I use a combination of the thumb screw lock and a wire lanyard..

As with most outboarders, it is common to have a safety line in case the OB
jumps off the transom or is dropped when removing or installing..

I just take this one step farther and have made up an eight fot long, 3/16"
vinyl coated wire lanyard. Soft eyes on each end. The engine end is has a
large snap that I can clip onto the engine. The other end, I pass the soft
eye through a eye bolt in the transom When I put the pad lock onto the thumb
screws, I pass the standing part of the lanyard and the inboard eye through
the lock.

May sound complicated but I have throught this over objectively and can't
figure anyway that a thief could defeat it without tools (hack saw or bolt
cutters).


The lanyard is long enough to pass to the dock or to a deck fitting when I'm
handling the outboard on or off.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 10:33:11 -0800, "Steve" wrote:

3/16" vinyl coated wire lanyard. Soft eyes on each end.

Sounds like a cleaner looking arrangment than my chain idea. What
about moisture and corrosion inside the vinyl? And how did you make up
the eyes on the ends ... I assume you had to strip the vinyl away
there and clamp it somehow?
I have some wire rope that I've never been able to cut with bolt
cutters, not sure what it's made of, looks like stainless. The
diameter is to large for this though. I'll ask around for something as
tough but smaller and vinyl covered.
Thanks,
Rick

The wire rope that I'm using is a piece left over from my lifelines. You can
get it at the marine hardware store and they will put the nicopress sleeve
on each eye for you.. You should have the snape hook put on the eye before
it is swagged (eliminating a needless shackle). Bring your pocket knife
along since you will have to strip the vinyl back for the eye.

Make the inboard end eye pretty large because you want to be able to drop it
over a cleat on the dock or deck when you handling the outboard..

BTW. I have used this inboard end to lock my dingy to the dock, however that
requires an addtional lock. I suppose you could work out a system to pass
the lanyard through some fitting on the dock and back to the thumb screw
lock.

I don't worry about corrosion of the vinyl cover stainless, anymore than I
do for my lifelines.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

That's one of the good things about cable. Chain cutters have a hard time
getting through it. Now if they have cable cutters, that's another story.
Just buy the stuff down at West or wherever, and have them swage loops on
the ends with big crimp connectors.

--


Keith
__
Do not eat natural foods. I used to eat a lot of natural foods
until learned that most people die of natural causes.
wrote in message
...
On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 10:33:11 -0800, "Steve" wrote:

3/16" vinyl coated wire lanyard. Soft eyes on each end.

Sounds like a cleaner looking arrangment than my chain idea. What
about moisture and corrosion inside the vinyl? And how did you make up
the eyes on the ends ... I assume you had to strip the vinyl away
there and clamp it somehow?
I have some wire rope that I've never been able to cut with bolt
cutters, not sure what it's made of, looks like stainless. The
diameter is to large for this though. I'll ask around for something as
tough but smaller and vinyl covered.
Thanks,
Rick