Flybridge Theft??

[CarlF]

I can guarantee you that professional thieves have been told by their fences which models have passwords. They aren't going to hang around on a boat risking a cop walking by to unscrew a chartplotter that can't be sold. They'll just move one slip over.

And Garmin is no software slouch. Here's the description from Panbo about the password:

"Garmin explains that if the PIN is lost and the user can’t answer the reset questions — which are set during the process of entering the pin– the unit is unlockable, even by Garmin. There’s a very basic, chart-only limp-home mode in the event the unit can’t be unlocked. This mode restricts the unit to only displaying the basic chart with none of the normal features available. Garmin also emphasizes that nothing goes across the network, so multiple units on a boat each have their own PIN and there’s no chance of figuring out the code by sniffing the traffic on the network."

 

[BandB]

They stole the flybridge?

Wifey B: Sorry, but when I looked at this thread I was thinking we were seeing the first theft of an entire flybridge. Detached like for trucking cross country and taken.

One word: SECURITY

Alarms and cams and messages to your phone and all sorts of security is way down in price. There are a bazillion choices but I'd recommend everyone have something.

As to South FL, more thefts because more boats. Hotbed? Perhaps. I'm letting that word pass by without any comment on what it could mean or why. Just got home from 3 more weeks in Bahamas. Easy to target boats in S FL because there are hundreds lined up on every canal and at every Marina. I'd say anything on an unwatched boat is at risk. Even the flybridge.

And while we have some nice supposedly secure marinas and yards, Even the best have risks. It's like gated communities. Really, ever had a problem getting in one?

 

[rgano]

I locked the trawler when in a transient slip while cruising to keep the casual thief at bay for the few hours we might be away. Never an issue. I think the serious guys with tools are out when the rest of law-abiding humanity is asleep. Conversely, at home behind the house in my covered slip lighted like an operating room, I left the boat unlocked. When seven other boats in the neighborhood were hit one night, my boat was untouched, but had it been boarded, I did not want to have to repair damaged doors and windows in addition to replacing the items stolen. That would have been insult on top of injury.

 

[dbaoter]

There were reports of theft of stuff off boats in Juneau, AK last summer.

 

[BevinB]

I have salon, cockpit, engine room and flybridge cameras and a door sensor on the flybridge access hatch. If motion is sensed, an alarm sounds, a light comes on, the camera operates and an app on my phone wakes me up. I can view the culprit and yell at them through a mic in the app that I’ve called 911 and I’m almost there .. All for $500 .. But you need wifi. I just installed 70k worth of new electronics in the bridge, including flir and wifi, so I consider it a part of the upgrade. And I can sleep at night. I can also turn the cameras on at any time to check the bilge and admire my new electronic investments ...

Just checked up on my bilge .. All good

 

[koliver]

I have salon, cockpit, engine room and flybridge cameras and a door sensor on the flybridge access hatch. If motion is sensed, an alarm sounds, a light comes on, the camera operates and an app on my phone wakes me up. I can view the culprit and yell at them through a mic in the app that I’ve called 911 and I’m almost there .. All for $500 .. But you need wifi. I just installed 70k worth of new electronics in the bridge, including flir and wifi, so I consider it a part of the upgrade. And I can sleep at night. I can also turn the cameras on at any time to check the bilge and admire my new electronic investments ...

Just checked up on my bilge .. All good

Best part is being able to look at your great looking bilge any time you want!

 

[BevinB]

Best part is being able to look at your great looking bilge any time you want!

Just wished I’d done a better job matching the paint in those gutters ...

 

[AusCan]

Never had an issue with theft here. We normally don’t even lock the boat and we usually leave the keys in the ignition. But we live in a small town.

Same here; except we live in a mid sized city. I heard some dock talk that a canoe was stolen from another boat in our marina a few years back. Possible, but just as likely that is was just an insurance claim. I'm not sure how common it is, but our insurance is zero deductible when claiming any loss within the marina.

At home the doors are left unlocked as well. I'm not even sure if we still have keys for the house; it's probably been 20 years since the doors were locked.

 

[psneeld]

It can happen anyplace, anytime.

Might be amateurs or pros.

As far as fencing, scattered sales on the internet don't attract much attention.

I worked for a marine electronics store...one of the techs in uniform would go out to a marina, case the place, do his work, the go aboard a boat ripe for theft and steal electronics. Being in uniform and driving a company truck never raised any suspicion.

Craigslist sales were easy, if he wanted to, getting cabling and boxes were easy too.

Ultimately though, his mistake was the boating community was too small for some of the stuff he was selling and a pattern on Craigslist tipped off the police. Can't be exactly sure how he was caught, but thats the way I recall it.

 

[timb7734]

Our Florida marina is gated and fenced with security cameras on each dock. I had access to a used Simply Safe doorbell and installed it so we can see who may have been aboard. Liked that enough to install another on our vessel in northern Michigan/Canada. The boats have Freeman Marine HD doors and we lock them, not saying they can’t be opened, but no easy job even with tools and then it’s pretty obvious what is going on. Spent several years in the Bahamas where outboard theft was very common to the extent that thieves showed up with spark plugs, fuel, fuel lines and spare parts and if that wasn’t enough, they used an electric saw to cut the transom.

 

[CarlF]

Spent several years in the Bahamas where outboard theft was very common to the extent that thieves showed up with spark plugs, fuel, fuel lines and spare parts and if that wasn’t enough, they used an electric saw to cut the transom.

How long ago was that? For the last five years or so that I've been going dinghy/outboard theft in The Bahamas Family islands is almost unheard of. Much less theft than Florida or the Caribbean. I only lock the dinghy in Nassau (and parts of Florida)

And no islander really wants today's US 4 cycle outboard - the Yamaha Enduro 2 cycles are their preferred outboard and you can't buy those in the US.

 

[IH82BL8]

I just bought a well-used and somewhat neglected boat. The owner said someone had stolen his refrigerator and radio (I think he meant stereo). He told me to board and look around because the cabin was unlocked. After I bought the boat I started sorting things out and found that he had a key to lock the cabin...on the ring with one of the ignition keys...hanging in one of the ignitions on the flybridge.

FWIW I think the theft happened on the hard away from traffic and not at the dock.

 

[Art]

I just bought a well-used and somewhat neglected boat. The owner said someone had stolen his refrigerator and radio (I think he meant stereo). He told me to board and look around because the cabin was unlocked. After I bought the boat I started sorting things out and found that he had a key to lock the cabin...on the ring with one of the ignition keys...hanging in one of the ignitions on the flybridge.

FWIW I think the theft happened on the hard away from traffic and not at the dock.

Enjoy Your Boat... Photos?? - Please!!