Security - What do You Do ?

[jpsgirl96]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I really think if I have to sail ( after doing for for 35 years) with a "hardened" boat and perimeter detection etc, Id just give up and stay at home.

Ive been all over , I've never done any of these things and I don't intend to start now. I stay away from trouble, I keep alert, but after that I go as I go.

Dave

Amen to that, and thanks for saying it. My DH says - we all have to die from something. And I do believe that we modern humans have very little sense when it comes to valid risk assessment.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Roy M

This is simple stuff. Bad guys need surprise on their side. Deny it.

Boat Lights - Spotlights & LED Flood Lights - MagnaLight

Something tells me a pair of $30 100watt spotties will have a similar effect

[bobconnie]

All I know is, if electronics can fail they will fail !!I will stick with my loud dogs and my deck lights and my hard locked hatchs!! I would rather clean up after my dogs then have folks be able to come aboard my boat without my knowage!! you can keep your trick light and sirens!! The Chain I lock my dink and motor with requires the use of a cutting torch to remove without a key !! in thirty + years of cruiseing I have not been boarded, nor have I lost a dink to theft! I have had things get legs with folks who came aboard with my OK (they were kids and needed something real bad !! and By the way there folks returned what they took, and did way worse to those kids then I ever would have !! So come on folks ! just keep your doors locked and your deck lights on! and get a loud dog !! it works for us !! just sayin get real !! stuff like what happen to the folks in Boco Del Toro is terrible, but really in compareison to the amount of boats out there cruiseing it's really a rare happening just go and try to have fun but take some simple steps to be as safe as possible!! it's to good to not go!! ya can't live in fear!!

[Jerry Woodward]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

All I know is, if electronics can fail they will fail !!I will stick with my loud dogs and my deck lights and my hard locked hatchs!! I would rather clean up after my dogs then have folks be able to come aboard my boat without my knowage!! you can keep your trick light and sirens!! The Chain I lock my dink and motor with requires the use of a cutting torch to remove without a key !! in thirty + years of cruiseing I have not been boarded, nor have I lost a dink to theft! I have had things get legs with folks who came aboard with my OK (they were kids and needed something real bad !! and By the way there folks returned what they took, and did way worse to those kids then I ever would have !! So come on folks ! just keep your doors locked and your deck lights on! and get a loud dog !! it works for us !! just sayin get real !! stuff like what happen to the folks in Boco Del Toro is terrible, but really in compareison to the amount of boats out there cruiseing it's really a rare happening just go and try to have fun but take some simple steps to be as safe as possible!! it's to good to not go!! ya can't live in fear!!

The OP asked, "Security, What do you do?". You have loud dogs, and you lock your hatches, and you have dedicated deck lights. That sounds like a great plan, and probably all you need. However, not all of us have dogs, and a simple alarm system that turns on lights and/or a siren based on your own customized triggers seems quite reasonable, not overly paranoid, and not a whole lot different than what you do. We all do things to prepare for unlikely scenerios: we carry life rafts, EPIRBs, redundant systems, etc. Roy M was pointing out and providing links to a variety of DIY alarm options that could easily be added to your boat. I don't think this is living in fear. It is simply taking a reasonable precaution for an unlikely event, but one that could really ruin your day if it happens.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

exactly +1 KJ, why do people assume that a few lights an a noise will deter anyone, in a quiet or near desolate anchorage.

Same reason people assume the opposite. Zero data, zero research, pure guesswork.

[Lagoon4us]

Hence the thread, the idea is the boat is locked to prevent the gun in the mouth situation, you are at their mercy in that scenario, Roy your ideas are spot on. TY

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

Hence the thread, the idea is the boat is locked to prevent the gun in the mouth situation, you are at their mercy in that scenario, Roy your ideas are spot on. TY

sorry , on a sailing boat at anchor, you are going to lock yourself below, are you mad in the head.

dave

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by conachair

Same reason people assume the opposite. Zero data, zero research, pure guesswork.

we do know that people do not easily come to other peoples rescue in such situations . Thats a common failing of humanity.

dave

[conachair]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

we do know that people do not easily come to other peoples rescue in such situations . Thats a common failing of humanity.

dave

Too late by then, if you were boarding intending to rob would lots of noise and flashing lights make you consider running away?

