You leave your keys on your boat! Don’t deny it.

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Presentation

Well-Known Member
TECHNICAL Contributor
Oct 3, 2006
4,404
Wisconsin - Winnebago Pool chain of lakes
Boat Info
280 Sundancer, Westerbeke MPV generator
Engines
twin 5.0's w/BIII drives
We had a fire a few weeks ago at the marina.

Marina employees and whomever else was around boarded the boats then looked for keys.

If they found keys they started then moved the boat.

I’m not going to call out specific boats but MOST of the boats had keys onboard with the people not around.

I was one of the few who did not have keys on my boat.

I’m just surprised that so many people leave their keys on their boat.
 
I wonder how often boats with keys in them get stolen? At our marina, however, we are required to leave a spare set with the office. This way, if there was a fire they could access the boats and move them, as necessary.
 
no way.. we are on the river and had 6 boats broken into last fall they stole TV's, radios all kinds of stuff.. BTW our marina is also our SeaRay dealer he has keys to every boat docked at the marina locked in a wall safe.
 
Not like these are high security keys.

My mechanic replaced an ignition switch for $25 (parts and labor).
 
Mine might be on the boat. If they were, they would probably be hidden. Probably not in a usual sort of place. If they were there, it would keep me from forgetting them at the house. And it would enable the casual "stop by the boat" trips that wouldn't work when they are on a hook at the house.

If somebody wants on your boat, the little keys aren't going to stop them. There just aren't that many unique grinds, and they wouldn't be that hard to defeat.

Our marina has closed circuit audio and video monitoring. Recorded.
 
I do.
My boat is kept at a private residence (my parents) and this way I never lose them.
 
No keys on Moonraker but the marina requires a set so in case of an emergency they can move the boat.
 
I leave mine IN the ignition! The boat is on the trailer, so it's a little different! We use a combination lock on the entrance to the cabin though. I even leave the trailer unlocked! Most thieves can't afford a tow vehicle stout enough to tow all 14,000 lbs away!
 
Sundancer said:
I leave mine IN the ignition! The boat is on the trailer, so it's a little different! We use a combination lock on the entrance to the cabin though. I even leave the trailer unlocked! Most thieves can't afford a tow vehicle stout enough to tow all 14,000 lbs away!
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. . . and if they CAN haul the boat away, the $25 trailer lock ain't gonna really slow them down, will it?
 
Forgot my keys at launch time a number of years back. Instead of going all the way back home (couldn't remember if they were there either) I took a length of wire and proceeded to "hot wire" the back of the ignition switch!

Took all of 3 minutes to "steal" my own boat. Keys??... who needs keys!
 
Hmmmm, maybe if enough people state where there keys are and post their marinas we can help some poor unfortunate souls... :smt021
 
comsnark said:
. . . and if they CAN haul the boat away, the $25 trailer lock ain't gonna really slow them down, will it?
Click to expand...

Wow! They MAKE locks that expensive?? :grin:

The only thing they could steal out of the cabin would be the two spare props! They are so buried in the V-berth, I doubt they would ever find them! Aside from that, the rest is just clothes and food. I've even quit locking it most of the time anyway. The boat is parked about 8 inches from my head separated by the wall and two inches of clearance so I don't actually HIT the house!!
 
Jimmy Buoy said:
Took all of 3 minutes to "steal" my own boat. Keys??... who needs keys!
Click to expand...

Agreed

This isn't your car where you've got to tear the whole dash apart to get to the switch. I always leave mine in the ignition. If i didn't id have the switch tucked under the dash "rigged" cause i lost the keys. :grin:

I'm pretty involved in the repair industry around here so if it does get stolen id figure out before the thieves got to there shop. Word travels fast in these parts.
 
While sitting as a transient up at Put-In-Bay over the weekend, a guy in a 330 DA docked next to me asks if he could try my key in his lock. Seem's his key got lost. 3 Sea Ray's and 1 Formula later (total elapsed time of about 3.5 minutes) his boat was unlocked.

Do the math. The keys really only keep the honest people out.
 
Stopped by the hardware store to grab a new set of locks for a tool box in my truck bed. I was worried I wouldn't be able to find two locks keyed alike! WRONG! All of them, every single one used the SAME key!
 
I'm a locksmith and for all of my stuff, I have high security locks.....except the boat. I haven't made the jump yet to convert it since it's really not much to gain. As it has been mentioned here it's not that hard to pick an ignition on a boat the way they are installed, much less gaining access to 'hotwire' it.
 
Keys are in the ignition (most of the time) in the cabin; but we live there. Cabin door key (spare) is in one of those simplex-lock key boxes in a cockpit cabinet. Neighbors have the code if they need it.
The idea of a marina trying to start/move boats if there is a fire is a little risky. Its a lot faster to cut/untie the lines and tow them far enough away so they don't become collateral damage (as in how many marina's have people available to move 4 or 6 boats immediately in danger while fumbling for keys (and they WILL fumble with the keys) while they energize your batteries, unplug your shore power/water, start your engines and try to get away from a flaming boat! just my .02
 
I leave the keys in the boat 24/7. My boat is slipped right outside of his kitchen window.

The marina owner uses my tug as the rescue boat for the lake. :smt001

Towing_2_boats.sized.jpg
 
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