Do you leave your boat unlocked?

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by amanoni

I too have my name, mobile and email posted on the side port

This is an interesting point we were discussing this weekend. (Apologies for the minor hijack, but it's somewhat in line with the discussion)

We had a 42ft Chris Chris flybridge drag into us this past weekend. We were able to get a couple of dinghies to push the dragging boat (tugboat style) to avoid hitting us and then used the dinghy's to guide the boat so as it passed we could 'catch' it with lines and raft him up to us.

Their cabin was open, so my wife looked around for contact information in the cabin. Her exact words, "If they didn't want strangers snooping around their cabin, they should have anchored better!!!!" (Technically, they put out 25 feet of line (no chain) in 9 feet of water with a 7 kt breeze with a 14 lb Danforth on a 30K Lb boat. She kind of had a point.

Short story long....no contact info. and no way to advise the owners of a problem. When they arrived, one of the owners pulled calling cards from her purse.

We're making a waterproof contact card to affix to the cockpit for our own boat now.

[grantmc]

Originally Posted by 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.

Same for me. Locks only keep out honest people.
And I especially feel it's important for others to be able to get aboard, run motor etc if boat breaks its mooring.

[cottonsail]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

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

We are docked. We were on the wait list about 2 1/2 years. Irma was devastating to the marina. There's still damage being repaired. Sadly Irma did help us on the slip list wait time. A lot of the severely damaged and totaled under 40' boats were not replaced therefor moving the slip list. Every 40+ footer was replaced.

[blubaju]

"Locks only keep out honest people.And I especially feel it's important for others to be able to get aboard, run motor etc if boat breaks its mooring. "


In case you have an insurance, what do you think they will tell? Yes, with a Bolo it will only take a few minutes to break the wall, but not every wannabe-intruder knows that.


I am sailing in the Philippines, even anchoring out 1/2 mile, be sure some swim out, then they just climb on board, not even asking, and seems they can only look with their hands.


Our double sliding door is mostly locked, even when sleeping, the inner is Macrolon, the outer Aluminum grill

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by blubaju

In case you have an insurance, what do you think they will tell? Yes, with a Bolo it will only take a few minutes to break the wall, but not every wannabe-intruder knows that.

You have a deductible. How much do you think they'll steal without smashing things or leaving signs of forced removal?


They want cash, passports, electronics, booze, and drugs. Carry as little of all that as possible and keep it locked up, and you're good.

[blubaju]

Originally Posted by Jammer

You have a deductible. How much do you think they'll steal without smashing things or leaving signs of forced removal?


They want cash, passports, electronics, booze, and drugs. Carry as little of all that as possible and keep it locked up, and you're good.

Yes, you are right, but the no pay of the insurance sounds like: Proof of forced entrance?


My problem, I am dammed bad in story telling a lie and in this country many steal for fun, even medical equipment they have no clue what it is and removing the half of the machinery makes it useless anyway

[Boatguy30]

Depends on the location. I'm liking the idea more and more of only cruising places where the modest dinghy can left in the water at night unlocked and the boat unlocked during the day. Unfortunately, rules out most of the Caribbean

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by 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.

Mintbeerry Crunch!! Ha ha ha. Nice reference.

[anacapaisland42]

I'm not sure but you need to check with your insurance company !!!
it's all about "BREAK" and enter
Bill

Originally Posted by Ecos

I have almost always locked up the boat when we leave. Last year I anchored late at night in Isla Mujeres and in the morning locked up and went to town to check in. I met a woman on the street later that morning and she asked if I had off white boat, cause it was dragging across the harbor. No **** it was me. Several guy's had tried to get onboard and re anchor but it was locked. They wondered why I had locked up? How do you decide that?

[thinwater]

In 35 years I have never locked a boat. They had locks, I just never used them. I didn't want thieves to do more damage than the value of what they took. I learned that lesson with my car (broken window). I don't leave much of value. That said, nothing has ever gone missing. But I don't frequent high crime areas, either.


I've never taken the key out of the ignition, other than for an occasional lube.

[FlyingScot]

We usually lock up the boat when we leave. Twin Yanmar's always have the keys in the ignition when the engines are ready to be started (water and battery switch open/on).
Our slider door is locked.

I agree locks keep honest people honest to an extent. However, if someone breaks your door then the crime is already in progress and can't be undone. If they walk in and look around, most of the time they could talk their way out of it. IE they smelled smoke or heard a weird noise, etc.

Replacing things is often more hassle than just the cost to purchase.

[gbmacca]

I have a classic 55'Chris Craft, but as it's wood, insurance hard to get - so have $2000 excess.

Leave the boat open, as damage wood be more than $2000 to break in and only my guitars, Fender Strat and a Tukamine acoustic (better than a Maton) are the only valuable things on the boat.

What else would they take, an outboard $850, dinghy $1000, TV, etc etc - all far less than the damage to get in!

Cheers
Gbmacca

[Nikki S]

We padlock the deck lockers and the outboard when we leave the boat on its mooring to make it hard for someone to pinch that stuff - nothing valuable, just be a PIA to find the fishing tackle, bucket, dock lines, fenders or grab bag gone. And it’s in a high traffic location where it’d be super easy for anyone to hop on and grab a souvenir.... engine key is where our neighbours know it is so someone can move the boat if there was an emergency .
But once we were in a marina that fell apart around us in a storm and what saved most of the boats on our arm was a few guys that ransacked every rope they could find on every boat and tied the boats together in a big web, so that when the pontoons floated away in pieces the boats remained in situ. We actually called marine rescue for help to evacuate the marina which had lost its ramps and was inaccessible from the shore. Turned out their only operational vessel was on our arm without a key onboard. (We asked for their permission to hot wire it, but they didn’t give it. So we called the SES to bring an extension ladder to bridge the gap to shore and risked being hit by 10 tonne boulders being washed off the break wall onto the demolishing boardwalk instead).

[karenmccraw]

This post got me to thinking so I pulled out the insurance policy. It reads:


B4(k): THEFT
Theft is only covered if the items are stolen from locked
premises and there are visible signs of forced entry. This
exclusion does not apply to the theft of the entire insured
vessel(s) or tenders.


Our deductible for personal effects is zero, so I guess I really should lock up.



Our Volvos have push button start so no keys....in case of emergency I would welcome a Good Samaritan. I tape one of our boat cards to the salon door so we could be contacted if necessary.

[MV Wanderlust]

We lock our salon door for insurance purposes. The keys stay in the ignition. If the boat starts to drag while we're away or if we're in a marina and a nearby boat catches fire, we want some good Samaritan to be able to do the good Samaritan thing.

John