With summer weather upon us, I'm expecting to do some traveling with our touring kayaks. I've been searching for tips on how to reduce the risk of theft when boats are loaded on roof racks. Parking overnight at hotels makes me particularly nervous. No system of locks or cables will thwart a determined thief, I realize that. But I'm wondering if any of you know of better, or additional, tips than what follows, which summarizes what I've found online. I don't plan to use all of these approaches, mind you, but I'll note them anyway. :-> * use locking racks (like the core-lock system that Yakima sells) * consider a lasso cable lock system that loops over the boat's bow and stern, and lock that to the racks * lock the boats to each other, as well as to the rack system * truck-sized locking clubs, the devices that lock to steering wheels, can be placed inside the cockpit and are said to be virtually unremovable without causing damage to the boat. (You sure wouldn't want to drive with one left in your boat, though.) * if a kayak doesn't have a safety bolt or other type steel bolt in its hull, consider adding one for use with cable locks * ask for a 'down and out up front' at hotels: room on the ground floor facing the parking area * park in a well-lit, well-travelled area, under a streetlight, rather than a secluded spot * note in advance the ID number of your boat, and also write your name and phone number on the hull with a permanent marker * consider removing hatches and locking up auxiliary equipment, such as paddles, so that anyone who takes the boat will need to re-equip. Call outfitters in the area to alert them to this, if your boat gets stolen. * if your boat gets stolen, register the ID number and boat description online at several sites that maintain logs of stolen and lost boats. The Broze brothers' site, http://www.marinerkayaks.com/, is one site that does. * consider taking out a boat policy for insurance against loss. State Farm locally says they'd insure a $3K boat for $65 a year, and that includes $100,000 in liability coverage, which could have its uses if disaster happens and the boat launches on the interstate.The policy doesn't seem to cover accidental loss of the boat while on water Margot Pantalone mpantalo_at_tennessee.edu -- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu May 27 2004 - 07:58:18 PDT
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