Electrified Lifelines(on purpose)

[mestrezat]

We're heading for the Philippines and Indonesia where people like to com on board at night and select things on deck that they feel we no longer want nor need. I had a talk with a fellow cruiser who has electrified his lifelines by keeping a car battery in his cockpit and running one wire into the water and clipping the other to his lifelines. He claims it has worked great at keeping visitors off his boat at night.
Any thought or suggestions on wether this will actually work?

[MarkJ]

Go to an agricultural suppliers and get a portable electric fence (about $100).
Then just plug it in to your 12V system.
Uses hardly any power and by jingo, by crikey you know about it when you grab it!

[Blue Stocking]

Slocum said tacks on the deck worked for him.

[Mystic38]

12V wont do anything at all... if you wish to electrify your lifelines ensure they are uninsulated, and remove any ground bonding straps then as the prior poster suggested, get an agricultural electric fence.. will give a solid kick if the lines are grabbed..

Originally Posted by mestrezat

We're heading for the Philippines and Indonesia where people like to com on board at night and select things on deck that they feel we no longer want nor need. I had a talk with a fellow cruiser who has electrified his lifelines by keeping a car battery in his cockpit and running one wire into the water and clipping the other to his lifelines. He claims it has worked great at keeping visitors off his boat at night.
Any thought or suggestions on wether this will actually work?

[Zil]

The electric fence is good idea. But the charged part cant touch the water.

[zeehag]

keep us posted as to how the electrified lifelines work-- especially the postings about how it zapped ye when ye peed overboard with em live....

as 12v doesnt really zap ye nicely, why dont you use a deck light instead--light will be bright and folks stealing stuff dont like the attention. and you dont have to wonder if the lifelines are working, when the thieves are on your deck and wondering why their lil paws tingle a tad.....

[daddle]

Originally Posted by mestrezat

We're heading for the Philippines and Indonesia where people like to com on board at night and select things on deck that they feel we no longer want nor need. I had a talk with a fellow cruiser who has electrified his lifelines by keeping a car battery in his cockpit and running one wire into the water and clipping the other to his lifelines. He claims it has worked great at keeping visitors off his boat at night.
Any thought or suggestions on wether this will actually work?

1. If I am really sweaty I can just feel an annoying tingle from 12V. So that won't work.

2. What makes you think Indonesia or the Philippines is anymore prone to boarders than any other place?

3. Don't keep things on deck. Nothing. Make it tidy. Put all that crap away where we don't have to look at it in the anchorage.

[zeehag]

from what i have heard from other cruisers has been the last entry into a boat in so pac was pago pago year before last. so it seems the boad and steal rate is less than lost angeles, kali. even less than san diego on moorings.

i think you are overly concerned about mebbe the wrong things to be concerned about.
mebbe the regularly scheduled maintenance of boat inclusive of chainplates and tangs might be a better focus of your fears, as those will prolly break on your way to where you are going to worry about locals and theft which may or may not happen.
i would concern myself with preparing for a true ocean crossing.
a friend was in pago pago anchored next to the invaded boat--invasions NEVER happen there--but he had more problems with his allegedly newly replaced rig than with potential invasions by locals in search of one's dear yet replace-able possessions.

[Caribsailors]

I have purchased but haven't installed yet my livestock fence charger.
I agree with dangling the Negative portion in the water an attaching the Positive to the uninsulated lifelines/toerail. I have also thought of weaving a conductive mat from the fencing wire or using a static mat as contact point for the Negative, other than using the water.
My concern is electrolysis. I had a friend tell me he had a buddy do this on an aluminium pontoon boat and experienced electrolysis. But I think on a fiberglass hull it shouldn't be an issue.
What's really holding me back from installing it is......testing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csnCmsfimZA

Cheers

[67Therapy]

Originally Posted by Caribsailors

What's really holding me back from installing it is......testing

As a teenager, I wired a fence for a rural neighbor who kept a longhorn steer as a pet that kept pushing over the barbed wire fence to go for a walk. After I was done installing, I just couldn't...walk...away...without...testing...just. ...once.......
Well, it worked! I never touched it again, and that ornery steer never pushed the fence over again.
You just need to find a teenager or two...they're dumb enough to not be able to resist testing it.

[Greg4cocokai]

We had way more unwanted borders in the Solomons than either PNG or Indonesia. Also make sure you have good screens in the Solomons as the flies are atrocious!

Cheers, Greg

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Caribsailors

What's really holding me back from installing it is......testing

LOL its not that bad! When you know its about to happen its fine. But when you dont expect it its totally thoought changing...

Just swipe it with the back of your forearm. Dont rub it with your chest over your pacemaker.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by mestrezat

We're heading for the Philippines and Indonesia where people like to com on board at night and select things on deck that they feel we no longer want nor need. I had a talk with a fellow cruiser who has electrified his lifelines by keeping a car battery in his cockpit and running one wire into the water and clipping the other to his lifelines. He claims it has worked great at keeping visitors off his boat at night.
Any thought or suggestions on wether this will actually work?

Better check the laws there. In the US, it's illegal to booby-trap your property in order to keep people out if there's any chance the peson caught would be hurt -- in all 50 states. Someone hits an electrified lifeline, falls in the water, hits his head on the boat he was going to use to carry away YOUR belongings, and drowns, YOU are liable.

That's because, say, an electrified fence can't make judgments the way you would when deciding whether or not to shoot at someone.

[crashkahuna]

Even a 6 V ag battery/solar unit will give a good kick but not sure it will work as the person would have to be in contact with ground. We have one of these on a fence and have been zapped many times. But a cat climbing on the fence is not connected to ground so no shock to them.

[bobconnie]

Just put stuff away! and Lock the entrance, and keep a light on ! That has worked for us for years ! better to be safe then sorry ! Theft can and will happen anywhere! not just over seas ! Ive had more folks messing about in stateside marinas, then I have had at ancorages in overseas areas ! I think it has to do with your apperence then it do with your area ! If you leave stuff floating around in the cockpit, where folks can see it, your going to have more stuff stolden then if ya take it below or lock it up in cockpit lockers !! And I tryed tacks !! and all they ever did was get ME !! LOL sometimes I wake up groggy!! LOL