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"Locking" a Bennington for Extra Security

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sbaker50

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We have our Bennington along our canal. Is there anything that is recommended to provide extra security and prevent potential theft? Thank you.
 
If some one wants it they will get it . Apple and Android have trackers . ( find my device ) . If you have a Stainless prop , you can add a prop lock .
I use to worry about mine, I spoke with my insurance agent and gave them a list of the small items that I keep on board . Everything is covered by insurance .
 
Yep. There's not much you can do. I like the idea of a hidden Apple AirTag. They're only $30. Maybe also add a wifi security camera nearby. I have a 24x7 POE security camera on my house pointed at my dock to keep an eye on my boat.

Years ago I wanted to get a spare key for my boat with a (redacted name :cool: ) motor. Went to the parts dealer with my model number, serial number and original key with a number on it. Started to show all that to the lady behind the counter and she waved me off saying she didn't need any of that. Said all the keys for that year and HP motor were the same. :oops:
 
sbaker50 said:
We have our Bennington along our canal. Is there anything that is recommended to provide extra security and prevent potential theft? Thank you.
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Welcome to the forum sbaker50! Unless your Bennington is locked away in a vault under 24 hr. armed guard surveillance.....If they want it they're going to take it! Or something from it! It's a sad, sad world we living now! Just make it harder for them if you can! Like Jack said prop lock would be great and Sunedog mentioned cameras! Try not to leave anything valuable on board! Where is your canal?!?
 
I spent the few extra dollars and put a Spot Tracer on my Benny - a Satalight System. I get a notice everytime it moves, and a daily report that all is ok. Actually been very helpful for Maintenance - I can tell when the dealer leaves the Benny in the front, unsecured lot and when they pick up and drop off the Benny. About $130 for the unit, $200 per year, wired directly to the battery.
 
If in the water all season , they can just tow it . I have heard of motors being stolen , 4 nuts/bolts ,cut cables & lines. Motors are easier to fence than the entire boat
 
ILLINOIS AVE said:
So has any member ever had a boat stolen? Either in the water or on land?
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No. And never had anything stolen from it. IMHO, probably more of an issue of some drunk or unskilled boater doing something stupid and causing damage (which is still a small chance) vs someone stealing the boat or motor.

We are not in a marina. Ours sits dockside at our lakehouse all season: May-Oct. That said, I appreciate the concern. We have an Apple tracker on the boat and a security camera on our house overlooking the boat and dock. In the end, I lean on our insurance should the most extreme happen.
 
I know of some when I lived in a different part of the state and before I purchased a boat. Especially motors from public marinas, maybe 4 a year . I know or one boat stolen and my neighbors was torched . This was in the 80's-90's
 
You can look into outboard immobilizers, Yamaha used to have something called Y-COP but don't known if it's still around. Cheaper route is to wire in a kill switch somewhere, so if the thief bypasses the key maybe they won't find that hidden toggle switch.

But a determined thief will pretty much get anything they want - best way to prevent loss is insurance.
 
ILLINOIS AVE said:
So has any member ever had a boat stolen? Either in the water or on land?
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We have heard of outboard motors being stolen at Lake Anna in Virginia back in the day. Also SS props.
 
10 or so years ago in the Columbia, SC area, an organized and skilled gang of thieves hit at least 4 different boat dealerships in the middle of the night. They'd somehow get through the gate, commandeer the dealership's forklift and steal a bunch of big HP outboards from new boats on the lot. They apparently had the right tools and skills to quickly unbolt the motors from the transoms and hoist them off with the forklift. Then pile them into a box truck. They didn't care about cosmetic damage, traceability, future maintenance uncovering that they were hot, or resale because these were headed straight to the coast (somewhere) to be loaded into shipping containers and shipped overseas.

Ten 300 HP outboards would be worth close to $300K retail. Dealers upped their security systems and still frequently park vehicles behind locked gates to slow the thieves down.
 
We kept our boat in a marina for five years and never had any problems. Usually it was covered, but not always.
 
sunedog said:
Yep. There's not much you can do. I like the idea of a hidden Apple AirTag. They're only $30. Maybe also add a wifi security camera nearby. I have a 24x7 POE security camera on my house pointed at my dock to keep an eye on my boat.

Years ago I wanted to get a spare key for my boat with a (redacted name :cool: ) motor. Went to the parts dealer with my model number, serial number and original key with a number on it. Started to show all that to the lady behind the counter and she waved me off saying she didn't need any of that. Said all the keys for that year and HP motor were the same. :oops:
Click to expand...

ILLINOIS AVE said:
So has any member ever had a boat stolen? Either in the water or on land?
Click to expand...
Good question. During the time on our bay no boats have been stolen. Most people leave the keys in the ignition. My next door neighbor had a prop stolen. It had a odd 28 inch pitch so the thief probably did not know he was taking.
 
There was a rash of thefts back in mid 2010’s around our area even on small hp motors like our lake . Put a transom lock on ours. Sold the boat. Still have the key. :oops:
Next owners gonna be surprised when it comes to swap out. :confused:
 
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