Conference unifix::sailing

    Your mention of Belize triggered memories of a former acquaintance who
    lived on Roatan (the largest island off Belize) and cruised quite a bit
    through that area, as well as accompanying various friends under sail. 
    He remarked that if leaving the boat for a few days, the thing to do
    was hire a local "guard" (perhaps some kid with a small boat),
    negotiate a price, give him a few bucks of it up front with a promise
    to pay the balance if everything was OK upon return.  He also liked to
    throw in the promise of a bright t-shirt as well, as an incentive or a
    tip.  
    
    Some places I've read the trick is to hire a local to do some work on
    your boat (painting, etc) and offer payment only upon return; the
    worker theoretically will want to be sure you're satisfied, and is
    (more) likely to thwart any attempts to target your vessel, now a
    temporary source of local employment.  I would definitely investigate
    local custom and try to work out some arrangement accordingly. 
    Patterns, prices and expectations might vary considerably over
    relatively short distances.
    
    And I'd deadbolt the cabin doors and hatches, hide any keys, and
    disconnect something electrically critical in an out-of-the-way
    location.
    
    J.

thanks for your reply J,

>    Your mention of Belize triggered memories of a former acquaintance who
>    lived on Roatan (the largest island off Belize)

When I was last in Belize, I stayed on Ambergis Key which I thought was one
of the main islands. However I remember Roatan island in the Bay of Islands
group off Honduras, could you be meaning Roatan Honduras or is there another 
Roatan off Belize?
 

>    He remarked that if leaving the boat for a few days, the thing to do
>    was hire a local "guard" (perhaps some kid with a small boat),

Yes I would think this would be a good thing to at least check out.

>    And I'd deadbolt the cabin doors and hatches, hide any keys, and
>    disconnect something electrically critical in an out-of-the-way
>    location.
    
I suppose locking the rudder in position would impair the would be thief as
well.
Has anyone done such an cruise where you have had to think of taking such
precautions because you have left the boat unattended for a period of time?

Lewis

    Since there's only one large island Roatan, it's probably the one
    you're thinking of.  I might be clearer on my geography if I'd been
    lucky enough to visit there myself.  (Ever meet Henry Genthe while you
    were there?)
    
    John.

    > Ever meet Henry Genthe while you were there?
    
    No I never went to Roatan in the Bay Islands, but I did do a fair amount
    of scuba diving off Utila (the neighbouring island). However there are
    some real characters about those parts, I think Henry Morgan the pirate
    was said to have based himself there once, and with his reputation I
    wouldn't have wanted to leave a boat anywhere near him - colourful people
    and colourful places.
    
    Lewis
    

Gentlemen, 

If anyone else has done any bluewater cruising in their own yacht
or comtemplated it, I would be most interested in any precautions and 
considerations you took for the security of the yacht.

With the difficulties of being able to obtain insurance for ocean sailing,
let alone being able to afford it, it goes without saying that any security
taken against the theft of the vessel is worth while.

The base note wasn't exactly swamped with responses, it may well be that 
no one has comtemplated the above before, if have you have, type it in, I for
one would like to hear about it.

Yours etc

Lewis

Most yachts are ludicrously vulnerable to breakin and theft, eg and 
especially the flimsy hasps used to lock many companionway weatherboards.
Much can be done to make them less so. However, I very much doubt that a 
boat can be made invulnerable. A determined thief simply won't care how much 
damage he does in breaking into your boat and repairing that damage many 
cost more than replacing the stolen gear.

If the boat is in an accessible place (unattended boatyard, mooring, 
etc) where the thief can work unobserved, there isn't much you can do
except buy insurance. Burglar alarms are of limited value. Even if you 
use contact switches on all hatches and ports, it wouldn't take all that 
long or all that much effort to simply saw a big hole in deck or to saw
out the hatch glazing. 

I would expect that steel boats could be made much less vulnerable than
non-steel boats, but even then there are limits to what can be done. 
If your boat is one of many in a boatyard, marina or mooring area, then
making your boat less vulnerable will encourage the would be thief to go
to an easier target (a theory anyway). Having a somewhat less than
Bristol exterior might suggest that a newer, shinier boat would be a
better target also (another theory, and one I use to justify our less
than Bristol exterior). Keeping as much gear out of sight (off the deck)
might help, too. 

If I were setting off around the world, I'd be sure to have a
contingency fund for replacing stolen, damaged, or failed critical
equipment. Back when we stored our boat in a boatyard during the winter,
we took everything home that we possibly could. About the only things
left aboard were the winches. If I were leaving a boat in a foreign port 
for some time, I'd look into finding a storage facility where gear could 
be stored, preferably one not near the waterfront. 

Alan

Now that I've been negative ......

To make a boat more secure, begin by looking at the boat assuming you
were going to break to it. What looks vulnerable, especially if you
aren't worried about seriously damaging the boat? 

