Dinghy Anti-Theft devices

[Cotemar]

Here is one of our Dinghy Anti-Theft devices that we used this year.

It is just a pull handle that un-screws and slips in your pocket along with the Red Outboard Kill Switch Key.

Have used it all this year and it only takes a extra few seconds to un-screw the pull start handle off.

It may just keep the honest people honest or cause a thief to find and easier ride to steal.

Please post any good ideas that you may have to prevent Dinghy Theft
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[rwidman]

I have a stainless steel cable with padlock to lock the outboard to the dinghy and a stainless steel cable to lock the dinghy to whatever it can be locked to.

I take the kill switch key with me when I leave the dinghy unattended.

[a64pilot]

That is a good idea.
On the right side of the transom mount on that motor is an eye right beside of the clamp, I run a cable through the eye on the inside of the dinghy and padlock the motor.

Do they steal the dinghy or more often just the motor?
Maybe hidden disable switch?

[zboss]

They usually steal both and then later take the engine off and try and sink the dinghy or just let the dinghy drift away.

[44'cruisingcat]

We have 5m of chain in our dinghy for anchoring. We also use it and a padlock to secure the dinghy and motor when we're leaving it anywhere for any length of time.


The removable start handle is a good idea, but it doesn't stop someone rowing or towing the dinghy.

[a64pilot]

I'm going to guess that sometimes they tow the dink away with another boat?
Reason I'm asking is to determine what is most important here, secure the whole thing, disable the motor, secure motor to hull?
I have about 10' of 5/16 SS chain I used to use to tie into wrecks we dove and plan on using that to secure the dink to a dock by locking the chain to the tow eye in the bow, and then lock motor to the hull.
I need to disable motor too?

[UNCIVILIZED]

1) Make the dinghy & it's accessories FUGLY. Both via Krylon, & letting her wear cosmetically. Along with mismatched gear, (mostly faux) patches on the dink etc.
2) Drill a hole through the blades of the oars.
3) Permanently affix your oarlocks to the oars.
4) Attach a cable to the dinghy's stem towing eye, or one on the transom, via a nicopressed clamp on the cable. Or by using a luggage tag splice on the cable on the dink's towing eye.
5) Run the cable through all of the dink's vital equipment. Including the dink itself, the motor, & her oars.
6) If it makes life simpler, use a seperate lock to lock the outboard to the dink.
7) Lock her to an immovable object, or the mother ship.

In dire situations, put a metal screw in deck plate in the dink's hull bottom or transom. And either take the deck plate cover with you, after parking the dink. Or run a locking cable through the hole made by the deck plate, then taking the plate cover with you.

Or, use 2 screw in sand anchors, & lock a bar between their tops so that they can't turn. Then locking the dink's security cable to them/the bar.

[RickG]

We have a cable that we run from the padlock locking the outboard to the boat through the gas tank and then padlock that to the dock/tree. Nothing fancy. It does not have to be perfect, just better than the other guys.

Cheers, RickG

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I'm going to guess that sometimes they tow the dink away with another boat?

A few years ago someone towed a whole string of dinghies away from the Whitsunday sailing club. Was like 8 or 10 dinghies stolen in one night.

[rwidman]

There are two separate (almost) issues here: Securing it to the boat and securing it when you've taken it to shore.


Most of the time when my dinghy is on my boat, it's on the bow and hard to steal if we are on the boat. If you're towing it and just leave it behind the boat, it would be pretty easy to cut the line and drift away at night without waking the occupants.

[JPA Cate]

Hoisting your dinghy out of the water for the night, and chaining the engine, gas tank, and dinghy to the boat will keep it safe at the boat, and significantly diminish bottom fouling.

Ashore, the "fugly" approach does seem to work somewhat. It actually varies with why people want to steal it. (In the example at the Whitsunday YC, the rumor was that it was one of the guys who did commercial yacht charters who really didn't like any cruisers at all.) Sometimes people want the engines to turn into drugs. Sometimes other cheap *ss cruisers want a new dinghy.

Some places only engines about 15 hp are what they want. Check with other cruisers, "any dinghies gone missing lately here?" That's when I think chain is better than cable, especially the light, plastic covered cable some people like to use, which is so easy to cut with wire cutters (which fit conveniently in a pocket, concealed). Chain is harder to cut.

I think 10 ft. of chain really isn't very much to secure everything, and at the same time, leave a long enough painter to allow more space for other guys to tie up, as well.

The further afield you go, the more shoreside situations you'll encounter, and that will affect what all gear you'll need/want.

Ann

[UNCIVILIZED]

When I say cable/wire, I mean a piece of 10mm rigging wire. AKA something that you need a large (1/2m long) pair of Felco's to cut it. Not something that you can snip with pruning shears.

[44'cruisingcat]

Chain. It's very flexible, far easier to stow than rigging wire, easy to put a padlock onto, hard to cut, and makes your anchor work better.

[Pelagic]

I agree with Ann, that lifting at night is both good security and good seamanship.

But I think the best overall security is a 3rd crew member to make tender runs and return to the boat.

This way, drop offs and pickups are more convenient for shoppers and it is noted by locals that someone is always on the boat

Benefits are terrific in so many ways from helping with maintenance, to negotiating the price of prawns with local fishermen.

That is why I have a nice extra cabin for a trusted Filipino crew, who is like family.
Works great as he gets to enjoy private time ashore while we can have privacy onboard.

[ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH]

[jamhass]

Deck plate mounted through transom. Take the plate with you. Doesn't protect the engine, but sure makes them look for another dink.