Tom's Tips on Boat Theft

1. I’ve used and really like the Abus Stainless Steel Diskus 24/70 lock. It’s a bit pricey but I think worth it. It has a tough stainless steel body and a small shackle opening. It would be very difficult to saw or cut the hasp with bolt cutters when it’s closed around something, and you can’t get the key out (and therefore loose it) when the lock is opened. There are several variations in this series.

2. If you leave your nice dinghy unattended at a dock or alongside the boat, lock it with a good chain or stainless cable.

3. Some people deliberately “mess up” the appearance of their outboards so that they won’t look new and/or will be easily identifiable.

4. If you’re going to steal a pumpout boat, do it in the winter time.

5. If you don’t have a pumpout boat for a dinghy, bring your nice dinghy on board at night rather than leaving it hanging out on a painter like a bag of money.

6. If you’ve got to have a pretty boat, consider naming it “Pumpout.”

Copyright 2004-2008 Tom Neale