fool-proof and "guaranteed"? Of course not. Criminals are the pond-scum of society. It's when that same society allows criminals to ply their trade freely, without fear of retribution and accountability, that the final destruction of that society becomes inevitable. Don't be paranoid. Be judicious, steadfast and determined.

-Lock shit up
-Don't leave items/property in plain view, even in "locked" vehicles
-Record serial numbers, brand, model # etc for everything that has them
-Engrave your driver's license number/name in items when possible
-Report theft or suspicious actions/people; don't be afraid to "hurt someone's feelings"
-F/U and agree to assist in prosecution if you become a victim;without you the criminal gets away with it. It's a free pass.
-Watch out for your neighbors and their shit
and finally, be aware of your surroundings and the other people in it. I can't tell you how this is utterly lacking in modern society. You think the criminals are not watching you?

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night, only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
 
Specifics:

I don't leave anything in our truck when parked at the ramp. NOTHING. Not even the reg/insurance, which by the way conveniently has your home address (usually) on it. And guess what, they know most likely the house is empty. I even open the glove box and console. See, Mr Scumbag...nothing here to take.

I use a coupler lock where the tow ball goes on the trailer. A good one. Much more secure than just a padlock on the coupler. And a good quality lock for the ball/hitch on the truck so it doesn't disappear. I just bought a new S/S one.

I always lock the boat, even if I'm gonna be "back in 5 minutes". I have a secured lock box on board too. But I won't say where. I use it for various small items of value.

I prefer cable locks to chains. Good ones. Chains can be cut with a bolt-cutter very easily. (As can normal pad locks) I've put one thru both wheels on the trailer when it's parked, making it difficult/impossible to roll/pull away.

I tell my trustworthy neighbors & family where, when etc we will be and provide cell numbers just in case. A good "nosy" neighbor will stop a home burglary better than any alarm.
 
I put a box with a hatch cover under the bed where it can not be seen but has easy access...a thief wants easy in and quick out..and hopefully will not spend the time to look under the mattress where I keep my valuables...and my other good stuff... (Jack Daniels)

Joel
SEA3PO
 
Boats are so easy to break into--unless there is some alarm. There are easy, and simple ones, using a 6 volt lantern battery, a siren, a piece of plastic, some monofilament a micro switch, NC and a relay--can set off a 120DB siren. Cost about $50--no monthly fee. Set the monofilament as a "Trip wire" which will be in the path of anyone boarding the boat. Attach it to a wedge of plastic--I use a 1" piece of Bondo spreader. The plastic is wedged in the roller micro switch, keeping the circuit open. When the monofilament is pulled, the plastic comes out, and the reactivates the alarm siren....

A few weeks ago in Miami, a 2 week old boat, with two 300 hp Yamahas was stolen from the owner's driveway. He had video security, security motion lights, but no "alarm". The professional thieves cut off the hitch lock (as Mark describes), cut the padlock on the tongue lock, cut the chain between the wheels on both sides. Cut the "lojack" wheel lock. The video surveillance showed that the thieves took over an hour! The owner did not find out until he get up to go to work. The Police found the boat about 30 minutes later in a "Bad part of town". In less than 5 yours, the boat had been completely stripped of anything of value. The good news was that the hull was not badly damaged. $30,000 of electronics, about $50,000 worth of motors, and at least $10,000 of gear was gone--and even with insurance, the owner was not made whole.

I have been lucky with the rig and trailer. Not so lucky with Motor homes. One was stolen and driven over 100 miles--as part of a police sting operation--and the interior was damaged by the fight when ensued as the bad guy was arrested. Yes, I took a day off, drove 100 miles to see this low life in court--there were at least 6 others who had vehicles, up to an 18 wheeler loaded with Cigarettes--and the guy eventually plea bargained for 2 years in prison--when he had just been released from only a few weeks before the thefts. Cocaine! This was before "3 strikes". I had two other RV's broken into, damage done to the interior and electronics taken. The bad part was the damage prying things out, , not just the cost of the DVVR and TV's...

