St Vincent - Dangerous for Cruisers

[Morgan Paul]

I gather that nobody has tried it, so I may end up running a little experiment this summer. Now, who would I test it on....

Test it on your mother in law.

[kesey]

Welcome to the Caribbean Safety and Security Net

The above website is excellent and has recently been renovated. Anyone thinking of rambling around the Caribbean would do well to be aware of the details the site provides.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

Brad, that was seeratlas who tossed the electric fencing idea into the mix. He had a lot of other "innovative" ideas as well.

I had some vague memory from my mates farm that electric fences didnt consume much power till they are touched. So Googling:

Price:$99.00 Description:

ELECTRIC FENCE AUSTRALIA
SUREGUARD
2KM Electric fence
12 Volt Battery energiser
Ideal for horses. Great for temporary fencing because it is easily moved & carried. Economical enough to make small fenced areas around dams, barns, hay stacks, etc.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Boundary length maximum: 1~2km (3000~6000ft) of live wire.
• Dimensions of case: 130x35x25mm (5.1"x1.4"x1.0")
• Weight: 190g (6.7oz)
• Power Requirements: 12 volt rechargeable battery of at least 10 Amp hours.
  • A battery is essential for proper operation. You can simultaneously charge the battery with a transformer but you cannot operate the energizer directly from a transformer.
• Power Consumption: 0.1 Amp hours per day
• Output voltage: up to 9.5kV
• Output Impedance: 120 ohm dc
• Output Joule Rating: Typically 0.05 Joule.
  • This design is unregulated. Output varies with battery & fence condition.
• Output Pulse Rate: Pulses occur every 1.2 sec.
• Weatherproof: Yes.

Well doesn't that sound like us??????? And only $99... the only problem is getting a horse on board to test it!

AMG Engineering Services Pty Ltd - SUREGUARD 2km 12 VOLT BATTERY ELECTRIC FENCE ENERGISER

They're Aussie dollars too, thats about $1.50 US

[Jentine]

A key ingredient is missing from the electric fence circuit........ground. The electricity has to complete the circuit - no ground, no jolt. And just when I thought I could keep trespassers off my boat. I assume Trespassing is against the law, even in OZ.

A thought just occured to me. An addition of a small saltwater pump to keep the decks wet would serve several purposes, one being a ground to lighten the life of trespassers and the other to carry off some of the heat from the sun.

[shadow]

I love the various deterrent ideas. How are dogs as a deterrent on boats?? I know that a lot of cruiser have them, there is even a link about liveaboards with dogs.

Do they really help or are they just another piece of hardware to be moved?? I'd like to hear how your dogs have either repelled a possible intruder or welcomed them with open paws..

Also, I don't mean to hijack this thread.. Just continuing the deterrent items flow

[Jentine]

How about a Taser party? Check this out.
Taser parties for women - MSN Video
Electric fence technology at its best.

[Rastarea]

Hummmm!!!

last wednesday, we slept in from of Chateaubelair, we were 4 boats at anchor (plus 1 mega-sail-yatch). I guy did come to meet us sitting on his windsurf board with one padle...nothing happened, but I did not sleep much because we met a frenchmen in St-Lucia who reported beeing robbed at 1h30 am a month ago.

People get robbed everyday on land...

[pogo]

Originally Posted by Jentine

A key ingredient is missing from the electric fence circuit........ground. The electricity has to complete the circuit - no ground, no jolt. And just when I thought I could keep trespassers off my boat. I assume Trespassing is against the law, even in OZ.

A thought just occured to me. An addition of a small saltwater pump to keep the decks wet would serve several purposes, one being a ground to lighten the life of trespassers and the other to carry off some of the heat from the sun.

