Security on board

[Ray T]

Possibly of more help to those new on the cut? From Warwickshire Police.

 

Summer is on its way...hopefully!

This means more people out and about on our canals

Please take a look at the below tips to secure your boat/ property.

1. Car alarms are based on 12VDC operation and so are the majority of our boats. Therefore a good quality alarm system, appropriately advertised, can be a deterrent to a casual thief. Top units will message owners of security breach.

2. GPS trackers are also a deterrent as the most sophisticated units can automatically inform you and the police if your boat moves for any reason.

3. Disable your engine.

4. Chain your boat to an appropriate mooring whilst in urban areas. This deters those that wish to cast off the boat. Usually considered by the perpetrators as a harmless prank, this can be quite distressing if you are the victim.

5. If it's not possible to use chain or steel rope and a padlock, try heavy-duty nylon cable ties.

6. Used close to bollards and T studs to clamp ropes together, these ties can be very effective at preventing casual casting off.

7. Fit window guards and bars across entrance doors. An extreme modification maybe, but some owners decide is necessary.

8. Upgrade all locks to the best quality available and secure hatches and doors with heavy-duty internal hasps.

9. Use cylinder padlocks, such as high security van types, which are harder to casually pick than conventional keyed padlocks.

10. Fit CCTV.

11. Fit PIR activated security lighting.

12. Fit a locking fuel tap or a tank alarm. There may be a few hundred pounds worth of fuel in your tank!

13. Don't leave valuable kit on the roof. Thieves rarely break in for it; it's often 'lifted' from the roof or deck.

14. Chain up bicycles. Just because they are on your roof or deck does not make them impossible to steal.

In an emergency please call 999, otherwise please call 101 (the national police non emergency number).

 

Kind regards,

 

PC 1672 Rob Davies

Safer Neighbourhood Team

Warwick Rural West,

Warwick Police Station

Warwickshire Police

[Alan de Enfield]

 

2. GPS trackers are also a deterrent as the most sophisticated units can automatically inform you and the police if your boat moves for any reason.

 

 

Now that would be a godsend for Cmers.

[Sea Dog]

They forgot to add "fit many, many batteries to power all of our impractical electronic security ideas".

[nicknorman]

Alarms in general are a complete pain in the arse. When they activate, everyone ignores them but they seriously disturb one's peace. Most activations are spurious. I've never see the point of them especially on a boat in the middle of no-where.

[Ray T]

Some of you may scoff but I found 5 & 6 worthy of consideration - deter the casual nuisance.

[WJM]

Alarms in general are a complete pain in the arse. When they activate, everyone ignores them but they seriously disturb one's peace. Most activations are spurious. I've never see the point of them especially on a boat in the middle of no-where.

I have an alarm inside my boat. My intention is not for it to try to summon non-existant help, but deafen the thieves. It is super-loud and with the sound trapped inside a steel box it is almost painful to be inside when it is ringing.

Some of you may scoff but I found 5 & 6 worthy of consideration - deter the casual nuisance.

Whenever I am moored anywhere that the local 'wildlife' are prone to un-tying boats for fun, I drop an anchor on the outside. That way, I will drift enough to avoid further attention but remain safe.

[nicknorman]

I have an alarm inside my boat. My intention is not for it to try to summon non-existant help, but deafen the thieves. It is super-loud and with the sound trapped inside a steel box it is almost painful to be inside when it is ringing.

 

Note to thief - bring ear defenders!

 

Anyway, how often does it activate spuriously and ruin the lives of neighbours? Do you even have a way of knowing?

Edited April 19, 2016 by nicknorman

[bizzard]

Leave your pet ravenously hungry Bengal Tiger onboard.

[I Spartacus]

The 12v electric fence wire works well as a good deterrent, but you will never stop them getting in if they are that determined.

Edited April 19, 2016 by I Spartacus

[Alan de Enfield]

The 12v electric fence wire work well as a good deterrent, but you will never stop the getting in if they are that determined.

 

The 12v fencing wire you speak of is actually about 10,000-15,000 volts.

It has a transformer that is powered by a 12v supply, but the actual voltage in the wire is way up in the 1000s

 

I have a 2800 metre length going around a field and it still has over 6000v at the end.

