Risk of theft in the Caribbean

[coldar1]

We keep hearing all sorts of stories about how many dinghy's are stolen, how many boats are broken in to, and even how the "thief's" look for tender boats ashore with their boats name on them, so they know it is safe to head for that boat as "everyone must be ashore". It would be nice to get some first hand advice or experiences from people have actually cruised in the Caribbean as we plan to do from the end of the Atlantic Odyssey in January 2015, so we can sort our myth from reality. Col Finally My Darling

[MarkJ]

Lock it or lose it.
Have a different name on your dink so people dont come when you have gone.
Get a burglar alarm. Mine is great.
Have a hatch that locks and lock the bloody thing!
It amazes me the number of people who go to the bar at night with their boat unlocked. Would you do that at home? Would you lock your car at home?

[snort]

I can't give any advice on the Caribbean and its problems, but just wanted to say that's a brilliant blog you've made!
Always wanted to see Menorca (saw the other Balaearic islands, but missed that one).

[barnakiel]

There is some theft and it seems to be pretty unevenly distributed.

There are thieves among cruisers just as among any other group of people.

Then there is also theft by local petty criminals.

Stay away from the bad spots, lock your dinghy in areas where dinghies get stolen. Lock the boat when you go ashore. And you should be fine.

b.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by coldar1

We keep hearing all sorts of stories about how many dinghy's are stolen, how many boats are broken in to, and even how the "thief's" look for tender boats ashore with their boats name on them, so they know it is safe to head for that boat as "everyone must be ashore". It would be nice to get some first hand advice or experiences from people have actually cruised in the Caribbean as we plan to do from the end of the Atlantic Odyssey in January 2015, so we can sort our myth from reality. Col Finally My Darling

you should be fine if you stay in the marina

[simonpickard]

@ MarkJ.
Any info on your alarm? Been thinking about adding something like that so our boat.

Regards,
Simon

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by atoll

you should be fine if you stay in the marina

Just a few lines about feeling safe in marinas. In Nassau all of the better marinas have security (one guy wandering around) during the night. Shore access to the marinas is restricted as the gates are usually locked. More stuff is stolen from boats in these marinas than from boats at anchor in the harbour.
The thieves paddle up, presumably on paddle boards, and sneak aboard. They seem to prefer the marinas to paddling out in the harbour.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by simonpickard

@ MarkJ.
Any info on your alarm?
Simon

$20 at the hardware store.
I put velcro on the back to stick it so it can see out the companionway. Its all self contained, no wiring, no siren etc. its not waterproof.

But for the price....

[hellosailor]

"Tender #3
From the Big Tempting Boat"

So there might be two more still out there. Assuming the thieves can count or read.

[simonpickard]

Nice. So you don't worry about swell or wash rocking the boat and setting it off? Or is it not pointed at anything like that?



Please visit my blog:
www.sailing-interlude.com

[a64pilot]

I think this type requires a warm body moving to set it off, IR detector?

Is the theory that they hear the noise and go away and not just throw the thing in the water?
Or is it outside, when you are inside?

[a64pilot]

More I think about it, the better this alarm mark has sounds, put the thing outside and go to bed, if anyone tries to get on the boat, that would have to set it off before they even got completely aboard wouldn't it?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Is the theory that they hear the noise and go away and not just throw the thing in the water?
Or is it outside, when you are inside?

Its behind the security grill... So they can see the red light, then they can hear the noise.... Needs to be a pretty dumb pucker to keep on going.

The idea is they cop it in the cockpit, but they can see the light from the water.

Boat motion doesnt affect it as its relative.

More I think about it, the better this alarm mark has sounds, put the thing outside and go to bed, if anyone tries to get on the boat, that would have to set it off before they even got completely aboard wouldn't it?

Thats what I intended but this one is just a cheapie to see if the idea will work. A waterpoof one should do what you suggest and its what I will do sometime... But the selection of alarms here is pitifully low. But if its outside and they see it can they cut it?

[coldar1]

Thanks everyone for your replies and suggestions, Just proves how valuable this forum can be for what appears to b the simplest of questions. I think I'll look for about three of those alarms, one for the cockpit and one for each side of the hulls (we are a Lagoon 440 Cat) adjacent to the side gangway positions where a convenient foot hold is moulded in to the hull for someone coming off a paddle board. I've also heard of a guy putting out a very light fishing line as a trip wire to a 12V battery powered alarm and set of flashing blue strobe lights.
Contact with the 12V power source is made when a small plate of plastic is pulled from between two contacts in the jaws of a regular clothes-peg if the trip wire is triggered. Another simple and effective idea.

Love all the posts you added at too!

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Its behind the security grill... So they can see the red light, then they can hear the noise.... Needs to be a pretty dumb pucker to keep on going.

The idea is they cop it in the cockpit, but they can see the light from the water.

Boat motion doesnt affect it as its relative.


Thats what I intended but this one is just a cheapie to see if the idea will work. A waterpoof one should do what you suggest and its what I will do sometime... But the selection of alarms here is pitifully low. But if its outside and they see it can they cut it?

My main concern is the wife and I, the boat I can insure against loss, I can't us.
What I want is something that will wake me up, prior to having a bad guy on board, actually a Yorkie would probably be perfect, but I just don't want a dog to care for.
Right or wrong I've always thought you could group criminals into two groups.

1. The Pro, I don't care how sophisticated a system you have if he wants your stuff, the Pro will get it, but a Pro won't break in while you are there, no upside to that, they are after your stuff. Best defense from a Pro is insurance to replace what they got, or make your stuff more trouble than it's worth so they go else where.

2. The opportunist. This person scares me, often there is no plan, they see something and just go for it, they may be under the influence of something, often they commit a crime for the adrenalin high, and what gets your adrenalin pumping more than a confrontation, and what makes you feel more powerful than having absolute control over someone, possibly doing something physically to them that they do not want done?
But this person is the easiest to protect against thankfully, usually if something unexpected happens like an alarm going off, followed by a "who's there" they will bolt.

Alarm is cheap enough on Amazon to justify a couple, when it breaks from whatever reason like water, break out the spare.
No I think both the security gate and alarm are excellent ideas, ones I'm going to implement.