I happen to have some familiarity with electric fences having accidently utilized one whilst relieving my bladder on a hunting trip. There are several ways to obtain ground, (the aforementioned way is unorthodox but will certainly leave you with a life long memory event)

However, another manner to do the same is to run two wires, sheep herders from oz told me this. One wire to ground the other to charge, as in say, the top and bottom cables that go through your stanchions.
(I know in Aussie land you get sued, but I presume it isn't needed in there)

But why mess with fence chargers? Your radio's antenna connection, hooked directly to a metal surface (like lifelines) and simply "key" the mike. (I also got shocked that way, testing to see if it will shock you...it will)

Ahh, but using one of these proven techniques should be limited to discouraging vermin, (or is it varmits?) from climbing onto your personal residence, known as vessel.
Oh yeah, don't relieve your bladder onto either one....

[Southern Star]

Thanks Pogo - I love the idea of a shunt from my backstay SSB antenna to the lifelines. Of course, it wouldn't be a passive system like the cattle fencing, but a pretty good deterrent if you can hear the vermin as they are attempting to board...

As to lawsuits, I'm really not that concerned. Firstly, we are not talking about something that should be life-threatening. Secondly (and especially in the third world), I can't imagine too many would-be boat thieves hiring a lawyer because they got an electrical shock while trying to break into somebody's boat.

Brad

[Mike Banks]

Make it a good shock though--I am thinkng at least 45K volts--like a capacitor discharge ignition. Zap 'em good.

[pogo]

I can't imagine too many would-be boat thieves hiring a lawyer because they got an electrical shock while trying to break into somebody's boat.

Brad[/quote]

Yeah Brad,
I agree on that point. Probably less interruptive than a Taser. I wonder how foreign countries view a taser? Like guns, are tasers illegal, too?


Pogo

[S/V Elusive]

Rut roh - This is getting WAY off topic to one of the "hot buttons" GUNS Lets keep the gun stuff in the gun forum shall we? Thanks!

[minisailor]

Originally Posted by Ram

Great Idea, Pogo
why hasent anyone thought of that before?

Joshua Slocum did before we were born. He place tacks on the deck to prevent local boarders.

[pogo]

Originally Posted by S/V Elusive

Rut roh - This is getting WAY off topic to one of the "hot buttons" GUNS Lets keep the gun stuff in the gun forum shall we? Thanks!

Oops, sorry to use the "G" word. Thanks for the reminder, I am tired of hashing about that also.


Actually, I was just curious about how the worlds latest technological (would U say advancement?) is viewed by USCG and/or when checking into other countries?

I understand flares that are activated by handheld chargers are locked away/confiscated until departure in some foreign countries.
Does anyone know, are tasers?

[Southern Star]

Mike, I love the line, 'Zap 'em good' - kind of a techno-pop flow to it that reminds me of Devo's 'Whip it good!' Anyway, the idea is for a passive deterrent that should discourage thieves without causing serious injury (although within that context, the greater the 'zap', the greater the deterrent).

I strongly suspect that most would-be intruders will be put off by the combination of a 'good zap', followed by a car alarm and the deck floods. The car alarm (as it is 12 volt) should be pretty easy to hook-up on the companionway and the five large deck hatches on my boat - all I need is a kill switch below and a key operated one on deck (in case it is deployed while the boat is empty).

It still suprises me that virtually evey car manufactured today has a decent alarm system, most (or at least many) people have them on their homes/businesses, and yet the boat manufacturers still haven't twigged. I really have no desire to get into a physical confrontation with someone who likes the idea of burglarizing or robbing my boat unless there is absolutely no other choice.

Has anyone hooked up a car alarm to their boat? If so, any recommendations as to a source for the alarm (or some other 12 volt alarm system that would allow at least 6 imputs)? I suspect that the switches used in car doors for the interior lighting would do the trick on the hatches (unless the lexan is broken completely out and the hatch is left closed during entry). In addition (or alternatively), I could presumably hook up the 'cattle fence' wire to some other kind of switch that would activate when an intruder completed the circuit and remain on until reset.

Any thoughts or advice?

Brad