[I Spartacus]

I should have said run with an energiser, but they still don't like when trying to get over a security fence, you still need warning signs though

[The Bearwood Boster]

Some of you may scoff but I found 5 & 6 worthy of consideration - deter the casual nuisance.

We use cable ties when moored up in towns.Very useful in my humble opinion.

Trina

[Sea Dog]

The 12v electric fence wire works well as a good deterrent, but you will never stop them getting in if they are that determined.

And they'd probably nick that additional battery too!

[pquinn]

Leave your pet ravenously hungry Bengal Tiger onboard.

I seem to have misplaced my Bengal tiger, would a peckish hamster be up to the job ?

[FirstRateFirstMate]

How large a problem is boat theft on the canals? One would assume it is a rarity as they would be easy to find. Then again, there is the tale of the stolen hire boat

[ditchcrawler]

How large a problem is boat theft on the canals? One would assume it is a rarity as they would be easy to find. Then again, there is the tale of the stolen hire boat

Well this happened to a member last week, http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=83811

I have a friend who's boat was broken into during the day in Birmingham and there have been dozens of boat break ins in the Braunston area. Our boat was opened opposite the Boat House but whoever did it didn't fancy 4 big eyes looking up at him and left the slide open as he departed.

Edited April 19, 2016 by ditchcrawler

[Mike Todd]

Well this happened to a member last week, http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=83811

I have a friend who's boat was broken into during the day in Birmingham and there have been dozens of boat break ins in the Braunston area. Our boat was opened opposite the Boat House but whoever did it didn't fancy 4 big eyes looking up at him and left the slide open as he departed.

Thank you for reminding me of that experience!

 

Seriously, we do need to be vigilant but ideas do also have to be practical and to take into account the consequences. Recall that our burglary took place with four people on board, albeit asleep. I for one am more than reluctant to lock ourselves in, at least in ways that cannot be operated in an emergency. I certainly remove external locks from at least two exits whilst on board.

 

That said, if the thief is reading this, there will be additional measures next time you visit!

[Ray T]

How large a problem is boat theft on the canals? One would assume it is a rarity as they would be easy to find. Then again, there is the tale of the stolen hire boat

 

From a while back Que Sera Sera, reported as stolen. Was it? Was it found? Who knows?

 

Also:

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=81104&hl=stolen+boat

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=78045&hl=stolen+boat

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=73970&hl=stolen+boat

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=64880&hl=stolen+boat

[mattlad]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mbkWMEMB9s

[smileypete]

 

Now that would be a godsend for Cmers.

 

Now now, put the crayons away....

[Phil Ambrose]

I seem to have misplaced my Bengal tiger, would a peckish hamster be up to the job ?

Mine would, she is attack trained and can gnaw a man to death in 3 weeks.

Phil

[Hartlebury lad]

Alarms in general are a complete pain in the arse. When they activate, everyone ignores them but they seriously disturb one's peace. Most activations are spurious. I've never see the point of them especially on a boat in the middle of no-where.

Sorry Nick but I like the extra security of them, especially if the boat is unattended within earshot of neighbours. I have a pressure activated pad hidden under a mat, with a deafening alarm that sounds for 20 seconds then resets. I think that would deter all but the keenest crim.I also have a couple of cheap pin activated alarms - bit like a grenade- attached to the side hatch and inner rear hatch.

[nicknorman]

Sorry Nick but I like the extra security of them, especially if the boat is unattended within earshot of neighbours. I have a pressure activated pad hidden under a mat, with a deafening alarm that sounds for 20 seconds then resets. I think that would deter all but the keenest crim.I also have a couple of cheap pin activated alarms - bit like a grenade- attached to the side hatch and inner rear hatch.

If you can be certain they never activate spuriously I don't mind, and it sounds as though your's is unlikely to. But systems with motion detectors etc seem prone to false activation.

[system 4-50]

I reserve the right to take a sledge hammer to any alarm that goes on for more than 12 hours, or less if it is after bedtime.

Modern car alarms seem to be reliable these days but the older ones found on the foreign cars of new arrivals are still a pain.

There are three house alarms near my house. All have gone off in error at one time or another.

Whenever an alarm goes off we just ignore them so I am not sure they do much.

[Jambo]

Drawing the curtains and leaving a few lights on is far and away the best deterrant imo. LED lights consume bugger all and it constantly amazes me how many people leave their boats so obviously empty.