Boat Security

[seamountie]

To get back to the OP's original question. Have a look for driveway alarms. The least expensive ones use Passive Infra Red detectors, are weather proof, wireless, and the set we used, the batteries in the PIR detector lasted at least 9 months. And the receivers usually have an announce feature that is gentle.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by SV Bacchus

Not sure you offended him, he was simply saying it has come up before and the best defense is a good offense. The good offense of which he speaks is to stay away from the "bad" areas!

And yes, I probably should have let him answer for himself but I'm thinking you may have misunderstood what he was saying.

Thanks, Bacchus! No offense intended. Rognvald

[ThreeToes]

I have heard all of the arguments that say if you get got it's your fault because you ventured into a bad place. Let's assume for a minute that it's not my intent to lurk in all of the pirate alleys and yet I still feel it's my responsibility to those within my charge to provide safety on the off chance the bad guy is unaware he's wandered out of his designated bad guy zone.

I like the idea of a "light in their eyes" as they board. A motion sensor in the companionway footwell might be not be tripped by someone walking down the dock in a marina.

The concept of discrete wasn't to surprise a bad guy at zero-dark-thirty, but to respect my neighbors and not needlessly annoy other boaters. I won't discuss active defense because it always polarizes the discussion. It's also not useful to discuss the frequency of actual events leading to my interest in securing my boat.

The reason I bring up the specific topic of infrared sensors is that they can be useful as single handed docking aids too in the same way that a parking sensor helps a driver to avoid wrecking their front bumper on a parking stop.

LED light arrays can be triggered (or not) too... I've purchased strings of them for $2/ft. with 2 lights every 6 inches.

I've seen packaged systems, but I'm more of a DiYer. Still curious to know if anyone has looked into creating something. Maybe a Raspberry Pi based net that would activate cameras instead of having all cameras active all of the time? Maybe a companionway alarm that sounded like Cujo?

[a64pilot]

The $14 light I have has a couple of adjustments, one is for sensitivity, the other for how long the light remains on I think, so if people walking by the dock trigger it and you don't want that, turn the sensitivity down a little and they won't. It also has a light sensor and won't work in sunlight, that may be adjustable too, I'm not sure.
If nothing else for $14 it makes a great work light, 10W LED is bright, about like a 60W regular flood light.

[ThreeToes]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

It also has a light sensor and won't work in sunlight

That's a good point about lights as deterrents... They work well at night, but poorly during the day.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I have a 12 VDC motion sensing floodlight, 10W LED on Amazon, maybe $20.
Stick your head up, the motion sensor sees you and you get a bright light shined in your face. A logical person would assume the person on the boat turned on the lights and would I hope leave.
Other than the obvious safety issue, electrifying anything may cause stray currents that eat up your thru hulls or prop or something

Did a search on Amazon and I'm not having any luck finding it. Can you link it for us? Sounds like a product worth looking at.

Thanks.

[ThreeToes]

GLW 10w Led Motion Sensor Light 12v Ac or Dc, 800lm PIR Indoor Security Floodlight Warm White, Waterproof IP65 Basement Floodlight, 80w Halogen Bulb Equivalent


https://www.amazon.com/GLW-Security-.../dp/B00DI3N0QM

[ThreeToes]

I posted a link, but it needs moderator approval...

[toddster8]

I already have pretty bright LED spreader lights. Seems like it might not be too tough to put a motion-sensing switch into the circuit. Lots of motion an a boat though...

[ThreeToes]

I'm thinking maybe something like this along the hull at the edge of the deck spaced every 10' with shorter range sensors inside the cockpit.

Photoelectric sensors : FS 10-RL-K4

Lights and cameras could be triggered based upon which sensor was tripped. Once the cockpit sensors were tripped maybe a dog barking audio along with something to simulate someone walking inside the boat? I'm not convinced that just having motion sensing lights does much good. Even the dumbest bad guys know about these lights.

Of course if I'm actually there I can be the one to stumble around! But if I'm not there I'd still like to deter thieves.

I'm proficient in Linux, but I'm not yet familiar enough with Arduino and Raspberry Pi.

Maybe this is the wrong forum for this question...

[Paul L]

The "passive"system described by the OP makes no sense to me. One reason that the low-cost motion detectors don't get used is that they offer way too many false alarms -- and yes, these will annoy your neighbors. If you are going to have a system, you need one with minimum false alarms and one that works to minimize an altercation. You do not want to come on deck through a locked companionway to "scare" away an intruder. An alarm system that detects the entry as early as possible and lets the intruder know that he has been detected, thus encouraging them to leave quickly, is what is needed.

We use below deck strain gauges to detect pre-intrusion (at the the swimstep) and intrusion (at the companionway or bow). These turn on lights and sirens. Here's an article on the setup
Alarmed | Blue Water Sailing

As far as the argument to not cruise in areas that you consider dangerous, it is just to simplistic an argument. The reality is a lot more nuanced. You make trade offs all the time in managing risk. If you are a cruiser that has decided to transit the Panama Canal so you can change oceans, then somewhere in the Carib or on the west coast of Central America you will be in places that would warrant engaging your alarm at night. These are not necessarily deeply dangerous places, just places where more caution is clearly justified. For me, much of the Eastern Carib is included in that category.

[ThreeToes]

Originally Posted by Paul L

The "passive"system described by the OP makes no sense to me.

I don't know how the system I'm asking about can be classified as passive.

I'll read the link you posted, thank you!

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by ThreeToes

I don't know how the system I'm asking about can be classified as passive.

I'll read the link you posted, thank you!

From your description I assumed the only person being alarmed was you, then you would go on deck to confront the intruder without disturbing your neighbors -- maybe I just misread what you said.

[keepondancin]

How about a motion detector that turns on a low amperage but bright LED light, and the player speaker combo that has a recording of a large, angry barking dog?

[seamountie]

Originally Posted by ThreeToes

I don't know how the system I'm asking about can be classified as passive.

I'll read the link you posted, thank you!

It is passive in that the detectors do not emit anything, they just receive the far infra red of heat.

Originally Posted by Paul L

The "passive"system described by the OP makes no sense to me. One reason that the low-cost motion detectors don't get used is that they offer way too many false alarms -- and yes, these will annoy your neighbors. If you are going to have a system, you need one with minimum false alarms and one that works to minimize an altercation. You do not want to come on deck through a locked companionway to "scare" away an intruder. An alarm system that detects the entry as early as possible and lets the intruder know that he has been detected, thus encouraging them to leave quickly, is what is needed.

We use below deck strain gauges to detect pre-intrusion (at the the swimstep) and intrusion (at the companionway or bow). These turn on lights and sirens. Here's an article on the setup
Alarmed | Blue Water Sailing

As far as the argument to not cruise in areas that you consider dangerous, it is just to simplistic an argument. The reality is a lot more nuanced. You make trade offs all the time in managing risk. If you are a cruiser that has decided to transit the Panama Canal so you can change oceans, then somewhere in the Carib or on the west coast of Central America you will be in places that would warrant engaging your alarm at night. These are not necessarily deeply dangerous places, just places where more caution is clearly justified. For me, much of the Eastern Carib is included in that category.