Protecting valuables

[Ancient Dream]

Originally Posted by GILow

Try my trick. Don’t have anything valuable.

Oh so true.

[Ancient Dream]

Originally Posted by George_SD

Don't have one, don't feel like I need one. I try not to bring anything that I could not replace if it was gone. Otherwise just put things away into various storage cubbies for cleanliness and out of sight to not make it too easy for anyone who may get the wrong idea.

Thanks. I appreciate the advice.

[Ancient Dream]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Maybe it is risky to tempt fate by answering that I have never really done anything much to hide or protect my valuables. I generally don't even lock the boat.

I don't have any money on the boat, so nothing to hide there. What money I do have I carry with me in my wallet in my pocket and it isn't much. If it was stolen and I lost the money and the cards, and I didn't have alternate cards available, I would ask the bank to replace them. So this is an inconvenience, not a major risk.

Same with my phone and although also losing that device would be an inconvenience, it would not be a major monetary loss.

My computer is sitting in plain sight at the nav station but a couple of back up computers are usually stowed away. Data loss is a risk if all the computers and external drives are found and taken, but much of my data is also on the cloud (and more will be soon). The possible monetary loss of these items is insignificant compared to the major headache of trying to lock them up all the time, and the data, which I do care about, is protected.

Judy's jewelry is still in her drawer where she last left it. Not much value there anyhow.

So I am not going to get excited or worried and go to a lot of effort to hide or protect my stuff. Mostly the inconvenience of dealing with the protections every single day is worse than the inconvenience of dealing with a loss if it ever occurred, which in 38 years on this boat, never has happened.

In my view armed robbery is a bigger danger. When you are anchored in a remote place you are an enticing and widely visible target. Armed self-protection seems more likely to be a danger to myself than to be effective fighting off invaders (ask Peter Blake's widow). So my method of reducing that risk is to avoid long stays in those places. If I feel like a place is dangerous, I don't stay.

Good advice, I am definitely going to be avoiding anywhere I would be in such a remote location that it might be dangerous.

[Ancient Dream]

Originally Posted by chrisr

our solution ?

don't spend time in places where you have to worry about such sh1t...

cheers,

I completely agree. I want to sail to enjoy life, not worry about being robbed.

[ChrisJHC]

Originally Posted by Ancient Dream

Good advice, I am definitely going to be avoiding anywhere I would be in such a remote location that it might be dangerous.

Not sure if this is tongue-in-cheek, but if you avoid remote locations you’re going to miss out on a lot of spectacular places!

I would also guess that the rate of incidents is similar between busy and remote locations, which would meant that there are more incidents in busy locations as that’s where most of the people are.

[SailingHarmonie]

We had something stolen exactly once in 8 years of full time cruising, it wasn't anything especially valuable, just something the thief wanted more than we did, apparently. And the guilty party was a fellow cruiser, which is true far more often than you might think.

It is obvious to any student of human nature that there is a significant sub-set of the population who's default reaction to places that are new, different, and strange is: Fear. We see it all the time, cruisers who travel around the world in a constant state of fear. Fear of the unknown, and of imagined threats. We find those people tedious and unpleasant to be around. They also are no safer then people who are not scared all the time.

When we were last in Grenada, there was a posting from a cruiser who indignantly announced that their dinghy had been "stolen." I laughed at the description of the missing boat: an 8 foot dinghy with 3 large patches on the starboard side, and an 8 year old 2 hp outboard. Seriously? NOBODY wants such crap. Not even the poorest of thieves because they would never find anybody (with real money) who wanted to buy it.

Sure enough, it just blew away from where they had last "tied" it up, it was found on a beach and returned to them a couple days later. But you know what? That totally bogus theft report got integrated into the online database of crimes against cruisers, and will be there forever, fueling yet more irrational fear.

[SCWentz]

There was an article in the October 2021 issue of Cruising World in the On Watch section. Among the suggestions was an anecdote of someone who stored his valuables in his boom. Worth the read if you are so inclined.

[Ancient Dream]

Originally Posted by ChrisJHC

Not sure if this is tongue-in-cheek, but if you avoid remote locations you’re going to miss out on a lot of spectacular places!

I would also guess that the rate of incidents is similar between busy and remote locations, which would meant that there are more incidents in busy locations as that’s where most of the people are.

What I meant was I would try to use common sense. I agree that the rate of incidents is probably similar in either a remote area or a busy area. Thank you for the reply.

[Ancient Dream]

Originally Posted by SCWentz

There was an article in the October 2021 issue of Cruising World in the On Watch section. Among the suggestions was an anecdote of someone who stored his valuables in his boom. Worth the read if you are so inclined.

Thank you, I will look for the article.

[Ancient Dream]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

We had something stolen exactly once in 8 years of full time cruising, it wasn't anything especially valuable, just something the thief wanted more than we did, apparently. And the guilty party was a fellow cruiser, which is true far more often than you might think.

