I'm about to buy a new 20" shaft outboard for use on several boats,
including skiffs with 15" transoms. I plan to use a T-H mini jacker
(see link) on the 15" transoms.
http://www.thmarine.com/product.cfm?PRID=23

I'm trying to figure out the best way to secure the outboard to the
boat in an effort to discourage theft. I have a thumbscrew lock that
would be enough if the outboard were mounted directly to the transom,
but the mini jacker is mounted with only four bolts that can be easily
removed so, with just the lock, I'd end up losing the motor as well
as the mini-jacker. And I don't want to mount the jacker permanently
because I want to be able use a 15" shaft motor now and then.

Right now I'm thinking of glassing a lifting ring to the inside
transom and just chaining the motor to it, but there ought to be a
better way (my present lifting rings are thru bolted and will come off
as easily as the bracket).

I know I can't prevent the thing being stolen by somebody who's wants
it bad enough. But I would at least like 'em to work a little for it.

Anybody have a simple and inexpensive idea?

Thanks in advance,
Rick

A few years ago, here in Chichester (UK) the outboard thefts fell into one
of two types.
Those who had not secured/locked the motor very well... lost the outboard
due to theft.
Those that secured/locked the motor properly.....................Lost the
transome as well as the outboard.
It takes a matter of seconds to chainsaw the back of the boat off.
Take the outboard home!

wrote in message
...
I'm about to buy a new 20" shaft outboard for use on several boats,
including skiffs with 15" transoms. I plan to use a T-H mini jacker
(see link) on the 15" transoms.
http://www.thmarine.com/product.cfm?PRID=23

I'm trying to figure out the best way to secure the outboard to the
boat in an effort to discourage theft. I have a thumbscrew lock that
would be enough if the outboard were mounted directly to the transom,
but the mini jacker is mounted with only four bolts that can be easily
removed so, with just the lock, I'd end up losing the motor as well
as the mini-jacker. And I don't want to mount the jacker permanently
because I want to be able use a 15" shaft motor now and then.

Right now I'm thinking of glassing a lifting ring to the inside
transom and just chaining the motor to it, but there ought to be a
better way (my present lifting rings are thru bolted and will come off
as easily as the bracket).

I know I can't prevent the thing being stolen by somebody who's wants
it bad enough. But I would at least like 'em to work a little for it.

Anybody have a simple and inexpensive idea?

Thanks in advance,
Rick

For chassis bolts that mister Royce didn't want to come apart, he
would peen over the bolts onto the nuts. Sounds agricultural, but
that' what he did. Taking a leaf out of his book: a bead of weld
on the nut holding the lifting ring, and that's a permanent fixture,
til you take a saw to it.

Brian W

On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 11:42:25 -0600, lid
wrote:

I'm about to buy a new 20" shaft outboard for use on several boats,
including skiffs with 15" transoms. I plan to use a T-H mini jacker
(see link) on the 15" transoms.
http://www.thmarine.com/product.cfm?PRID=23

I'm trying to figure out the best way to secure the outboard to the
boat in an effort to discourage theft. I have a thumbscrew lock that
would be enough if the outboard were mounted directly to the transom,
but the mini jacker is mounted with only four bolts that can be easily
removed so, with just the lock, I'd end up losing the motor as well
as the mini-jacker. And I don't want to mount the jacker permanently
because I want to be able use a 15" shaft motor now and then.

Right now I'm thinking of glassing a lifting ring to the inside
transom and just chaining the motor to it, but there ought to be a
better way (my present lifting rings are thru bolted and will come off
as easily as the bracket).

I know I can't prevent the thing being stolen by somebody who's wants
it bad enough. But I would at least like 'em to work a little for it.

Anybody have a simple and inexpensive idea?

Thanks in advance,
Rick

On Sat, 13 Mar 04, 17:51:57 +0000 (UTC), "James" wrote:

Take the outboard home!

