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chuckr · 14-01-2014, 03:45

we hide money around the boat - but then one day forgot where we put it all -- spent several days trying to find it -- now have to write it down - and with atms everywhere we keep very little money on board

tmiller1116 · 17-01-2014, 14:29

| Sentry® Safe | F2300 Waterproof Fire Chest

just for documents and such... the laptops sit out all day in the open, a thief would probably just grab that and run before being seen. data is backed up regularly to an external drive and kept in a watertight pelican box... nothing much more worth taking on board. the only jewelry worth anything is on my wrist, the tv is bolted to the swing arm making it a pain to take down, and the old peanut butter jar of coins is worth only a few bucks.

anything else worth anything is with me.

MaryEllenCarter · 17-01-2014, 15:47

A safe will just help the boat sink quicker and nothing screams "valuables" like a safe does. A secret compartment in the bottom of a pee/poop bucket doesn't tell its secrets. If your boat is big enough to look like it should have a safe, that safe should only be used as a decoy like someone else mentioned.

Make sure you have a secure boat. Sailboats are pretty hard to break into. In my younger days, I was in my sailboat with a girl and her angry boyfriend pounding on the companionway hatch. It wasn't even locked, but he couldn't figure out how to get in. I didn't think about a knife for defense, I went straight to flare gun. I'm so glad that he didn't get in!

But I digress... Hide in plain sight. Make sure you know your own hiding habits. You might not know exactly where you put something, but you should know the places to look for what you hid.

In the event of a sinking, everything that you need should be ready to go and accessible. I've never been adrift in the middle of an ocean, but I've read that it really makes you understand what is valuable and what is not.

simonpickard · 17-01-2014, 16:09

Yeah I'm going to fit a wireless solar powered alarm system. You know the ones with the magnetic two part strips you fit to say a window that opens. As soon as the contact breaks you have 15secs to enter the code or WOOP!!!! WHOOOOP!!! WHHHHHHHPOOOOOPPP!!

The contacts are very easy to fit, I'll place them on all large hatches, lockers, etc. Everything's wireless and the main unit is powered by solar, everything else small cell batteries.

Something like this..
Wholesale Alarm System - Buy Wireless 50 Zones Smart Touch Screen RFID Access Control SMS GSM Alarm System Solar Strobe Siren TSA, $434.78 | DHgate

SaltyMonkey · 17-01-2014, 17:53

i used to keep some of my valuables in the holding tank, and had a dummy safe. well, more like a safe depo box it was so small.

sailpower · 17-01-2014, 19:18

You should always have safes on board. It let's them know that you care.

**Hudson Force** · 18-01-2014, 13:14

After reading this thread I sat here at the table on board my modest 41' boat and counted a total of 88 lockers and shelves,- behind, under and sometimes inside other compartments. I've sometimes stowed an item and found it very difficult to find later. My whole boat is a puzzle box that often confounds me. Even if someone were to find my "stuff", they wouldn't walk away with much. Most of my ownership is in shore accounts or future earnings.

The Other Gary · 18-01-2014, 22:12

Yes, I have a safe,,,, I keep spare ammo in it.

Pelagic · 18-01-2014, 22:48

A lot of sarcastic answers to what I thought was a reasonable question by the OP.

Each to their own, but having a secure lockable safe for some emergency cash/passports/ credit cards is handy when you are in the middle of a dry-docking/repair period, with a few day workers on board.

Auspicious · 19-01-2014, 07:29

Small safe for passports, emergency cash, and medical records. Offshore the contents get vacu-sealed and put in the ditch bag.

markhatter · 19-01-2014, 07:51

My Yacht is the safe. 4 Camera system for 250 dollars and many signs to let the crooks know....they are being watch and uploaded via satellite....
and too small safes are the way to go...just incase.

kingwoodie · 19-01-2014, 07:53

I have a small TARDIS and place all my stuff in it and send it one minute into the future or the past I can't remember.

Nicholson58 · 19-01-2014, 08:48

I followed the link from the OP. My comments: I may have missed something but I didn't see where it was water-proof or marine rated. Probably not an issue since once its under water, you have more pressing things to worry about. My real concern is the electronic lock. I have very little confidence in such things surviving long on a boat. I'd rather see a mechanical combination lock, padlock or key lock. The safe shown in the link looks like the hotel room safe we had in Punta Cana - that failed with our stuff inside.

I like the suggestion to have two safes. Our big-ole' boat has some amazingly difficult to find hiding spots. One took us three years to find. The marquetry of our woodwork is so good that another spot was discovered last summer after 5 years of working around it.

Palarran · 19-01-2014, 09:20

Nicholson, if your referring to the link in my post that safe has a key for secondary entry. It is hidden behind a small cover. The combo lock is just for convenience.