Securing boats against illegal entry

Published: Thursday, 01 June 2023

THERE are stories going around about securing boats against illegal entry, writes Keith Gudgin.

Well, it's a fact, that the totally secure boat just does not exist, any more than the unsinkable boat does!

Might seem to work

The best way to secure your boat on the towpath is to be aboard. Drawing curtains (open or closed), putting bars on doors, padlocks on all entry points just does not work. The practice might seem to work Okay until one day...

There was one of these boats moored next to me once, leaving the curtains open to the galley. They had left the washing up bowl on the draining board and a tea towel on the work-top. Neither had been moved for over week... It was so obvious the boat was unoccupied!

I am a continuous cruiser and I see these semi-abandoned boats all the time. I refer to them as a lock-and-leave, locked up and left! No matter what the owners do they are obviously unoccupied for a long period. Winter's best, no stove chimney fitted, no coal or wood visible no disturbed vegetation or footprints in the mud etc etc. They're just such obvious targets!

Same boat in same area

Most of them are moved every couple of weeks, but not generally very far. If you are a continuous cruiser you see the same boat in the same area in the same condition week after week. It seems as if the owners don't live on board but also don't want to pay for a secure mooring! They also tend to be left in out of the way places, so are easy pickings for the low-life!

The fact that so many get broken into or vandalised is no surprise to me. I have done many things on my boat but have never been challenged to see if I am the owner or have the right to be working on her!

If you saw someone working on a boat, would you ask them if they had the right to be doing what they're doing? Of course you wouldn't and the criminals know this so are not afraid of passers by.

Mooring or marina

If you want to leave your boat in a secure manner then get a mooring or put it in a marina. Okay, it may not be 100% secure but it will certainly be better than leaving it on a publicly accessible towpath! You also need to check your insurance to see if it would be covered in this case?

Also, just about any staple type padlock is no deterrent to a criminal. They know that a good stout screwdriver will twist it off in seconds breaking either the lock or the staple. Most Yale type door locks are not much better either as one good kick and they're done for, especially if fitted to wooden doors.

You need a lock that cannot be got at by bolt croppers, hammers, screwdrivers or bars and also with a thick hardened steel locking bar that enters the steel superstructure by as much as possible. Locking two doors together leaves a very weak point which can easily be exploited.

Secured with a tiny padlock

Why do so many people buy a boat for tens of thousands of pounds and then expect to secure it with a tiny padlock that cost them just a couple of quid from the local DIY shop? Some of the padlocks you see on boat doors I wouldn't use to lock a suitcase!

When securing your boat you need to think along the lines of securing your house. Multi-lever deadlocks, high security padlocks, decent window locks etc. It's so easy to become complacent about the security of your boat. Take a long hard look at it, identify the weak points and secure them.

A motion or body heat alarm fitted inside would be a benefit in most cases, as long as it's fitted in a manner that cannot easily be got at to turn off or destroy! Those with a remote control are best here as they can be fitted behind a stout grill but only turned off by the device you have taken away with you!

Evening down at the pub

One more thing, I know of boaters who have had their boat broken into whilst they spent a pleasant evening down the pub. Why? Because they wore a coat, fleece or jumper etc with their boat's name plastered all over it?

So. Now the criminal knows you're in the pub and therefore the boat with that name is unoccupied until closing time etc. How? You've just told them so! Just a little thought could prevent a ruined cruise and so much sorrow, upset and wasted time!