Although I live in a very safe neighborhood, with several homes having hi def video surveillance system, we had a boat trailer stolen from an unoccupied house. A couple of weeks later we caught the thief stealing some gas cans, booze and fishing rods. We ID'ed his truck from the trailer thief. "Gee, someone borrowed my truck that night:". Sure!!! He got 15 years, but my LEO friends tell me he will probably be out in 6. Cocaine. Yes I testified against him to substantiate the videos which clearly showed the individual and his truck, stealing gear from the across the street.


Situational awareness, and bafe. Have a good dog who alerts if any abnormal sounds in their yard!
If they want it, they will get it.
 
I tell my trustworthy neighbors & family where, when etc we will be and provide cell numbers just in case. A good "nosy" neighbor will stop a home burglary better than any alarm.
Click to expand...

As long as you have good neighbors! And I do. Along with the usual busy bodies that know just about anything going on in the neighborhood, we have a retired cop, a Sheriff (ok, he is in the process of moving), and an FBI guy. Does a DNR bigwig count, that has wardens stopping by now and then? Guess I've been pretty fortunate. I've only had two cars broken into. One in Flagstaff and one in Miami. Nothing of value to take, and other than broken wing windows, no real damage. That was more than 25 years ago. Living lucky? Maybe. Or just using common sense? Probably
 
I have no worries about the boat & trailer. They are always out of the way hidden behind the house, and we live out of town & cant be seen. The launch ramp is a busy place, patrolled (so they say) with lots of other trailers. My problem is my wife uses the tow vehicle to pull her horse trailer & often rides in out of the way places in the redwoods. Thinking about using two 1/2” cable locks through the truck wheel making it difficult to remove & impossible to drive without spending time trying to cut thru 2 cables & the steering wheel lock. Localboy, I’ve always thought the insurance card & registration plus garage door opener as nothing more than an invitation!! This north coast area has a very limited genepool and only a couple of people with a full set of teeth. Crime is rampant here & the tourists really take it in the shorts.
 
...insurance card & registration plus garage door opener as nothing more than an invitation!!
Click to expand...

Indeed. This was much more prevalent until the age of tech in modern cars. My wife's car can program/remember the remote code via the mirror, so the remotes that came with the opener is locked in our gun safe. The documents still provide an address, however. Hence, I remove them on every trip.
 
This north coast area has a very limited genepool and only a couple of people with a full set of teeth. Crime is rampant here & the tourists really take it in the shorts.
Click to expand...

At first I was thinking just very few with bad attitudes and paranoia posting here. But it's beginning to sound like you guys have a real problem in the PNW. Hm, maybe I should have just stuck with the SE Alaska idea this year and parked in Skagway! :shock: (Nah, you're still stuck with me coming out for the FH gathering. Too much involved into it already! :mrgreen: ) Colby
 
I bought a motion detector, and try to park where the boat is in line of sight of my motel window, where I put the receiver. I put the detector on the cabin roof, just above the door. One night a thunderstorm blew the detector off the roof and it landed face up in the cockpit, where every time a raindrop hit it, the alarm would sound in my room. I finally had to get up and go out in the rain to retrieve the detector. :lol:
 
I'm actually surprised that more theft doesn't happen at marinas especially in urban areas like mine (Boston). Although I did hear of someone stealing some fishing rods or something last year.

I don't even lock my boat when I leave the marina (and I know of many others who don't either)! My rationale is that if my boat is sinking or on fire and I'm NOT there then I want the marina staff or a good Samaritan to be able to get inside as quickly as possible.

As to security when I had my C Dory's: I always locked the door on the 25 (the 16 and 19 didn't have doors!) and had a hitch lock. I never left my trailer anywhere without a hitch lock. Other than that I didn't do anything else. That's what insurance is for....
 
But it's beginning to sound like you guys have a real problem in the PNW.
Click to expand...

Worked in King County since mid-1999. It's gotten worse and worse. And it's not going to improve anytime soon. That is a fact that is easily documented. Now, where some see a major problem, others see "opportunity". :roll: PM sent.
 
