On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 18:38:27 -0500, "Scott Vernon"
wrote:

the 'key on the seacock' thing is a good idea. My Yanmar doesn't have
a key, I look for the water out the exhaust.

Wow, you mean I can steal your boat by casting off and punching a
start button? G

If not a key on the seacock, then hang a GPS, your "sailing hat", a
pair of sunglasses, whatever. The idea is that you are persuaded to
check the seacock before you fire the engine, if, like me, you have
irregular visits and don't care to leave it open.

I close every seacock on the boat, by the way, excepting the cockpit
scuppers, which are pretty massively clamped at the hull ends.
R.