Security - What do You Do ?

[Lagoon4us]

And that's just a Squirrel!

[rebel heart]

Honestly in San Diego most everyone leaves their boat unlocked with everything wide open. There are some robberies every few years.

I'll probably get more careful as we go farther south, but the super elaborate setups some people come up with just seems a little paranoid. Yeah yeah, "what if", or "did you hear about the one guy who that one thing happened to???". Yeah, I heard that story too.

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Honestly in San Diego most everyone leaves their boat unlocked with everything wide open. There are some robberies every few years.

I'll probably get more careful as we go farther south, but the super elaborate setups some people come up with just seems a little paranoid. Yeah yeah, "what if", or "did you hear about the one guy who that one thing happened to???". Yeah, I heard that story too.

Cheers, much same in Australia & Pacific and certainly good here in Adriatic, the OP listing is not much more than procedure and some low cost alarm/sensors no rocket science there considering our investment. After all a 12,000 dollar car comes with more security than any boat!!!!
I'd much rather this exchange of PRACTICAL info than the aggro crap, not all cruisers follow the largely American gun-ho ideal.
When i came through Florida last year the cabbie asked me was i carrying a gun as we were entering the Port controlled area, i nearly fell out of my seat laughing at the thought as it's something we never hear of in Australia.
He then said that most Residents do carry!!!! So much for the free when you have to be armed to enforce it?
We will be Caribbean next year look forward to crossing paths maybe... Cheers

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

Cheers, much same in Australia & Pacific and certainly good here in Adriatic, the OP listing is not much more than procedure and some low cost alarm/sensors no rocket science there considering our investment. After all a 12,000 dollar car comes with more security than any boat!!!!
I'd much rather this exchange of PRACTICAL info than the aggro crap, not all cruisers follow the largely American gun-ho ideal.
When i came through Florida last year the cabbie asked me was i carrying a gun as we were entering the Port controlled area, i nearly fell out of my seat laughing at the thought as it's something we never hear of in Australia.
He then said that most Residents do carry!!!! So much for the free when you have to be armed to enforce it?
We will be Caribbean next year look forward to crossing paths maybe... Cheers

Yeah, fair enough, and you're right. At least it's not another gun thread.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by conachair

Same reason people assume the opposite. Zero data, zero research, pure guesswork.

I can only speak for myself. I never mentioned a "quiet or near desolate anchorage." I'm a single woman and I would not anchor in such a place, but I like the great majority of sailors I have met.

When I go out to sail overnight I'm going with other boats. They know me and we all care about each other. If an alarm went off on my boat I guarantee you they would do something -- call the police, if a gun was around come with a gun, etc. They wouldn't just ignore it.

Once someone has pulled a gun on me my assumption is that he (or she) will use it. I would make all the noise I could, and if I were in that much danger the last thing I would do would be to turn off the alarm. If I'm going to be shot I want someone to come to the boat sooner rather than later.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Skipper65

I'll offer this solution and recap on how we handle these situations in TEXAS.

Immediately shoot them twice in the head with your Ruger P89 (or similar weapon). This will immediately eliminate the threat.

8. Throw the body overboard. This serves two purposes. One is to remove the intruder from YOUR boat. Two....the body will discourage repeat offenders. It will wash ashore and alert the other thieves to avoid your boat.

Only if you are stupid enough to have written your boat name on their forehead with indelible ink which by the sounds of it...........

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Yeah, fair enough, and you're right. At least it's not another gun thread.

Oh...give it time to simmer...

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

I can only speak for myself. I never mentioned a "quiet or near desolate anchorage." I'm a single woman and I would not anchor in such a place, but I like the great majority of sailors I have met.

When I go out to sail overnight I'm going with other boats. They know me and we all care about each other. If an alarm went off on my boat I guarantee you they would do something -- call the police, if a gun was around come with a gun, etc. They wouldn't just ignore it.

Once someone has pulled a gun on me my assumption is that he (or she) will use it. I would make all the noise I could, and if I were in that much danger the last thing I would do would be to turn off the alarm. If I'm going to be shot I want someone to come to the boat sooner rather than later.

Its all about getting the early warning and being able to passively dissuade the intending thieves PRIOR to them continuing in the knowledge that they have been detected/noticed. in the meantime we have TIME to get our response together. What that response involves is based on our individual plan/outlook.
Seems some armchairs just don't get it?
I have always assisted others that have had problems both on water and land, i'd like to believe most do, the cruising community are usually quite pro-active.. Cheers

[impi]

