Anti-theft alarms for boats and yachts
Chris Hogan, 19th October 2015, Boat
Theft of equipment and personal items from boats and yachts, and having the boat itself stolen, is distressing as well as a financial drain and considerable inconvenience. Can alarms prevent this from happening?
In figures released by one insurance company five years ago of the top ten claims, "theft while moored" was at number two, and "theft while laid up" at number five, so it's worth preventing theft if at all possible.
Note that in this article we're not covering devices to secure boats and equipment, just alarm systems. There are two situations you will want to deal with - preventing entry to stop things being taken and preventing the boat being taken away, either on land or sea.
The measures you take will depend on the type of boat and where it's kept - on the water at a mooring, at home on a trailer or out of the water at a marina or other storage location. What's on the market and what would work for your craft and your situation?
The 'no alarm' theory
Dinghies and other open craft don't have an interior to protect, but for boats that do, you need to prevent entry. There is a school of thought that leaving a boat open with nothing on board is the best option. In theory, thieves will then enter without causing damage and go away when they find nothing to take.
There are two problems with this approach, the first being that they are just as likely to smash the boat up out of frustration. The second is that in recent years rising metal prices mean that brass fittings are attractive, so they'll remove any of those anyway, and none too tidily.
Siren-based alarms
The easiest option is a personal attack alarm with a loud siren, attached to the door in some way. But with many boats the number of hatches, windows and other ways of gaining entry make this impractical. Also if your boat's on water that's sometimes choppy, it could be set off accidentally, something that won't please anyone in earshot.
More expensive alarms will have a number of detectors. You can choose from infra-red movement detectors (PIRs) for the interior, magnetic connector strips to go across door thresholds and windows, pressure mats on decks and cabin floors. Most will also have a remote control for alarming it which is handy for when you moor up - the flashing light and audible 'plip' like a car alarm will let anyone watching know that the boat is protected.
Location
But the main issue with siren-based alarms is whether or not there are people around to take notice and do something. With a trailered boat stored at home you're going to annoy neighbours if it keeps going off, whether it's by accident or constant burglary attempts. You also need to think about your personal safety and what might happen if you go out to confront thieves.
Live-aboard-boats on inland waterways have much the same question - is there anyone around who'll report a siren and if it's a quick smash and grab raid, will anyone arrive in time? It's also a quandary for boats stored out of the water or in the water at marinas - whether or not a siren will work depends on whether there are people around who will hear it and take action.
Mobile phone alerts
More expensive alarms have GSM (mobile phone) capability with a slot for a pay as you go SIM card which means you can choose a silent alert sent to your phone, so the thieves don't know they've been rumbled. Although they'll have longer on board, it gives you time to alert authorities or on-site security staff, or go out and catch them by surprise, depending on the situation.
Most of the alarms at this level have a siren and flashing lights as well, sometimes a voice speaker which will shout out messages like "call the police, this boat is being stolen" which might be more effective than a siren. The point is that you can choose to set whichever alerts are most suitable for each situation.
More expensive models can also be programmed by phone as well as being set and unset with the remote control, and use a list of numbers to text or phone rather than just one. They can also be hooked into other detectors such as smoke, carbon dioxide, infra-red beams, rising bilge water levels, panic buttons and others. Many will allow you to listen to what's happening on board and speak to whoever's there ifs it's appropriate.
GPS-based alarms
The most expensive alarms come with tracking via GPS, which won't prevent your boat being stolen but will seriously increase the chances of it being recovered, often within hours.
Many of these systems will report the boat's speed and some will report if a boat has been moved outside a defined area. For example if your boat is in storage but they need to move it occasionally to access other craft, you can set it so that it will only go off when it's moved outside the yard, not within it.
Power options
Most boat alarms are wireless and rely on batteries, whether it's an on-board leisure battery or batteries within the alarm unit. There are some that use mains power but they will really only be suitable for those with a permanent mooring and external hook-up, or boats large enough to have their own 240v supply - and they probably come with a built-in alarm system!
If your boat is remote and you don't visit that often, look for an alarm with a backup battery which will allow you enough to time to get the batteries replaced or recharged. This will really only work with a GSM-enabled alarm, which can let you know if the battery is failing.
Make your choice
Of course, an alarm is only part of an overall security plan - you need to make sure valuables are securely locked up and invisibly marked as well. And security of the area where your boat spends most of its time has to come into play as well.
Whatever you choose we hope rarely has to prove its worth.
