[salmonlips]

Well, for the second time since spring someone has walked into the driveway of my suburban home and boosted my trolling motor. This time, the guy had enough guts to beat on tht Fulton motor lock with a chisel or crowbar until the lock snapped off. If anyone hears of a 15hp longshaft merc, new to the market and going cheap please email me. I have the serial number. When I get a new motor I'm going to weld the bracket to the boat, chain the motor to the ground, get a better lock, and add more lights to the driveway. If I thought I could get away with it without frying the neighbor's cat I would run 220 volts through it. If anyone has any security suggestions please offer them up. Twice in a year is too much

 

[Sturgeon Tom]

I feel for you buddy. Wow thats just too much. :depressed:
You can always bolt it to the boat through the transom.

That would take a while to take off and some one might see them working on it that long. Put up lots of lights.

 

[ssteelheadsteve]

What part of town do you live in ?
I would strongly suggest moving.
Light just helps theives see better.
Motion sensor activated vcr. I saw some outdoor cams for under $ 200

 

[1pump]

I had one ripped off a long time ago. I'll never forget that feeling when I saw that empty spot on the transom. I had a Master lock, which I believe is similar to the Fulton. If they're cut in just the right place, they slide right off.

When I got my Merc I put the genuine Mercury brand locks on the clamp bolts. They're in Steven's last mailer. Not cheap; $41.86 each, and I have 2 on my motor. BUT- 16 years and counting, and my motor is still there. Can't put a price on peace of mind. I wouldn't say they're bulletproof, but they're close. I don't think they could be cut with hand tools, and your average thief doesn't want to make a racket or take too much time. Increases the likelihood of lead poisoning.

BTW, if you look at the Steven's ad, the lock pictured just above the Mercury lock is just like the one I had when my old motor was stolen. Worthless, IMHO. Whoever stole mine knew EXACTLY where to make a teeny little 3/8" cut and slip the thing right off.

 

[k9jeff]

Ensure you get the serial # to the police so it can be entered into the system as a stolen item. There is a better chance of a recovery and arrest if ya do..

 

[gotZem]

I like the "220 volt Protection Plan"! Oh, sorry Kitty- just trying to protect my belongings! I imagine you might even catch someone when they scream outloud! My key for my lock broke off in the lock once and had to cut it off. Didn't take much! Bolts with nylanuts might discourage them a bit. Lowlife theiving ********!!

GotZem!!

 

[FishinMission]

I know it's a pain...but if it's really a problem...you could always yank your kicker and keep it inside your house.

Been there...lost a fairly new 15 Evinrude some years back.

Mark

 

[Smj]

The lock I'm using on my kicker is the "Quick Silver" brand from Stevens. I look at the thing and try to fugure out how you could cut it off, seems alot more secure than the bar thing I had before. I don't think it was as spendy as 1pump's saying though. If you were to get a good look at one of these locks you could probably make yout own out of some kind of pipe with a few tools.

Sorry about the the motor.

Smj

 

[cannonball]

You might try bolting through the transom with carrage bolts then give the nuts a quick shot with a welder. I ve had mine like this for almost five years. Ive only removed the motor one time (bought a new boat), it took a saws all and almost an hour to get it off.

 

[big john]

an additional approach is to make the motor look less desirable. remove the cowling and cover the bare powerhead with a tarp. remove the prop, etc.

 

[Fishalot]

How about a sign that reads, if you are reading this warning you will shortly feel a baseball bat on the back of your head . Make sure you write it with a glow in the dark pen.


Fishalot

 

[Twitch]

Had ours stolen too , luckily it was only a little electric, but still a loss. The only way I feel safe about it now is physically taking it off and locking it up in the barn.

I've been hunting for a new 6-8 horse so I am frequently looking at boat trader, pawn shops, etc. so I'll keep an eye out for yours. WHat is the make/model/year, etc.

Sorry about your loss... :depressed:

 

[freespool]

Had the local meth heads helping themselfs to stuff out of my sled this spring. Installed a motion detector,which only helped them see what they wanted. Got really ****ed and installed a car alarm in the boat,with the little blinking light. No problems thus far,maybe a false alarm every once in awhile,but all my gear is still there. Those bars that go over the sinch down dogs do not work. You can grab the lower end of the motor and walk it back and forth until it walks right off the tansom.


free

 

[1pump]

The lock I'm using on my kicker is the "Quick Silver" brand from Stevens. I look at the thing and try to fugure out how you could cut it off, seems alot more secure than the bar thing I had before. I don't think it was as spendy as 1pump's saying though.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">That's the lock I was talking about. Quicksilver is Mercury's parts and accessories brand. I got mine a long time ago, and they were nowhere near that spendy. But that's the price in Stevens' catalog. Still worth it, though. My Merc has spent many years outdoors, and as far as I know nobody has attempted to steal it, although my cars were broken into just a few feet away.

