How safe is your yak when on the car & you are not there?

[arpie]

Hi Guys

How good is your kayak security when it is on your car or trailer & you are not there? Quite a few kayaks have been stolen over the last 5 years & very few are recovered & returned to the rightful owners.

If your yak is left unattended on the car or trailer (or not stored in a locked garage/shed), you really DO need to use some sort of locking and/or alarm strapping system. It will not stop a hard core thief who has time & cover of night to do his dirty work - but they usually won't expect an alarm to go off!! The alarmed cables are especially good when camping & travelling - as you should be close enough to wake up & investigate if it goes off. Some alarms are balance operated - they go off if they are moved in any position other than horizontal (they are secured to a flat surface & just 'sit there'), or there are the cable ones, which activate the siren if cut.

I use both these cables:
SPT type cable lock - which is better than your regular camlock cable, tho they can be cut by determined thieves

and this one as well - it comes in different lengths - I use them both together for extra protection. If cut, the alarm goes off.
http://www.corporatetravelsafety.com/catalog/lock-alarm-cable-p-278.html

You can even use a SERIOUS Motorcycle Chain & lock - put it thru the scupper & secure the yak to your vehicle/caravan wheels if camping or to the roof racks/trailer as a bigger deterrent tho you may not like to drive with it on, clanging about (tho most bike ones are covered in thick plastic tubing.)

Just in case you think your yak that is secured well to your trailer is 'safe' ...... if your hayman reese hitch is like this, held on only by a split pin - the whole towball & trailer can be removed, kayak & all - and put onto THEIR vehicle that also has a hayman reese hitch & driven away, very quietly! :

What you need is one of these! A LOCKABLE pin for the Hayman Reese Hitch setup!

For less than $100, you can protect your yak - so it is well worth it - 'specially as you may find that your household & car insurance probably doesn't cover the theft of your kayak Ask them about it!

Don't let it happen to you!

Roberta

[A.dawg]

Thanks for posting this Roberta I fish a lot after work and always bring my pa with me to work.

Problem is I don't hav any secure parking. I hav to park on the street sometimes I am able to keep an eye on it. If I can't get the good spot I just park on the busiest street where it's unlikely for anyone to carry it. But I still worry all the time.

Im loving the idea of the lock alarm. Do you know where I can get one within Australia either online or in a shop..?

Cheers Alan

[rjc123]

Thanks for that Roberta. I normally avoid leaving it on the car unsupervised for long periods of time, but when i do, i just use the old bike chain lock. Does the trick but yours looks a bit better. Will give it a go!

Cheers, Tom

[arpie]

There is this one too - you just loop a wire (something with a loop at each end) thru the scuppers etc & then just leave the lock 'sitting on top' - it is a horizontal balance lock! If it is picked up, vibrated or interfered with, it gives a warning beep. If the movement continues, it goes off BIGTIME! I bought it to take to NZ with me - about $30. Bikers use it on the disc brake of their bikes.

There is another looping thru locking one called a snake as well that other buddies have used, where you just keep pulling the cable thru until it is as tight as you want it, then lock it off.

Hi Alan

I was lucky & got my red one (cable & alarm that winds back onto itself) at a local tackle shop in a clearance sale! I have loaned it to buddies who were visiting with only normal tie downs.

Just google ''Lock Alarm' 120 Decibel Cable Security Alarm" and it should give you some choices. Camping shops should have them too. I use similar to lock my Engel Fridge to something secure, too! They often go 'walkies' at night too.

[rjc123]

There is this one too - you just loop a wire (something with a loop at each end) thru the scuppers etc & then just leave the lock 'sitting on top' - it is a horizontal balance lock! If it is picked up, vibrated or interfered with, it gives a warning beep. If the movement continues, it goes off BIGTIME! I bought it to take to NZ with me - about $30. Bikers use it on the disc brake of their bikes.

Znic_alloy_disc_alarm_lock.jpg

There is another looping thru locking one called a snake as well that other buddies have used, where you just keep pulling the cable thru until it is as tight as you want it, then lock it off.

Hi Alan

I was lucky & got my red one (cable & alarm that winds back onto itself) at a local tackle shop in a clearance sale! I have loaned it to buddies who were visiting with only normal tie downs.

Just google ''Lock Alarm' 120 Decibel Cable Security Alarm" and it should give you some choices. Camping shops should have them too. I use similar to lock my Engel Fridge to something secure, too! They often go 'walkies' at night too.

That one would do the job for sure! I guess i get a bit comfortable with the PA thinking that no one in there right mind would try and take it purely because its so heavy!! I still keep a bike chain on it for good measure though. If someone really wanted it, i guess they could take it relatively easily providing theres more than one person. Better to be safe then sorry i guess

[arpie]

New PA owners have to be VERY careful that their 'whizz bang' seat doesn't get knocked off, as it is designed to be removed so easily! One of my buddies had his pinched the other week when he went into a shop for some lunch! Came back & it was GORN! Broad daylight in a busy street!

