Electronics security

[chille51]

What do you all do to protect your chart plotters and other goodies from theft? My boat is not moored it is parked in my driveway and there are motion lights and a camera in the area. Still, I have been pulling my Lowrance Ti7 and downriggers off and putting them in the garage when not in use. Or at least in the locked cuddy if I am trying to make an early morning start. But I've got an HDS-Pro new in box to go on now, and an autopilot. Obviously the more you have the less convenient it is to pull it all off and put it back on every time. A good way to eventually wear out your connectors or accidentally break a pin too.

I've seen those Durasafe E-locks which replace the thumb screws on the gimbal mount with a keyed lock. But the gimbal itself is plastic and even if it was metal, an angle grinder would make short work. And then of course the screws that hold it down can just be removed unless you're using special security screws. Maybe better than nothing for short periods, but I'm not sure I would expect it to make much difference over night.

Where I work we used to use battery powered screamer alarms to protect projectors and flat panel displays etc. You epoxy the alarm to the unit and there is a small wire that wraps around something solid. If they disconnect the wire or cut it, the alarm goes off. They would be bulky for a boat though, and definitely not intended for marine environments.

As of right now, I am pretty resigned to just taking the MFD's off and putting them away when not in use - but interested in what others are doing and if there are any creative ideas out there.

 

[Fisher_dude]

I’m just as paranoid as you and my boat is parked behind a locked gate in my yard. I have cameras and a dog and I still take mine inside. I’ve never had an issue in the 6 years I’ve owned my boat but it only takes one crack head to come by and ruin my day.

 

[ClintR]

I’m just as paranoid as you and my boat is parked behind a locked gate in my yard. I have cameras and a dog and I still take mine inside. I’ve never had an issue in the 6 years I’ve owned my boat but it only takes one crack head to come by and ruin my day.

Same. I park my boat next to the house, yard light, large dog and I still bring my stuff inside. Maybe it’s nothing but I don’t just worry about theft, I’m concerned about the temperature in the cabin during summer.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Everything comes out in my boat. I wouldn't leave anything of value in your driveway. Security cameras or not.

 

[chille51]

Everything comes out in my boat. I wouldn't leave anything of value in your driveway. Security cameras or not.

Yeah, I won't be. I'll follow the same routine of pulling the big ticket items I always have. Was thinking more for when out on trips - for example moored up for the weekend at China Creek during sockeye season. I look around and see most people with their electronics out, and some even leaving their Islanders and other even easier to grab gear out. I guess I'm just not that trusting.

 

[zurk]

they dont steal electronics. all my chartplotters are programmed with a pin code lock anyway, but even though thieves visited my boat and several other boats at the yard the only thing they stole was outboard kickers.
electronics which are locked have little to no resale value. thieves will go for low hanging fruit. they dont even take radios since the mmsi is pretty much hardcoded into most radios these days.
i probably have more chartplotters and crap than you guys so im not lugging 8 chartplotters back home everytime i leave my boat. yeah take off ipads and laptops but dont worry about boat electronics. no one wants them.

 

[chille51]

they dont steal electronics. all my chartplotters are programmed with a pin code lock anyway, but even though thieves visited my boat and several other boats at the yard the only thing they stole was outboard kickers.
electronics which are locked have little to no resale value. thieves will go for low hanging fruit. they dont even take radios since the mmsi is pretty much hardcoded into most radios these days.
i probably have more chartplotters and crap than you guys so im not lugging 8 chartplotters back home everytime i leave my boat. yeah take off ipads and laptops but dont worry about boat electronics. no one wants them.

That's some bold confidence. Doesn't it assume the thieves even understand what it is they are looking at, and that it may or may not be passcoded? Surely there is a way to bypass/jailbreak them too? Not trying to be argumentative, but I've seen windows smashed to get less than $2 change out of a car ashtray, so I guess I just don't have much faith.

 

[Haverodwilltravel]

they dont steal electronics. all my chartplotters are programmed with a pin code lock anyway, but even though thieves visited my boat and several other boats at the yard the only thing they stole was outboard kickers.
electronics which are locked have little to no resale value. thieves will go for low hanging fruit. they dont even take radios since the mmsi is pretty much hardcoded into most radios these days.
i probably have more chartplotters and crap than you guys so im not lugging 8 chartplotters back home everytime i leave my boat. yeah take off ipads and laptops but dont worry about boat electronics. no one wants them.

Sorry to hear that, those diity so and so’s. May I ask how they managed to steal your outboard kickers? Do you not have a padlock for the screw tighteners?

 

[chris73]

Everything comes out in my boat. I wouldn't leave anything of value in your driveway. Security cameras or not.

I wouldn't leave my stuff in your driveway either. I'd rather have it in my driveway!

 

[Blue Hewes]

I always break down the rods and lock the rods and reels in the cabin. When we had an open boat everything was brought back to camp or the cabin we were staying at. My wife constantly reminding me that I don’t get to replace Islander reels with new Islanders when they get stolen has forced compliance on my part .

 

[zurk]

Sorry to hear that, those diity so and so’s. May I ask how they managed to steal your outboard kickers? Do you not have a padlock for the screw tighteners?

no i deliberately kept my kicker easy to steal. there were 4 other boats who got hit. the boats with kickers locked to their transoms had their transoms cut with power tools and destroyed. mine didnt suffer any damage other than the stolen kicker which was replaced by insurance in full.

cash left out in an ashtray is a lot different but to use the car example was the car stereo stolen or only the cash in the ashtray ? im guessing only the cash. yes you can probably reflash it to remove the passcode lock but its a huge pain and the electronics arent worth that much used anyway.