re: outboard motor lock for CP19?

[mikeg]

Hi all,
Had a terrific Florida winter "sail" on Freebird, our CP19 on Dec. 30th. Had her out for a few hours- but the wind (forecast out of the ESE at 10) only made it up to 4, and then died completely about an hour into our voyage. The 6hp iron wind got us back to the marina (where we're dryslipped/on trailer) just fine. We haven't yet bought a motor-locked-to-motor-mount lock for our 4 stroke Merc yet, so we removed to motor and trucked it home to our garage.

And good thing, because the dockmaster called me today on my cell to say the marina had several small o/b motors stolen off of sailboats the other night. Now I know there's a reason I lugged that little monster home after our time on the water.

Anyway, could you all recommend a fine motor lock? We're heading up to a West Marine in Orange Park this weekend, and will buy a lock at that time. I've only seen the brand "Shur-Lock" before (on lil outboards in northern Minnesota during the summer), but I'm sure you guys could recommend others. And ones that aren't easily bolt-cuttered would be best. Apparently some folks had deterent cable locks and they were cut right through, and the goods made off with.

Thanks,
Mike G.
s/v Freebird

[pelican]

Sadly, If thieves want the motor bad enough.... they will get it.  You can buy the best locks and they can still remove the outboard bracket. These small motors hanging on a small bracket are easy targets. Any lock will deter the average thief but will only present a challenge to the more determined thief. Some thieves would chop out the stern if necessary. Then the question becomes.. Do you want boat damage and a missing motor or would you prefer "just a missing Motor"?

The best deterrent would be marina security or I would simply do what you do now... Take it with you. So sad, that we have to deal with these types of people. Best of luck

Terry

[fafnir]

I think using one of the locks from kryptonite may be a good idea.  Here is a link http://www.kryptonitelock.com/inetisscripts/abtinetis.exe/PublicArticleDetails@public?artid=3037&atf=products_item&pgrp=20

And here is an image (hopefully) This would be better then the silly little cables I saw at the marina last summer.

[mikeg]

Thanks for the comments, guys. I've since learned that the marina is looking into adding security lighting (and potentially security cameras). But even if all that gets put into place, the comment about cutting the transom to get at the mount/motor is pretty chilling. We'll be trucking our motor for the time being.

The krypto lock is pretty cool looking- but how the #(*%#@ would one attach that monster to a little old 6hp? -and then to the boat/mount? Seems like it'd up the ante for egomaniacal not-to-be-outdone thieves. Would he steal the entire boat just to show the lock who's runnin' things?!  (just kidding)
Mike

[pelican]

Mike,

I can tell you a short story of what happened to us... We have security lights,alarms and cameras at our yard. The cameras are in plain view for the world to see. Thieves have climbed the barb wire fence at night and stole thousands of dollars of equipment under the camera and lights before the police arrived.

The film clearly showed the thieves gaining entry and stealing things with the aid of battery operated reciprocating saw. (sawzall) spelling?.
The bottom line... the film had a couple of people on tape, but nobody could ID them.

We watched a thief steal a motor w/lock by cutting the metal motor mount assembly. He removed the motor faster with the saw then I could by turning the mounting bolts. .... Thieves do not care about any damage done to your boat. ... And motors are not the only thing they steal.

IMO. The only sure way to keep the motor secure is to take it home. People are truly blessed to live and keep their boats in areas where thieves are not a problem.

Terry

[Craig Weis]

Terry can you say sniper rifle? When you want to reach out and touch somebody,
use a FN FAL 30 round 7.62 cal. Good for 800 yards, that's about a 1/2 mile.
The dirty dogs, take the motor and choke on it.
They will keep this up till caught, so do you have the ID on the motor?
If they 'Sawall' away the motor mount, no lock will help.
It might turn-up. Good luck, Happy New Year. skip.

PS, Comfort and Joy is housed, covered-up, in a metal barn on a private farm in the middle of nothing
but rolling Wisconsin hills. So far she sits and waits for warmer weather in peace. When I park it
everything but the fiberglass comes off the boat for the winter. All else is in our warm basement.

Fighting crime or in a war, you fight to win. And it's far better to sit in the chair of the victor then in the chair of
the defeated. So much for politics.

[pelican]

Terry can you say sniper rifle? When you want to reach out and touch somebody.
The dirty dogs, take the moter and choke on it.
They will keep this up till caught, so do you have the ID on the motor?
If they 'Sawall' away the motor mount, the best lock in the world will go the the dirty dogs.
It might turn-up. Good luck, Happy New Year. skip.

Skip,

To try and make a long story short..  The alarm was going off every other night and we started getting charged for false alarms.  After that , we had the alarm company call us rather then the PD.

One of us would check it out  and most of the time, it turned out to be a fox or raccoon. But... on a couple of occasions we had thieves break in and make off with tools, motors and equipment. All our equipment has ID numbers and none has been recovered in the 1 1/2 year since it last happened.

I had another friend in the marine industry with a small steel barge powered with a 150 Johnson outboard.. They went to work one morning and the motor wouldn't start. They removed the cowling and discovered that someone stole the powerhead in the middle of the night. Stainless props are another popular item with todays discriminating thief. I think alot of this stuff gets sold VIA flea markets scrape yards, and internet auctions.

IMO, the only good marina security would be a live guard or maybe trained guard dogs. You are so right, they will continue till do it till caught and maybe continue after they do a few months in jail and get out.

There lies the real problem, ( IMO) these people steal till caught and then they get a slap on the wrist and back on the streets.

I apologize , I am way off the sailing topic........ Good luck back at you Skip...  Best wishes for the New year and hopefully nobody here will be touched by these water rats.

[mikeg]

Lively and good comments, all.

My wife and I stopped by the marina today (on our way up to Jacksonville) and our CP19 was fine- nothing taken. And again, since we'd trucked the motor home after our sail a week ago, all was well. I did notice that I had left our nice cockpit/cabin bulkhead mounted compass uncovered...which got me wondering if thieves would see it and pop it off there and take it. But I'm sure they're looking for easy-to-fence stuff like motors. And you need a ladder to even see into the cockpit of our 19 when she's on her trailer in the marina yard.

I got to looking at the Catalina 22 wing-keel and unusual duo-keeled sailboat on either side of us and vaguely remembered at least one of them having an o/b attached to their stern a week ago. Totally lame, my "neighbors" at the marina apparently getting ripped off like that.

I am going to record the serial number off of my Merc 6 now, but per the above comments, I guess it only helps if the police are able to actual recover the stolen property. And it sounds in many cases like that isn't possible. What an ideal world it'd be without these lame crooks.

Happy sails, all.
Mike

[pelican]

Blessings should go to the Police in many states,for they are overburdened with what the public perceives as real crime. Outboard motor theft is probably not at the top of their priority list.

IMO, they don't have time to check serial numbers on motors as they see them going down the road.  Most recovered items are probably stumbled on.

My perception : Your Boat/motor gets stolen.... You make a police report and call your insurance company to report your loss. You pay a deductable and get a new motor. Your old motor is across country on some guys boat...... Then everyone with insurance pays VIA rising insurance rates.

Terry

[Craig Weis]

Well you are correct. That is the way thiefing works.
Buy and pay for the insurance. skip