For example, our companionway weatherboards were originally locked by 
the usual flimsy hasp that could probably be broken with a small
screwdriver. I modifed the sliding hatch and top weatherboard to use
high security home door deadbolt. Much better. But .... our companionway
weatherboards are retained by exterior teak trim. A small crowbar
inserted between the trim and weatherboards could easily be used to
break the trim, allowing the weatherboards to be removed. The next 
anti-theft upgrade would be to replace the teak trim with, say, 1/4"
thick stainless steel plate through-bolted to the bulkhead. 

But then the weatherboards become the most vulnerable. They could be
sawn through or broken with a sledge hammer. Well then, cover the
weatherboards with a 1/4" thick stainless steel plate. 

On to the hatches. A bigger crowbar could likely be used to pry 
open a hatch under its lip. Most hatch latches don't look all that 
strong. Many hatches use 1/4" or maybe 3/8" acrylic for glazing. A 
sledge hammer will break that nicely. Lexan would be much better. 

And on and on. 

Once the thief is inside the boat, he has all the time necessary to look 
for hidden fuel shutoffs, to bypass locked battery switches, etc, so I 
wouldn't bother with them. 

Again, all you can do is make it more difficult, you can't make it 
impossible. 

Alan

    I thought Alan's comment in .6 was appropriate: making your boat
    impregnable is impossible: you may make breaking into the boat more
    costly to repair than in losing your belongings.
    
    The same argument applies to homes: you try to make your house
    "reasonably" secure.  A determine thief is going to break in.  A few
    years ago we put all kinds of gizmos on our glass sliding door to keep
    the door from being forced open.  Instead, the first thief broke the
    entire aluminum door, and the second time, broke the window.  The cost
    to replacing the damage house/door far exceeded the cost of the missing
    goods.
    
    Bob

I think there are 2 schools of though and you take your choice by what you
believe in. 

Either make the boat look very ordinary (equivalent to Alan's not_so_Bristol
look), the idea being that the odds of yours being hit are same as any other.
This works well when surrounded by lots of similar or better boats, but not 
if there are only a couple.  I've used that philosophy as a "normal" weekend 
sailor in marinas in England and it was very successful for 4 years. 

The opposite theory is make it look much tougher in the hope that they will
pick an easier target. (The only problem with this is it also makes it look 
like there is something worth protecting inside). If you will leave the boat 
in places where there are only a few others this HAS to be the way.

In my current circumstances (my boat is abroad in France unattended long 
periods) I prefer the look_tough option because:- 

	relatively easy to see that my boat is completely un-attended 
	 (the boat isn't moved for months)

	the registration sticker, port of registry and English boat name 
	all tell the story that this is a "foreign" boat, 
	 (likely (likely to contain *all* the normal boat equipment.)

For the look_tough option, the look is all important. The thief balances
effort, risk and reward when he chooses a boat. I believe a boat which LOOKS
tough has better protection than a boat which IS tough but doesn't look it. The
reason is same as stated by others. That is you can break into anything if you
try. A boat which looks tough discourages the thief from trying. He may instead
force his way into a boat which is in fact much more difficult to enter.

So when my boat is locked up for the duration it has the flashing red warning
light in window port and stb, curtains are closed so you can't see if its worth
the bother, ALARM signs in cockpit and side windows  (but no alarm), the
hatches and locker-lids (which all hinge up) have a heavy section of anchor
chain shackled over then, washboards are ply-wood but have obvious
re-enforcement and run in metal frames. 

The topsides have a deliberate bare look. The boom is stored inside, none of the
sails are left bent on (so it can't be sailed away), all pulleys, genoa cars,
anchor, chain etc are all taken in. 

In short, it looks like the boat is locked. For 3 years its been OK like this.
I lost a couple of small pulleys one year (~$20) because I got careless. I've 
never bothered with local off-boat storage, that could be riskier than locking
it in your own boat, certainly costs much more and is more hassle than its 
worth. Then again I've only sailed in relatively civilised areas (Italy France, 
Spain)

Also think about leaving the boat out of the water if its a long period.
It can't be sailed away, sailed into etc if its ashore. Sometimes costs of 
lift + storage ashore could work out cheaper than the fees afloat. Plan the
maintainance and anti-fouling to these times too ;^)

Pick your philosophy and belive in it, life is too short to worry.
Steve

    What a PAIN having to go through all that lock up strip down drill
    everytime you leave your boat for more than a week or two. I know,
    the pain of the alternatives can be worse.  And that is not stripping
    down the boat and locking things up heavily and then sufferering the
    theft losses.  We certainly live in an imperfect world... work hard
    to buy an expensive item like a boat and then have to baby sit the
    damm thing so somebody else doesn't take it, or part of it away from
    you.  What a waste.
    