Colby, et. al., much depends on where you live. We have all those issues here in Astoria, but to a much lesser degree. Secured boats are relatively safe in the marina because it is a long way up a float to annexit, and the area is patrolled by Port of Astoria security. OTOH, anything loose or easily removed off vessels and vehicles at the John Day Boat Ramp, if parked OVERNIGHT is up for grabs. In contrast, boats, trailers, and vehicles in residential districts, if parked adjacent to a home are relatively free of ripoffs. Not exempt, but relatively free of it.
 
I completely agree with you Dave. Thus why before I got an offer to park my rig on private property for my upcoming trip to the PNW, I was trying to ascertain the places folks found safest. And inexpensive. For the most part, most of our boating facilities around here and the areas I frequent, don't have much trouble. Just lock your stuff up, and don't leave valuables out begging to be stold. Many boats are unlocked or open bows. I do lock mine, even in my own driveway in a very safe neighborhood. (More worried about kids from other neighborhoods nosing around... or just for my own piece of mind...) I do hear stories occasionally of left out fishing gear disappearing, but a few times it's been blamed on competing fisherman...sad that they have to worry about their own like that. Most marinas around are fairly secure, in that only tenants are on premises. Those that don't belong are usually picked out pretty fast, watched or sent away. And yet we still have the homeless nearby some of our ramps. But they are mostly harmless, keeping to them selves. It's too bad that the Seattle area is facing such a drug problem, as reported. I think it's a growing problem nation wide, but some areas just hit differently with it. With what some organizations are charging for parking, you'd think they could afford to hire security to patrol the lots better, in areas known for problems.
 
Moved from Tennessee to Seattle 30 years ago. Seattle was different from the start, but at least packages usually stayed on your porch and it was mostly neighbors that had their cars broken into or taken 30 years ago. Now, sometimes vans and cars follow the delivery truck taking every package. Recently, moved from Seattle to Anderson Island. People don't even seem to lock their cars or doors. The only thing I've lost here so far is one crab pot, taken in front of my home while visitors watched, and interestingly, it was returned a few days later sans crabs. Maybe a mistake? What a world of difference living on an island that you have to take a boat to makes in security. Perps can't get away easily.
 
Colby,
When discussing 'coupler locks' most people mean flimsy and through the pull-up finger-hole.
I like this monster, which is 6 pounds of hardened steel and pick-proof key.

https://www.amazon.com/Trimax-UMAX100-U ... urity+lock

If your 'coupler lock' does not weigh 6 pounds, it's not nearly the deterrent this one is.

If you are not sure about the adequacy of your coupler lock, just weigh it. Then buy this one.
Sorry it's not under 10 or 20 bucks. Quality never is.
I concur with localboy here...all you really need is a $47 lock that weighs 6 pounds, where all your neighbors have a $15 lock that weighs 6 ounces, and the bad guys will seek out the easier targets.

Cheers!
John
 
If the thieves really want to steal your boat--a hitch lock will not dissuade them. Most of out little c Dorys are not going to be a target (although the one in Las Vegas was stolen last year)--Now the Tom Cat with those two nice 150 engines....that's a different story!

In many instances making it harder works--but not when these thieves target a specific model boat or specific engine.

The thieves will just chain the trailer tongue with the fancy 6# hitch, onto pintal hitch and off they go. Portable cut off wheels do quick work of the hardened bar over the top of the trailer lock. Think these guys use hack saws? No mas.

When I had the flat on the way to Hontoon, I couldn't find the key for the hardened cable lock on the spare. It took less than a minute to drill out the lock.

.
 
That lock does nothing to prevent the thieves from just replacing the whole coupler. Mine, at least, will come off just by removing a couple of bolts. A well prepared thief will just bring their own coupler and replace yours.

However, it might cause the thief to look for easier pickin's.
 
Reasonable. Did I say that before? :mrgreen: I'm comfortable with my current methods. :D But it is interesting to hear about others methods! Colby
 
Back
Top