I RECENTLY read a blurb from River Canal Rescue about making your boat safe when left canalside, that I thought missed the point, writes T Lang.
It told of all the things you should do when leaving your boat, but everything showed that it was empty, and I am sorry to contest the writer, but surely the idea is to make as though the boat is lived in and liable to be visited at any moment instead of long left and a good target at leisure, that missed the point.
Showing thieves it is empty
Leaving curtains half open as many do, both in boats and houses, is a good way of showing thieves it is empty and a welcome to break in. The best thing is leave them wide open (with obviously nothing valuable in view of course), and say the bedroom curtains closed, that could give a certain impression!
I have been leaving my boat on many canals over the past 20 years for weeks on end, and never had it broken into, using that method, with the addition of a brush or something on the roof and say an old bucket with a rag on the gas locker.
Anything laid about
Or in fact anything laid about giving the impression you are in the middle of something.
That is surely better than the host of things suggested including steel bars and such that plainly show it is well unattended. And I might add, the padlocks on doors are no contest against a good pair of steel cutters.