Boat Security

[flyingfin]

I find a sheet of plywood with lots of nails facing up placed on the deck in the cockpit, without any lights, work best

[SSgtPitt]

Originally Posted by flyingfin

I find a sheet of plywood with lots of nails facing up placed on the deck in the cockpit, without any lights, work best

Hilarious....old school rules!
We have a stick in the companion way hatch. Works perfectly.

[Boat Named Sue]

I’m not gone to win any awards on this thread for low budget, but I recently installed a Siren Marine system on my boat. In addition to remote monitoring (for a subscription fee), I have it set up so that when there is motion on the back of the boat, it turns on all the lights in the saloon. Hopefully it makes some bad guy think I’m home so he tries another target. Here’s a screen shot from the monitoring app.

[hellosailor]

Parking sensors typically are microwave transponders. Although the older type were often based on the ultrasonic transducers popularized in the Polaroid SX70 auto-focus system, which also were used in the Harrier jets to determine close ground proximity and level the aircraft when landing in vertical mode.

You can find pretty much the same thing in "garden toys". There are plastic frogs and owls and whatnot that have a tiny ultrasonic transponder in their mouth or head and run off four AA cells for a couple of weeks at a shot. You move, it barks. Sold as toys but they work very nicely as portable motion detectors, and yes, it is motion that sets them off. Typically $10-15, cannibalize away.

And yes, they will annoy seagulls that are trying to eat lunch in your cockpit.

[WolfgangSeaLife]

What is an affordable security system? I want to leave my boat for a month on anchor.
I have an automatic solar powered light, but would like a mast mounted monitoring system.
Thanks
Seawolf

[Lepke]

I use a couple of these with a blank 12 gauge shell. Work great, wakes anyone on the boat. Scares people and animals off. Intrusion ends with the bang. A long time ago, I got a lot of practical trip wire experience, simple and works every time.
Available here and other defense stuff: 12 Gauge Security Control System - HV005

[WolfgangSeaLife]

Has anybody real life experience with intruders and security systems?
(one mention from Grendada, the only other from Sloccum 100 years ago).

The only actual experience I had was at anchor in Venezuala with a little dog (on a friend's boat). We had lunch, mid day and the dog barked when some teenagers swam towards the dinghy. My friend said the dog was the best security system everywhere. But I can leave a dog on the boat, and he is no good when I am away for a month.

[Fixer]

I’ve had great luck with this motion sensor for many years. When working as n executive protection agent, I have used these in hotels to monitor hallways, as driveway alarms, and on yachts. On yachts, it was not only good as an intruder notification, but if crew or guests went on deck late at night I would be aware of the activity. I had on in constant use on the water and found the unit robust. I put some stick on rubber feet on the bottom so they would not slide around the deck. Also added Velcro so I could stick them anywhere. My whole team now uses the sensors.

https://www.amazon.com/Buck-Alert-Mo.../dp/B008LXQP1G

[SV_Harbinger]

In the little cluster of boats around me I tend to be the "security" but, the only real issue we have here is kids swimming out and making a mess of things making off with PFDs and such, so nothing a good shout from the cockpit wouldn't prevent...but then again I'm the only liveaboard in the outer harbour

[Bentwings]

There are fake dog barkers that are pretty convincing. Most boats have nice sound systems so a set up these might be good.

I just checked my insurance quote and there is a $1000 deductible for equipment like you noted. About the same as my car insurance. As far as physical damage, like a trashing again about a 1000. It doesn’t take much to run that bill up however.

Maybe an electric fence type thing might work. Turn it on with motion detectors.

[hellosailor]

"Maybe an electric fence type thing might work."
NO!
There is a huge and longstanding tradition of English common law, which still applies in the US. You can't harm a burglar or trespasser that way.
In fact, I was told that when one of the smaller British sports cars (Triumph?) came into the US at first they had no door locks, and someone did get the clever idea to connect the ignition coil to the gear shift to discourage thieves. Fast way to go to jail and wind up paying big bucks to the criminal, that's just not allowed in the US. The guy gets zapped, maybe falls into the water, drowns...and guess who has to pay their estate?
Fair or not, that's the way the US courts hold it.

[a64pilot]

The electric fence thing comes up every now and again, and usually gets dismissed when stray current is brought up.
Plus as has been said, hurt a local guy and you may be in big trouble with his cousin the Judge.

Me, I have a cheap 12v motion detector LED floodlight, I plug it into the spotlight outlet, someone pops their head up over the transom, a really bright light comes on. I’d assume most often they would leave, it hasn’t been field tested so far.

About $15 on Amazon.

[Bentwings]

I was just tossing ideas about electric fencing.

I specifically looked at each of three near by marinas that do live aboard for security. One marina is in a not so good neighborhood but it is a good mile away from residential area. It has a huge parking area and the docks are a good walk from there so more or less self securing just by real inconvience. I would be concerned about emergency med assistance getting there quickly however. That is a concern at this age.

The other two are just off a major street but still out of sight from the street and in fact there is no sign indicating the marinas at all. There is a dense tree line so visibility of them even in the winter is very limited. They are right next to each other. One has a very big parking and storage area and again the docks are behind a large tree line. You can see a few boats but the big slips are way down on the end and not visible from the lot.

The third marina has a narrow road that looks more like an alley with their club house at the end in a small,parking lot. The dock access is through a tree line by a narrow drive way. There is very little to note there is a large marina there.

So effectively self securing by not being obvious unless you know it’s there somewhere.

None of them have a gated entrance.

In the end I think the really bright LED lights and maybe a loud horn would be the best.

Should I make the deal on the boat and move in I would do something like that. I’ve already asked at each and they thought it would be ok.