I don't know and because these events are thankfully so few and far between there's no way to look at previous incidents for data so lets face it, we're guessing. But I think it would make them consider getting out of there. Sneak quietly onto a boat in the dead of night then it all goes mental with sirens and lights. Gotta help.

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

sorry , on a sailing boat at anchor, you are going to lock yourself below, are you mad in the head.

dave

No i'm not, in 99% of anchorages in our 30 years of yacht ownership we leave all open subject to rain and mosquito's.

This thread is a passive "what do you do about security" question largely in response to the heroic guns will fix the thieves/pirates and scallywag threads.

Recently we have moored stern to at quays, my "risk analysis" dictated we closed our companionway door and locked it and sucked in our hydraulic gangplank. Why? Drunks on the quayside, Perceived threat? Drunken argumentative idiot inside our boat = no thanks!

The 1% of times we lock our door would include the deserted bay/foreign country scenario as well,"risk analysis" again, we are installing much of my above listed items simply to give us warning to act our threat is thieves and the liklihood is low of anyone "shaking us down".

With early warning those who arm themselves have time to get there **** together, mace, swords, guns, firecrackers or whatever. Us? We have escape hatches = swim away.

Wide open doors/hatches in an area that just seems dodgy or has become dodgy takes away our element of self defence, mad in the head? Nahhhhhhhhh..... Cheers

[Lagoon4us]

The most likely experience of all that average cruisers may experience is petty theft, i'm sure if your doors, garage and car were left open "down by the docks" you may lose something.
The thread is here to get ideas as to what generally we all do, the gung-ho's still belittle any semblance of 'early warning' or 'passive defence" preferring to come out 'guns-a-blazing', well a foreign going cruising boat simply cannot behave that way it's just dumb.

Yes by all means have an Ace up your sleeve whatever that may entail BUT don't play it too early as the Fedarali's may play theirs.....Cheers some great ideas!!!!

[goboatingnow]

what I meant was , in any situation where I anchor I always want fast access to the deck. ( on pontoons, docks and to some extent moorings I don't need it ) . Hence I could never countenance having to waste time removing locks etc to get on deck fast when anchored.

not to mention that many sailboats ( by design) have no easy way of locking yourself in.


nothing to do with threat levels. just seamanship.
Dave

[micah719]

This one from noonsite is astonishing. The man's boat was boarded in Colon by three men in their underpants, that swam out. They tied him up, ransacked the boat, and left in the dinghy.

Noonsite: Panama, Colon, Club Nautico: Skipper tied up and Robbed

No sympathy at all for this person and his loss. The area is known to be unsafe, yet the SOP re safety/security wass the same as anchoring out in SF bay, probably less. Ok, the ratio of incidents to the total number of "cruisers" is low, but it would be interesting to see a comparison of how many incidents in a location relative to the boats that visit there. Fit a net, stay alert, and wise up.

We have escape hatches = swim away.

Lol.

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

what I meant was , in any situation where I anchor I always want fast access to the deck. ( on pontoons, docks and to some extent moorings I don't need it ) . Hence I could never countenance having to waste time removing locks etc to get on deck fast when anchored.

not to mention that many sailboats ( by design) have no easy way of locking yourself in.


nothing to do with threat levels. just seamanship.
Dave

A sliding bolt takes no time? Padlocks no way.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by micah719

This one from noonsite is astonishing. The man's boat was boarded in Colon by three men in their underpants, that swam out. They tied him up, ransacked the boat, and left in the dinghy.

Noonsite: Panama, Colon, Club Nautico: Skipper tied up and Robbed

No sympathy at all for this person and his loss. The area is known to be unsafe, yet the SOP re safety/security wass the same as anchoring out in SF bay, probably less. Ok, the ratio of incidents to the total number of "cruisers" is low, but it would be interesting to see a comparison of how many incidents in a location relative to the boats that visit there. Fit a net, stay alert, and wise up.



Lol.

No sympathy is a little harsh. Up until this incident the anchorage off Club Nautico was considered safe. After the robbery the boat was in the slip next to me Shelter Bay.