Boat precautions

[Radnine]

Hi all!

Newbie question time again.

Do you take any precautions when you dock your boat or park your trailer?

Lets say I go to Rice Lake for the week and leave my boat tied up at the dock and the trailer parked up the hill; what precautions should I take (if any)?

Thanks,

Jim

[Fisherman]

I would run a chain through the dock and lock to the boat, lock the trailer coupler to the hitch head and lock the hitch head to the receiver, otherwise....It's worth the $25 or so for peace of mind.

[FISHINGNUT]

I have a wheel and tounge lock for mine a week or a few hours I lock it

[irishfield]

Lock your trailer tongue latch closed OFF of the pull vehicle if you can and 3/8" to 1/2" cable thru the trailer wheel/around the frame. Locking the tongue to the ball and the receiver to the hitch does nothing to stop theft... they just undo the ball retainer nut and take it ball and all... rebolt to their empty receiver and go ! Defeats that $80 you spent on a locking receiver pin and tongue latch pin PDQ.

[Guest lundboy]

I always lock my boat to the dock with an extra heavy cable lock, running right around the dock cross-members between the planks. Usually I put one on the front and back of the boat.

 

I lock the trailer to a tree if I can find one with a cable lock. If not I run the 20' cable lock through the wheels a couple of times and also around the axle and I put a gorilla lock on the tongue.

[pikehunter]

Same as Irishfield.

 

If the trailer is on the tow vehicle I sometimes run the cable through the trailer and through a part on my hitch which cannot be removed. If I leave the trailer behind and drive off I will lock up through the receiver and wrap my cable around a tree and clamp the padlock on the ends. If no tree around then just as Wayne said, through the wheel and frame.

 

Buy a decent cable. I used to have a really cheap one until the day I forgot the cable was still through the wheel and I hitched up and pulled away all locked up. The end of the cable pulled right through the metal crimp on the end distroying it but fortunately causing no harm to my wheel or trailer.

 

I now have an extra long Club brand cable and I have a lock through the coupler. My motor has a bolt lock through the transom and a bar lock on the clamps.

 

I may only keep an honest crook away but at least an experienced thief will have to invest a little time if he wants my boat, trailer or motor.

[cthewrld]

I'm with Lundboy. I always lock the trailer and the boat up. It may not prevent theft, but it sure acts as a deterrent.

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

If your motor is a tiller or you have a kicker make sure that you have those locked up as well!!!....I've been using this one for years now and it has prevented any thefts that I experienced here on the river proir to getting one..

 

[Blue_Axela]

If your motor is a tiller or you have a kicker make sure that you have those locked up as well!!!....I've been using this one for years now and it has prevented any thefts that I experienced here on the river proir to getting one..

 

 

 

Where can you get an outboard lock like that?

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

Where can you get an outboard lock like that?

I bought mine from a local marine shop...

 

Here's a link for the lock..

 

http://www.discountmarinesupplies.com/Moto...MOTOR_LOCK.html

[fishnsled]

My insurance requires 3 locks, a motor lock, a wheel immobilizing device and a coupler lock. This is when the boat is on the trailer and not connected to a tow vehicle. So the motor lock is on 24/7 as is the coupler lock. Wayne brought up a good point in just removing the nut and away they go. I'll be throwing on the wheel lock as well when I'm parked for the day. It would sure suck to come in and not have a trailer to load up onto.

 

When docking over night, depends where I'm at and if it is possible to do so. With all the cordless power tools out there today, it doesn't take them long to get through any materials if they really want something. As I've heard many times, locks are for honest people.

[The Provider]

If docked anywhere near Picton @ BOQ, lock everything in sight. There must be some serious unemployment rates in the area as I have been and know of many other anglers who have been ripped in the middle of the night. Did not matter if on a trailer or docked in a slip, the vultures would get you. I have had my lock boxes unscrewed, kicker taken off the boat, rods gone, downriggers dismounted, you name it. Just once I would love to catch someone with their head tucked under my tonneau cover with their donkey sticking out, they would surgically have to remove my Harley workboot!!

[tschirk]

Great point Irishfield, about undoing the ball.

I run a chain through my outboard between the shaft and the transom mount chained through trailer wheel spoke & frame. I have heard of theives using chainsaws or such to cut the motor right out of the transom!