It is obvious to any student of human nature that there is a significant sub-set of the population who's default reaction to places that are new, different, and strange is: Fear. We see it all the time, cruisers who travel around the world in a constant state of fear. Fear of the unknown, and of imagined threats. We find those people tedious and unpleasant to be around. They also are no safer then people who are not scared all the time.

When we were last in Grenada, there was a posting from a cruiser who indignantly announced that their dinghy had been "stolen." I laughed at the description of the missing boat: an 8 foot dinghy with 3 large patches on the starboard side, and an 8 year old 2 hp outboard. Seriously? NOBODY wants such crap. Not even the poorest of thieves because they would never find anybody (with real money) who wanted to buy it.

Sure enough, it just blew away from where they had last "tied" it up, it was found on a beach and returned to them a couple days later. But you know what? That totally bogus theft report got integrated into the online database of crimes against cruisers, and will be there forever, fueling yet more irrational fear.

Thank you for the reply but my question is NOT due to living in any state of FEAR or the study of human nature. I was asking a simple question about how the 'average' person protected their valuables on their boat. I appreciate your opinion, but I think that your response was a bit condescending.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

We had something stolen exactly once in 8 years of full time cruising, it wasn't anything especially valuable, just something the thief wanted more than we did, apparently. And the guilty party was a fellow cruiser, which is true far more often than you might think.

It is obvious to any student of human nature that there is a significant sub-set of the population who's default reaction to places that are new, different, and strange is: Fear. We see it all the time, cruisers who travel around the world in a constant state of fear. Fear of the unknown, and of imagined threats. We find those people tedious and unpleasant to be around. They also are no safer then people who are not scared all the time.

When we were last in Grenada, there was a posting from a cruiser who indignantly announced that their dinghy had been "stolen." I laughed at the description of the missing boat: an 8 foot dinghy with 3 large patches on the starboard side, and an 8 year old 2 hp outboard. Seriously? NOBODY wants such crap. Not even the poorest of thieves because they would never find anybody (with real money) who wanted to buy it.

Sure enough, it just blew away from where they had last "tied" it up, it was found on a beach and returned to them a couple days later. But you know what? That totally bogus theft report got integrated into the online database of crimes against cruisers, and will be there forever, fueling yet more irrational fear.

Not quite.

When we where at anchor in La Linea close to Gibraltar (admittedly a crime hotspot) this June, we had two nighttime visitors with black ski masks who tried to steal our dinghy.
Rebuilt old 2.3m Zodiac Rib with a 20 year old 4hp Suzuki.
They failed to get their goods though, as outboard and dinghy were locked with heavy padlocks & chain, which they probably did not expect.

Some folks take whatever they see an easy target.

To the OP, a well hidden secret compartment is a very good solution. Team it with an old wallet and perhaps defunct laptop more visible to detract.

[CaptTom]

I was going to suggest, as other have, that having the less enticing target is a good deterrent. @Franziska's experience shows that it's not 100% effective, but most of the time, the thieves are going to try for the easiest and most profitable target first. My scruffy old dinghy and faded, stained outboard aren't near the top of anyone's list, although they're not immune.

Like @wingssail, I think armed robbery is something to consider, too. I've heard that keeping some cash in a very visible and secure-looking safe is a good idea. It's been said that the bad guys expect a yacht to have a safe, and will demand that you locate and open it. So give them what they want and maybe they'll go away. No personal experience here, just what I've heard.

Another risk to consider is a sinking. Be prepared for that, and you'll be prepared for anything less. In other words, anything on board has to be considered subject to loss. Losing documents, credit cards and especially cell phones is a huge inconvenience. Consider how you'd recover from each of those losses.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by chrisr

our solution ?

don't spend time in places where you have to worry about such sh1t...

I think it is important to consider that:


1) There is some theft even in areas considered safe;
2) Many noteworthy, enjoyable, and worthwhile destinations do have elevated risk of theft;
3) It is sometimes necessary to transit through areas that are not particularly safe due to a lack of safe equivalent itineraries. Passage through the Panama Canal would be one obvious example.

[bobnlesley]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Mainly I radically minimize the "valuable" things in my life that people might want to steal.
.

THIS!
Leave your Rolex watch and diamond jewelry at home; I'm not sure if they impress people at home, but the certainly won't do so in the Cruisers' anchorages and they'll potentially attract the same sort of trouble ashore that they do at home.

As for documents and the little bit of cash that the Chandleries & Marinas have permitted you to keep... Well, you shouldn't be setting off until you know your own boat and by the time that you do, you'll know where all the discrete cubby holes are that are reasonably easy to access yourself, but unlikely to be spotted by others. Use those and don't ever broadcast where they are on a public yachting forum.

[sailorboy1]

the most expensive thing I have on the boat during a "break in" is damage they are going to do tearing everything up looking