We found whilst cruising the Caribbean that our cameras meant a lot! We be friended a local boat boy in Wallilabou Bay where there had been a few incidents. He told us the guys had been speaking on the water that day about the fact that our boat had cameras all around ... he said it was a good thing we did ... I hastened to mention that they are night vision too.
That being said, we also make sure we have a number of self defense 'weapons' (?) onboard (which do not require clearance when checking in). I changed my entire outlook on this topic when we were nearly taken at sea by sea robbers trying to board our boat ... I always thought I would be passive and negotiate ... no way ... found myself shooting at them with my flare gun and despite knowing that we could be in for a beating if they had serious weapons onboard ... I knew there was just no way I was not going to fight! We now have a policy ... no hostilewill board Impi, no matter what. I know of a couple where the wife was raped badly and the guy ended up in hospital near dead ... he tried the 'negotiation way'.
We have a few rules ... we treat all locals with exceptional respect (but ... never invite any boatboy or vendor on board). We never leave town drunk or display a drunken nature on the boat for people to see (a sure invite for theft). Without fail we hoist our dingy every night and lock it. We lock the doors and windows except for in our cabin where we want air ... beware the man who tries to enter these (cant say much more about that!). We are able to switch on exceptionally bright LED spreader lights from next to the bed and we are able to sound a panic alarm from the same position. We do have several VHF handhelds in various locations on charge.
The biggest motto is 'prevention is better than cure' ... prevent the ability of an easy entrance into the boat when sleeping and ... 'the element of surprise is the best weapon' ... we have a number of surprises ready and able should one board the boat.
Personally, when these rouges were trying to board us ... yes, I would love to have had the right to carry an AK47 on board ... it would have made us feel a hella of a lot more comfortable that early morning all alone out at sea ...
Its no joke come the day you have to protect your woman outat sea without another vessel in sight except one which intends to inflict harm!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Whilst few of these things will deter every intruder / assailant (apart from maybe the twice in the head thing - for that a screwdriver in the top of the head also works, plus a brief moment of comic effect )....nonetheless I think some of them would be called prudent and would deter some. There are reasons why many intrusions happen at night / under cover of darkness, even if the perpetrator does not fully understand why! Remove the nighttime and some problems will go away.

For me that would mean spreaderlights (I've got a ketch so that means lots of light sources ). and also ideally a strobe - whether activated by movement or simply a switch down below. Like many things on a boat they also serve more than one purpose.

I would also favour locking the hatches from the inside, not neccesarily fully closed, but not leaving mansized gap (don't need a padlock for that) - and for the companionway hatch (or any other hatch that needs to be opened fully) then the MarkJ style grill would seem an easy fit. and no great hassle to use. Obviously won't prevent someone smashing their way in - but unless a very heavy sleeper that will give you a chance to at least put your trousers on!

Some sound would also be nice - whether a Klaxon or a pre-recorded voice (in the local lingo) basically saying "f#ck off". The purpose not to simply summon assistance from others (good luck with that!) but mostly to unsettle the intruder and help persuade him that an easier target elsewhere.

Obviously none of that will deter everybody - but IMO will be one keen intruder to persist when lit up like a Xmas Tree, having a loud voice in own lingo in his ear and still to get through to the goodies below. And if someone does persist it is early warning that you do have serious trouble coming down the pipe (hatch!).

I would also like a spy hole into the cockpit, or even a camera (if no grill used or no other viewingpoint) as once you know how many are involved and what weaponary they have better decisons can be made.

Might also want to make the Forecabin into a panic room! don't need a steel door - just be able to lock it solidly from the inside (and a spyhole into the saloon). Ideally with access to a hatch onto deck. Could even have a couple of mini scuba tanks stored there (and some weapons?!), so the chance of a quick dash onto deck and then over the side.

I don't think any of the above is too outrageous and whilst requiring a little bit of preparation not exactly turning the boat into a floating fort knox or impacting on the day to day laid back approach.


Obviously opposing a boarding is a different thing.....if they don't have guns them IMO a better than even chance of coming out on top (as long as you have something useful and are willing to use it - until stuff stops twitching). Guns? I guess that is a suck it and see thing - but just because you surrender doesn't mean you can't change your mind, the moment of boarding would be the time of most vulnerability for the boarder(s)....and if you suddenly turn the tables on them by fighting way into their vessel likely to have some element of surprise! (but remember to have someone onboard shoot some Youtube - as am curious as to how that would work out ).

[micah719]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

LMAO I grew up in Wynnum/Manly/Lota area, agree totally....

Lol, whaddya know, it's a small world! G'day mate, who knows we may have met once, you never know. Imho, the Cleveland railway line made it easy for the riffraff to get to the sleepy bayside suburbs. The bay islanders on the other hand were always a bit....remarkable....but if you left them alone, they left you alone.

[Lagoon4us]

That's right never had a problem with the evil ones we all went to school together, it was the boys from Redcliffe that had to worry.

I grew up at Manly Road on 6 acres across from Edgells/Hargreaves cannery....

[cat man do]

I've often wondered what would happen if I painted the powercat battleship grey or marine camo pattern (dont have to worry to much about the fairing) and then mounted one of these on the fordeck.



Do you think I'd get many visitors?

[GordMay]

From the Caribbean Security & Safety Net
➥ History

Dinghy Alarm
➥ Dinghy Alarm

and more ...

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by cat man do

I've often wondered what would happen if I painted the powercat battleship grey or marine camo pattern (dont have to worry to much about the fairing) and then mounted one of these on the fordeck.



Do you think I'd get many visitors?

Yes. But mostly from folks with bigger boats. bigger guns. and uniforms.

Some countries can be a little funny about stuff like that.