Look for some method of securing IT to the yak with some sort of locking system, too!

,,, I still keep a bike chain on it for good measure though. If someone really wanted it,,,,,,

For sure - the dedicated thief will still get one, given the time & opportunity - but if you make it that little bit more difficult & he sees another yak nearby that ISN'T as secure as yours - they'll go for that one, for sure!

[rjc123]

New PA owners have to be VERY careful that their 'whizz bang' seat doesn't get knocked off, as it is designed to be removed so easily! One of my buddies had his pinched the other week when he went into a shop for some lunch! Came back & it was GORN! Broad daylight in a busy street!

Look for some method of securing IT to the yak with some sort of locking system, too!

,,, I still keep a bike chain on it for good measure though. If someone really wanted it,,,,,,

For sure - the dedicated thief will still get one, given the time & opportunity - but if you make it that little bit more difficult & he sees another yak nearby that ISN'T as secure as yours - they'll go for that one, for sure!

The seats are pretty easy to remove! I never leave anything in or on the yak when its on the roof. Both because thieves can fairly easily take it, but that constant fear of something not being put in right and flying off the yak while your driving is enough to stop me from doing so. Just pack it all into the car...

[arpie]

It needs to be locked on anyway - even if at a campground & left unattended for a while! WHen doing the ABT Yak Comps a few years back, I used to tow my yak with me EVERYWHERE, even to weigh-in - others just left theirs fully loaded down in the bay/marina! Not ME!!

When I travel, I don't take everything off - but I DO put a solid tarp over the whole lot, to keep it all 'tidy' held down by about 8 occie straps - with my flag out the back as well!!

Edited February 2, 2013 by Roberta

[Paul]

Thanks for the heads up Roberta.

I agree that the PA's would attract more attention from thieves as it can store more on it.

Typically my PA is secure as it gets stored in a LUG at the back behind my car so thieves would have to either steal the car too or move it first. On my short day trips, I can't remember it ever leaving my sight as the trips are so precise from leaving home to launching to beaching to packing up and going home.

BUT NOW that you've got me thinking, I have left it unattended when we stepped into Coles during our Jervis Bay trip and didn't really think much of it at the time as it was a busy area during the Christmas rush and parking spaces were more valuable at the time. With a few planned camping trips coming up, can't afford to be that complacent anymore so the locks are a great idea and I will DEFINITELY be getting one!

I'm guilty of keeping the seat on the yak too, but it is tied down more to prevent it from flying off than security from thieves. Shame about your buddy's Vantage seat. Like all other Hobie parts, I assume it was very expensive to replace too and you rarely see an accessory like that sold separately from the yak second hand.

Gonna double check my towball now too, not really sure how it's connected tbh but I don't think it's a pin so hopefully it's something more secure!

Cheers

Paul

[arpie]

....Like all other Hobie parts, I assume it was very expensive to replace too and you rarely see an accessory like that sold separately from the yak second hand. ....

Yep, those seats are REALLY expensive to replace, so he just got a standard Boat Seat that folds down & has heaps of cushioning on it (a bit like an armchair) and has BOLTED this one on!!

Yep - sadly, you can't be complacent any more about anything. If it isn't bolted down, it can be nicked.

[cut_loose]

Thanks for taking your time and sharing Roberta, my car has the hayman reese hitch and i never thought about it that way. I just use a trailer lock. I will get one of them for sure !

[arpie]

Same with your trailer - you also need to lock IT to the Towball as well! No point having the Hayman Reese locked, if your Trailer isn't locked to it!! Most trailer heads have a clip that you can put a padlock on, to secure it to the Ball.

I speak from experience - whilst we were out on the lake some years back, a low life undid my brother's trailer - just left the thing sitting on TOP of the ball, not OVER the ball .... so when he reversed it down the boat ramp and hit the brake, the whole trailer flew off the ball & into the water! Luckily the dipstick hadn't undone the safety chain - or it would have gone into 5ft of water!!

It is a real shame that we have to pander to the low lifes ......... but the extra security you put into your gear when travelling all gives peace of mind.

Imagine if you came back to the carpark & found your whole rig gone, Hayman Reese fitting & all!!??

[jenno64]

All very good advice!

[bluefin]

The hayman reese are good but you can undo the nut on the tow ball and take it off. very easy i would think ?

I put a couple of spot welds on mine, can grind them off if needed!

Howard.

In reality If they want it bad enough they will get it. undo the whole tow bar from the car, take the whole rig!!! we can only make it hard for them, and maybe they wll pick an easier target!

[quochuy]

I've read of the Lasso Kong. Look good but not sure what they are worth:

My kayak is 2.7m and fits inside my Honda Odyssey when I put the passenger seat and all seats behing it down. I just slide it in on its side. It hides the side view so not great for driving but it is good for storing unattended. For transport, I'll be using the roof rack.