    Jeff
    

    This idea is for preventing boat theft only, not breaking in:
    
    If one were willing to spend the time designing and installing it, why
    wouldn't an underdeck steering quadrant lock be helpful?  Lock the
    rudder hard over.  Perhaps disengage the steering wheel or tiller, but
    that's another question.  If one could open an aft hatch, fit a heavy
    metal bar or section of chain from a glassed or bolted in eye to an
    appropriately sized and positioned hole in the quadrant, wouldn't that
    likely discourage a thief who would even be able to tow it easily?  
    
    Mind's a crankin'....
    
    John.
    

    Good idea John, it certainly would make stealing a large boat
    impractical.  Anything that makes it hard to steal should help 
    because the thief is looking for a free ride... or at least an
    easy ride, otherwise he wouldn't be stealing, right?

    I'm really surprised that more boats are not stolen each year.

    Out of all the things to steal I can think of easier things to hide.
    Unless your stealing a trailerable boat which can be moved out of
    State fast the odds of getting caught seem high to me.  To steal a
    boat at a marina via water what are you going to do? Proceed up or
    down the coast at a max typical speed of 20 knots or so?  Any law
    enforcement helicopter can run you down without half trying unless 
    fog is involved.  Even with fog or bad weather what are you going to
    do with say a 50 ft cruiser?  You can't take it home.  Seems to me
    that if a thief is after money its far more profitable and less 
    risky to steal the contents rather than the boat itself.
    
    Jeff

    
    
    Ok.. lets see if I have this straight.
    
    1. Find a boat that is typical, not accessed often, and an easy mark.
    2. Break in at night.
    3. Pull out a can(s) of paint that matches the stern and bow.
    4. Paint over the stern and bow name and numbers (IF they even exist)
    5. Pull out a pre cut stencle and paint 'your' boat name on the stern.
    6. slap a couple of new reg. numbers on the bow.
    7. If the boat is cutter rigged or has any special rigging, remove it
    so that it appears a different rig. 
    8. sail it to a rather seedy marina.
    9. haul and repaint the hull and finish the job buy quickly selling it
    or stripping it to its component parts.
    10. Repeat steps 1 thru 9
    
    					hmm......   ;)
    
    							Georgia  
    
    

    Paint quickly?
    
    Sell quickly?????
    
    Yuh right. I believe the inherent hassle of owning/storing/selling
    keeps the theft down. Also, I try to watch boats around me when
    sleeping at the mooring, and ask neighbors to return the favor.
    
    Perhaps a couple of car ideas, like fuel cutoff (ignition cutoff for
    gas engine), and slide-out instruments. If a theif sees a gutted nav
    station, he may move on. BTW, ashore is an easier (typlically) place
    to get ripped off, in my estimation.
    
    I'd like to see a good idea to assure that my inflatable doesn't get
    swiped when cruising- I have a wimpy lock and cable to stop kids below
    the age of 3, but unless I deflate and bury the thing, I worry...
    
    Scott

    "Voiles et Voiliers" the French sailing magazine had a very interesting
    article on Pirates last month.
    
    There were quite extensive descriptions of what theives do to boats
    once stolen - the colour and name change are in there. Re-sale did not
    seem to be the motive of the theft, it seemed to be more about
    smuggeling goods/drugs etc..
    
    The really interesting info was that France have a central office to
    which to report all thefts of boats and that in conjunction with
    interpol, they can spread the description of the boat all over the
    world.
    
    They (the mag) recommended that owners note all specifics of their boat
    somewhere safe - and particularly things like radar identification
    signals and distress beacon signal identification - which help
    authorities find the boat.
    
    Paul

    Are you kidding the cops would come screaming out of the Dunkin
    Donoughts and go screaming down the launch ramps to chase the boat...
    too many taxes!

I'm more or less of the opinion that if someone really wants to steal 
our boat, they'll manage to do so no matter what we  can reasonably do
to prevent it. Once it has been stolen, the hull identification number
changed (not difficult) and the hull repainted, the problem becomes
locating and identifying the boat. 

For models built in large numbers, proving a particular boat is yours 
could be difficult. One way of doing so would be to take photographs of 
any custom modifications. Another would be to glue an identifying label 
under, say, the cabin sole where you'd need a mirror to see it. When we 
removed the bottom paint from our boat to epoxy coat the bottom, we 
painted our names, the boat name, and the boat documentation number on 
the bottom before applying six coats of epoxy. We photographed this area 
before putting on the new bottom paint. 

Having a more or less unique boat might deter theft. Only 60 or so 
Valiant 32s have been built, and not all that many other boats have 
canoe sterns. This would make locating our boat somewhat more likely 
than, say, locating a stolen Catalina 30.

    Color can have a factor as well. Deciding that the uniqueness of the
    boat design of ours ( only 85 Alden 36's built) and the canoe stern
    wouldn't be enough, we left our boat the original green color it was
    when we purchased it. Our broker told us that people rarely bought
    green boats, let alone stole them. :-)
    
    Robert