Boat and Trailer Security, Theft Deterrent, and Locating.

[FireFighterHill]

Whats everyone doing to keep their boats safe and secure? GPS locators in both boat and trailer? Trailer Locks? Looking for idea's and advice to protect my investment and if the worst happens recover it quickly.

 

[Ratket]

When it’s out side I have a “ Ball Lock” on it. If someone breaks that and steals it, that’s what I have insurance for.

 

[Neutron]

I have the best security system, its the "very nosey neighbors with guns "
Nobody goes down my street with only 10 houses on it without someone noticing something.
Plus i have 10 cameras completely covering every inch of my house.

 

[Dixie Highway]

Fold the tongue and padlock the safety chains around it. If they really want it any simple lock won’t stop them, that’s when the insurance kicks in.

 

[haknslash]

Insurance

 

[Elliott]

The FSH is on the second/upper level of the rack at the marina, which is in a gated community with security patrols and video cameras at the marina. First, they have to hot wire the forklift ....

 

[mark_m]

Anyone with a solution that has a boat in a slip? Nest camera?

 

[jEt_jAk]

I wasn’t worried so much about the boat but more about the speakers and sub. I bought a battery powered motion detector for one overnight stay. Seemed to work ok.

 

[JBehrens]

I used to be really concerned about locking the trailer to the truck/something when not being towed but after having 2 locks completely break on me and seeing just how easy it is to break off just about every trailer lock on the market, the new approach is parking my truck in front of the trailer, followed by a 9mm (if I'm home), then insurance. If someone really wants your boat they will find a way no matter how much you try and protect it.

If you really wanted to get into tracking the boat, Spot has a GPS vehicle tracker that could be worth a look.

 

[Bluewater272]

Camera overlooking the boat (and a well armed overprotective owner). Also have a GPS tracker hidden inside, and it's well insured. When it's out of season, I have the tongue folded and padlocked, and chain around the trailer frame around a tree.

 

[Jim Crane]

I have a tire boot for when I am gone for the week. Installs in about a minute.
Trimax TWL100 Hardware Amazon.com : Trimax TWL100 Hardware : Automotive Wheel Locks : Sports & Outdoors

 

[Elliott]

Seriously, you might want to consider a game camera with photo and video that has a cellular card. It is: self contained (you can add a solar panel to keep it charged), works day or night and is inexpensive (depending on how you set the parameters). Trailcampro.com will give you a good idea as to what is possible. If the camera is tripped it sends the image to your smartphone, and you can evaluate the situation.

 

[Ronnie]

Insurance policy with stated value coverage, hitch lock, lock the tongue in the folded position put a boot on one or two tires and mobile drone.

DroneMobile | Smartphone Remote Start, Security & GPS Tracking

DroneMobile connects your car to your smartphone for remote start, security, dash cam monitoring and GPS tracking.

www.dronemobile.com

I had my whole rig (truck, trailer, boat and everything in them stolen once upon a time) but that is another story. Suffice it to say, once bitten twice shy.

 

[gthh]

I have a camera on my boat but the problem is with cameras especially at night you can't see make out any details. The best you can do is know what time it happened and how many perps were involved.

Below is a trip line "alarm" you can rig up. This one has a 12 gauge report, loud enough to scare the perps away and alert you that something is up.

If your worried you can jack up your trailer and remove the tires.

 

[Julian]

I just fold the tongue and put a hardened padlock in the holes where the pin goes for the tongue. If they want to take the time to cut the lock....that is what insurance is for. I also have cameras at home on the boat and driveway...recently upgraded to HD Ring cameras with cloud storage.

 

[2kwik4u]

I just fold the tongue and put a hardened padlock in the holes where the pin goes for the tongue. If they want to take the time to cut the lock....that is what insurance is for. I also have cameras at home on the boat and driveway...recently upgraded to HD Ring cameras with cloud storage.

This is what I do....well similar anyway, when the boat is away from the truck and NOT in the garage.

Tongue folded with the chains wrapped around the bow stop and padlocked to the holes left from folding the tongue. Ball lock on the actual hitch. Pin for the folding tongue stays in the tow vehicle when away from the house.......Backed up with an agreed value insurance policy.

I'm not going to shoot someone that is stealing my boat with any of my guns (well maybe the nerf collection has something). It's absurd to me to think that my boat is worth more than either of our lives (Theirs removed, and mine in jail). They want it bad enough, they can take it. I don't have cameras either. Camera's are only to help catch a thief, I don't think they do much to prevent the crime in the first place.......and I say that after installing countless "dummy cams" that are just housings and blinking LED's for customers. Most often they will call back and want the real thing to catch the repeat offenders they were trying "to just scare off" in the first place.

In the end, it's just a boat. It's a damn nice boat, and it's my boat, but if someones gonna take it, then so be it. I do a reasonable amount to keep it mine, but in the end, I have bigger things to spend my time on.

 

[Julian]

Camera's are only to help catch a thief, I don't think they do much to prevent the crime in the first place.

I use ours for lots of non-security type things...who's at the door, who pulled into the driveway, which contractor drove over my lawn and broke my sprinkler head (actually happened...they paid to replace the head) etc.

I also figure....if you are looking at a couple of houses to steal a boat from....they'll chose the one that doesn't have cameras all over it first. Won't stop them for sure....if nothing else....I'll get to wave good bye to her on the video! LOL

 

[2kwik4u]

I use ours for lots of non-security type things...who's at the door, who pulled into the driveway, which contractor drove over my lawn and broke my sprinkler head (actually happened...they paid to replace the head) etc.

I also figure....if you are looking at a couple of houses to steal a boat from....they'll chose the one that doesn't have cameras all over it first. Won't stop them for sure....if nothing else....I'll get to wave good bye to her on the video! LOL

You're certainly not wrong on the other uses. I think theft deterrent factor is low, but the other uses are great reasons to have a camera system.

 

[Matt Phillips]

When I park mine on the street for a week or two per year, I have a ball lock on it, and always fold the tongue away at a 45 degree angle with a combo padlock in the holes. I figure if they REALLY want the boat and trailer, they can have it and that's what insurance is for...but I'm all about making mine a more difficult target than the boat a little ways away.

 

[grywlfbg]

I fold the tongue back and leave the pin in the garage. I also have a locking pin through the hitch (easy to defeat but one more thing to mess with) and a wheel boot. If my dog doesn't hear them after all that they can have it. I have stated value insurance for both boat and trailer.