 

[salmonlips]

You know, this makes sense. Last spring I had left my boat in an unfamiliar shop to do some steering repair work. I chose the shop because they quoted the job cheaper than a couple of others. When I went to drop the boat off I noticed a kicker that caught my eye among their used motors and since the one that was on my boat at the time was giving me some trouble I worked out a trade/cash deal for the motor and the repair. The invoice did not list this motor's serial number. (only discovered after it was stolen) About two weeks later this motor was the first casualty. It's tough to be suspicious but the guys working on my steering were commenting on how good a motor the one I was buying was and that it river tested perfectly. When I called the shop to try and get the serial number for the insurance and police, they had no record of it. Pretty fishy. At any rate, thanks Kayaker. This gives me an idea or two on places to search for my motor.

 

[Nanook]

I have a motion sensor aimed at my boat with a SCREAMING outside horn when it goes off. Wakes up the neighborhood once in a while, but so be it.

 

[kayakfisher]

I should have had a motion sensor also...but i thought my lock was good enough. By the way, my insurance agent lied to me several times...I instructed him to file a claim, and I got no word back for months. Therefore I called him several times to find out why, finally went in person to his office and asked for a copy of his claim file...which he could not produce. I finally grilled him with a bunch of very specific questions which he could not answer until I think he got a little scared (I was getting very very upset...but believe me I am not a violent person).

I finally got him to admit that he had lied to me and that he did not file the report at all. This of course was after he told me on about five different occassions that he had...I finally took the complaint to the company's quality control/complaints office. Sure enough, the guy is still in business...although he no longer has my accounts.

You surely will have no coverage on your stolen motor if you cannot produce a serial number, right?

And ******...what is the brand of your motion sensor...think I need to get one...and Perhaps a video camera, and a light that go on when the sensor is activated....The sound alarm however I think I will put next to my bed...next to the bear strenght pepper spray, with my well trained dog at my side while I surprise the thief.

As I said, I am not a violent person, but my dog is very protective of anyone who might threaten me or my property. :grin:

M.

 

[kayakfisher]

Always put the make, year, model and serial number on this website, and any other websites you can find if possible.

Any motor repair shop should always put a serial number on their sales slip when they sell a used motor. To do otherwise is very suspect...imho.

M.

 

[kayakfisher]

Sorry for your loss...

I had a 8.8 Johnson stolen the same way off my boat in my driveway several months ago.

In my brief effort to understand how the market for this stuff works...it seems that some of the repair shops are noted by the police for taking in such merchandise and selling it somehow "off the record". This info was verbally passed to me by a police office, although he was not willing to give me any clues as to which shops are thought to be doing this. It is also common I think to sell such an item via a garage sale, or to have it shipped to a faraway place, ie alaska, maine, or sold to someone going to a far away place. They may even be stolen on a prearranged basis...by someone who advertises a motor before he has it, and when an interested party answers the add the motor is THEN swiped, and sold very quickly so the time in pocession is very short, and the buyer has no idea of what has happened.

I have wondered at times, if we were to go into a shop and ask for used motors....and insisted we need something a lot less expensive, if we could entice some one into pulling one of these out from the back?...and then go to the police to see if the number is stolen or not?

I hate this kind of behaviour...but it is very rampant unfortunately.

In the kayaking world there is a nationally accessable internet site that allows users to post photos, serial numbers, and the story of stolen kayaks...and at least some have been recovered due to this listing.

Perhaps there could be a lost and stolen listing on this site also...if Jen would agree, and maybe when an object is recovered an appropriate reward in support of this site could be offered by grateful owners? By the way Jen...I will donate $500.00 Dollars to your efforts to add such a topic to its own section on this great website if you can be enticed to add it...and thanks for your already great efforts to enhance my fishing knowledge (very low at this point but I am learning.). :cheers:

I for one would, out of principle alone, would give a reward to anyone who could recover my motor...and a bonus if the person in pocession of it can be convicted of the crime.


thanks,

M.

 

[Mr. Fisherman]

Wire the 220 to a metal handle on a hatch with a make switch so it powers on when the hatch is open and put a Free Meth/Crack sign on it. Sit back and enjoy the show.

This is a joke... It is only a joke.
This is not actual advice.
It is not intended to be an actual idea and is suposed to be humorful :wink:

I'd pay to see it though :laugh: