dinghy with ores or motor??

[shadow]

Hi all, this goes along with some of my reading and researching. Along with reading about live aboard, I've read tons of people having their gas tanks or something stolen off of their dinghy's. How often does this really happen, will having ores put off any thief or is it a case of, if they want something, they will screw with it regardless??

And what are some of the ways that people here secure their dinghy's and motors, or is there a way to?? Or is it just all a gamble regardless??

Cheers

[Boracay]

Only thing stolen so far has been my oars and rowlocks when my boat was on the slip.

I think someone wanted to get to their boat and "forgot" to return them.

Next set I buy is going to be carved/engraved with the name of the boat and painted fluorescent yellow.

Oh, and I'll rig up some kind of lock to keep them where I left them.

[Pura Vida]

I may be misreading your question. Dingy theft is likely the most common type of theft that many sailors face along with loose crap left on the deck. The dingy outboard is easily transportable and relatively valuable and generally the target. To choose oars or sail as an alternative to the outboard to avoid theft may not be the most practical strategy.

There is what may be called the four fifths rule. You buy gear for what you are doing four fifths of the time. If most of your dingy work is rowing from the marina dingy dock to a mooring field, maybe a couple of hundred yards twice per weekend in sheltered water then oars may be practical. Likewise if you are a hard core sailor like the Pardey's then rowing may be for you. But if you are going to be cruising in the Bahamas or using your dingy daily as a dive platform or gunk holing boat then oars are impractical.

I would offer that the cruising dingy needs to be big enough to take a motor that will plane the dingy with every member of the crew on board or one person and one weeks provisions for the boat. For security I have a long cable attached to the motor and then lock the motor to the dingy. At the dingy dock the motor gets locked to the dock.

[northerncat]

i go the ore option especially if you use nuclear ore the thing will go forever, disposal could be a problem though
sean

[44'cruisingcat]

Iron ore rusts though.

[shadow]

Thanks everyone for their input! I'm definitely not trying to adjust my life because of a possible theft, but I was curious if the ores are a decent option which would in turn decrease more possible things to break and running costs, etc.. Just trying to get everyone's real world practical uses of their dingy and then seeing which would best suit my needs, etc.. Thanks again everyone! Cheers!

[Sandero]

Another one of these questions related to how you are going to use your boat. If you store at a dock and sail from dock to dock for cruising why even bother with a dink?

If you anchor a lot you will need one with a motor probably, but the HP can be small unless you are in a hurry, or moving a lot of weight around.

Rowing is good for you... and even powered dink need oars!

jef
sv shiva

[Vasco]

If you're daysailing you don't need much of a dink. If you're cruising your dink is your lifeline. Get the biggest and fastest one you can.

[Lynx]

Depends on where you are cruising, new and big are most often the target as are bigger outboards. Lock everything and use a cable for the dinghy attached to the boat in theft prone areas.

[David M]

As with all things, theft can only be discouraged but never prevented.

Lock the engine to the boat with a good sized cable and lock. Lock the oars to the boat in the same manner by drilling a hole just big enough to slip a cable through the paddle part of the oar.

Create an easy way of disabling the engine. Perhaps a hidden switch under the outboard cover? Pulling the wires for the spark plugs is too obvious.

Obviously they could still walk away with the whole dinghy but at least you have encouraged them to look elsewhere for an easier boat to steal.