Normally, that's what I'll do. But I'm talking about situations when
that's not possible. Like when I'm on vacation staying in a motel or
in a restaurant with the boat in the parking lot. A small outboard can
be gone in less than 15-20 seconds in many situations and those are
the ones I'm trying to discourage (I hope they never start making
chainsaws as quiet as 4 stroke outboards).
But yes, thanks, I'll take it off the skiff and lock it up somewhere
most of the time.

Rick

On Sat, 13 Mar 04, 12:08pm CST, betwys1 wrote:
a bead of weld
on the nut holding the lifting ring, and that's a permanent fixture,
til you take a saw to it.

That crossed my mind too. Might be enough, if I can find a lifting
ring difficult to saw through quickly. Do they make case hardened
lifting rings?

Rick

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

lid wrote:
I'm about to buy a new 20" shaft outboard for use on several boats,
including skiffs with 15" transoms. I plan to use a T-H mini jacker
(see link) on the 15" transoms.
http://www.thmarine.com/product.cfm?PRID=23

I'm trying to figure out the best way to secure the outboard to the
boat in an effort to discourage theft. I have a thumbscrew lock that
would be enough if the outboard were mounted directly to the transom,
but the mini jacker is mounted with only four bolts that can be easily
removed so, with just the lock, I'd end up losing the motor as well
as the mini-jacker. And I don't want to mount the jacker permanently
because I want to be able use a 15" shaft motor now and then.

Right now I'm thinking of glassing a lifting ring to the inside
transom and just chaining the motor to it, but there ought to be a
better way (my present lifting rings are thru bolted and will come off
as easily as the bracket).

I know I can't prevent the thing being stolen by somebody who's wants
it bad enough. But I would at least like 'em to work a little for it.

Anybody have a simple and inexpensive idea?

Thanks in advance,
Rick
I have a car wash, and have to deal with theft (and bored kids causing
vadalism)all of the time. THe best solution I have found is to use
seveal different types of bolts. Use one with a hex head, one with an
allen drive head, and one (just to be nasty) with left handed threads.
it ain't pretty, but it slows them down. Make sure the left handed one
is grade 8, or they will twist it off in their hurry. Of course, loctite
is your friend, and drill the bolts for cotter pins or safety wire to
make things even more interesting.....

--
"There ain't no such thing as a free lunch"

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

Or have a SS plate fabricated and attach it to the transom with a few screws
and 5200. Will make a mess out of that chainsaw!

--


Keith
__
Backup not found. [A]bort, [R]etry, [P]anic...
"James" wrote in message
...
A few years ago, here in Chichester (UK) the outboard thefts fell into one
of two types.
Those who had not secured/locked the motor very well... lost the outboard
due to theft.
Those that secured/locked the motor properly.....................Lost the
transome as well as the outboard.
It takes a matter of seconds to chainsaw the back of the boat off.
Take the outboard home!

wrote in message
...
I'm about to buy a new 20" shaft outboard for use on several boats,
including skiffs with 15" transoms. I plan to use a T-H mini jacker
(see link) on the 15" transoms.
http://www.thmarine.com/product.cfm?PRID=23

I'm trying to figure out the best way to secure the outboard to the
boat in an effort to discourage theft. I have a thumbscrew lock that
would be enough if the outboard were mounted directly to the transom,
but the mini jacker is mounted with only four bolts that can be easily
removed so, with just the lock, I'd end up losing the motor as well
as the mini-jacker. And I don't want to mount the jacker permanently
because I want to be able use a 15" shaft motor now and then.

Right now I'm thinking of glassing a lifting ring to the inside
transom and just chaining the motor to it, but there ought to be a
better way (my present lifting rings are thru bolted and will come off
as easily as the bracket).

I know I can't prevent the thing being stolen by somebody who's wants
it bad enough. But I would at least like 'em to work a little for it.

Anybody have a simple and inexpensive idea?

Thanks in advance,
Rick