Do you leave your boat unlocked?

[Mike OReilly]

Whether I lock or not is entirely situational. Most of the time I don’t, but when we’re at a dock in a larger area, and planning to be away for a while, I do lock.

I don’t lock out at anchor, and like SB, the keys are in the cockpit so anyone can start the engine if need be.

[Shrew]

I do not lock mine for several reasons.

1) If someone really wants to break in, they're going to BREAK in. If given the choice, I'd prefer they simply TRESPASS.

2) If someone wants to steal my liquor, food, and underwear, they must need it more than me. These things are cheap and replaceable.

3) They don't need to break-in in order to steal my electronics

4) If bilge pumps are running constantly, boat is sitting extremely low in regards to waterline, or if the boat is dragging, I want people to have any access necessary to help me out.

[B23iL23]

Couple of weeks ago, out for a walk on the local pier and saw teenagers swimming off the pier. They thought it was a great idea to swim out and board the boats at anchor and jump off them.



Found one that was not locked and 5 minutes later they were all down below doing whatever they were doing.


I lock mine 100% of the time.

[fatherchronica]

I do lock my boat. I was a general contractor and worked around mostly Downtown Los Angeles through out the 1970's and even though me and my partners kept our trucks locked and had many employees on the job sites we had things stolen sometimes. In 1981 my wife and I bought a ranch in Central California, no neighbors for about 10 miles, 3 miles up a dirt road, 1/2 a mile past our gate to our home, no phone, 35 minutes to any civilization, and as I built a house, stables and other ranch necessities I would by force of habit lock and unlock my tool boxes all day. My wife never stole anything to the best of my knowledge, but why take chances. Not saying anything about anyone's anchoring because I have dragged anchor before, but it has been a few decades thankfully. But we have a really oversized Rocna we love, all chain rode and unless we anchor in the night or in foul water I launch our dinghy, " Mintberry Crunch" that has 2 Lexan windows in the floor and take a look at my anchor.

[zeehag]

i have not locked my boat since i left san diego. yes i leave the key in the ignition switch.
no nothing has been missing since i left san diego, wherein my engine mounted fridge compressor was stolen, my packing gland tool was stolen as were other items intrinsic to my formosa, despite the boat being locked and allegedly secure.

[Hudson Force]

My Son once had his surfboard stolen from our deck while docked at a marina as well as a bicycle taken from a place on shore, but we've never had any other loss by theft during the years that we lived aboard. During those 45 years we only locked our boat when we left it at a dock while leaving the area for a few days or more. I also left my key in the ignition.
We've found it awkward adapting to life ashore. We still keep the mail service that we used while cruising. We've avoided using our immobile address on all our contact forms. ...... 'and we always leave our doors locked. We're very comfortable in our fixed location and the space is amazing, but we don't leave everything unlocked like we did on the water!

[Shrew]

I spent 6 years in a marina that was 2 blocks from crack houses. The cabin door didn't have a lock. I left the keys in the ignition of that boat for all 6 years I was there (9 years total that I owned the boat).

I actually got a little stressed once when my wife took the key out of the ignition. My argument was :

1) That key hasn't been removed in at least 8 years (at the time). I have no idea if they key will go back in easily.

2) I wouldn't even know where to store it, and was afraid of losoing it (I didn't have another key).

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by Shrew

I spent 6 years in a marina that was 2 blocks from crack houses.

Incidentally, that marina did have a number of break-ins over the years. In many cases, they would kick the cabin door in. Fishing poles and just about anything on deck was stolen. Frequently liquor was stolen (never from my boat).

I never had anything stolen. It started to become a joke that, because my cabin didn't have a lock, thieves must have assumed that I didn't have anything worth stealing.

I would take my chartplotter inside and store it in a locker.

[a64pilot]

I lock ours when away, as I believe it’s required to be converted under Insurence, (you need evidence of forceable entry) you wouldn’t even need a tool actually on our boat, Just kick in the boards.
I keep the ignition key on a hook in the companionway.
Same with the dinghy, I lock the motor to the dinghy and the dinghy to the dock with a 30’ steel cable, even if we are the only dinghy locked.
To replace the dinghy is about $10,000 and we may be where there isn’t one, and swimming ashore would get real old real fast.

We have driven Miata’s for years and still do. We always used to leave them unlocked, but have learned your getting your top cut anyway, they don’t check the door first, they just cut the top.
I lock this Miata as it’s sort of hard to replace ( a Mazdaspeed Miata) and for the alarm / ignition disable to work requires the doors to be locked, first remote push locks, second turns on alarms and ignition disable.

[cottonsail]

We never lock our boat. We keep the boat at a Military base marina(NAS Key West). If we have security issues there I want some tax money back.

[amanoni]

Yeah, I too like most leave the key in the ignition if anchored out. I do close the hatchway, but not locked (sometimes those dang birds land on the boat ;-). If at a public dock, and I'll be away for awhile, shopping, dining etc. I'll generally close up and take the keys. I too have my name, mobile and email posted on the side port, JIC.

[Hudson Force]

We once had our dinghy "stolen" from the dinghy dock in Annapolis. It was back in fifteen minutes with gratitude and a champagne bottle from the couple who found it the fastest way to close their hatches with a sudden afternoon shower. 'probably too bold a move for me. My stuff would have been soaked, but I accepted their apology and the champagne.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by cottonsail

We never lock our boat. We keep the boat at a Military base marina(NAS Key West). If we have security issues there I want some tax money back.

Docked permanently or moored?
How long were you on the list?
How did the Marina fare Irma. I’ve been wondering that.

[wiekeith]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I lock ours when away, as I believe it’s required to be converted under Insurence, (you need evidence of forceable entry) you wouldn’t even need a tool actually on our boat, Just kick in the boards.

Yes, that's the only reason I lock mine when I leave the boat for a few hours or more. Not because it will stop anyone from breaking in, as many have pointed out, but to comply with my insurance.

I'd hate to have a serious amount of stuff robbed, then be told by the insurance company that they won't pay-up because I didn't lock the companionway.

[Moontide]

I lock up but always leave the keys in the ignitions (cat). My problem is more remembering to pull the keys out every once in a while so they don't get corroded in. Yanmar engines so not even sure you can really call them keys.


Bill