[Whopper]

I lock the trailer like Irish said. I have never locked my boat to any dock ever. I guess thats why I have insurance.

The day someone steals my boat from the dock I will quit fishing and take up hunting.

[Radnine]

Thanks, as usual guys.

You make the situation sound a bit dire, but that’s why I asked.

[danc]

I've never seen anyone lock anything up here, including me. Rods, tackle and whatever else is left in the boat even if it is out of eye sight overnight.

[danbouck]

Has anybody ever heard of a boat @ a dock being stolen? I can see the trailer but never heard of a boat being stolen.

[Guest skeeter99]

ohhh!!!! YES!!! have seen and heard of lots of boats being stolen from the docks

 

 

it is the best way to steal a boat, the ignition systems can be by passed in about lets say 30 seconds even for a amateur, they drive off and strip the boat clean motor and anything of value

 

when I was working at goreskis about 10 years ago 2 guys tried to steal a cabin cruiser

 

and with a inboard/outboard engine you must run your blower to remove the gas fumes from the engine bay or you will blow up, well these clowns hot wired the cruiser and got to about the goreski sign and kaboom!!!!

 

 

maybe some of you remember the charred shoreline and boards that held up the shoreline that was a attempted robbery!!

 

most boats that get ripped off are hi performance ones and high end bass boats though and the easier 16 ft aluminums

 

the most problems are in the winter with outdrives and props going missing, basically 4 bolts and you have just scored $2500 for a alpha one outdrive and the props guys leave on especially stainless, they are not picky now cause of merc's flo torq hubs that will basically fit any brand of boat if you remove the standard rubber hub!!

 

but it is not that bad yet!!

 

usually it is just kids for the most part lookin for dope money

[danbouck]

ohhh!!!! YES!!! have seen and heard of lots of boats being stolen from the docks

it is the best way to steal a boat, the ignition systems can be by passed in about lets say 30 seconds even for a amateur, they drive off and strip the boat clean motor and anything of value

 

when I was working at goreskis about 10 years ago 2 guys tried to steal a cabin cruiser

 

and with a inboard/outboard engine you must run your blower to remove the gas fumes from the engine bay or you will blow up, well these clowns hot wired the cruiser and got to about the goreski sign and kaboom!!!!

maybe some of you remember the charred shoreline and boards that held up the shoreline that was a attempted robbery!!

 

most boats that get ripped off are hi performance ones and high end bass boats though and the easier 16 ft aluminums

 

the most problems are in the winter with outdrives and props going missing, basically 4 bolts and you have just scored $2500 for a alpha one outdrive and the props guys leave on especially stainless, they are not picky now cause of merc's flo torq hubs that will basically fit any brand of boat if you remove the standard rubber hub!!

 

but it is not that bad yet!!

 

usually it is just kids for the most part lookin for dope money

 

I guess i'm buying some locks after I pick up my new boat!

[tjsa]

I've never seen anyone lock anything up here, including me. Rods, tackle and whatever else is left in the boat even if it is out of eye sight overnight.

 

I do not leave anything laying about, too many unscrupulous ingrates walking around at all hours of the night.

Trailer locks, Python Locks through the wheels of my trailer, etc., etc.

My 2 neighbors had their outboards stolen from their sheds/garages. One was a cheap metal shed, the other had his stolen because they broke through his window in his garage. My shed does not have a window, deadbolt lock on it, and I have the motor lock on it also inside.

 

At our local marina, I have heard of downriggers being stolen, even if locked, and kicker motors in a supposedly "secure" environment, but the security company that patrols the marina cannot be there 24-7. And, I have noticed this personally, since I

play darts out of our local marina's bar/lounge, when I take a smoke break outside. I have been outside many, many times over the past years since all business up here went "smoke free", and have yet to see anyone in all those times over the last 4 yrs. or so patrolling the marina.

 

And as someone else said, with the availability of cordless sawsalls, angle grinders, etc., and at cheap prices(tools have come way down in price the last two years) you cannot possibly protect your investment from everyone. Best option is to have our toys stored completely out of site if possible, but that is not an option for most of us, including me.

[Radnine]

So are you saying that the anti-smoking bylaws have lowered your local crime rate?

Edited February 21, 2008 by Radnine