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Does anyone have any suggestions about locking a motor to a boat? Or any other ways to stop theives.
I don't really know how often motors get stolen, but it seems like they would be easy to steal.
I have a 13' with a 40hp Johnson.

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Arthureld,
There are several specialty products made to lock small outboard mounting clamps so they cannot be turned. A 40hp may or may not have the clamps, depending on the age. I've seen chains with padlocks used to lock the motor to the trailer or a tree. I've seen chains wrapped aroung the SS prop and padlocked so the prop won't be taken. I'm in the physical security business and when asked what type of lock is the best I tell the customer that it depends on how much you want to spend on repairs after the thief has taken what they wanted. With today's cordless tools it's not beyond some of the ruthless crooks to cut the transom out and take the motor still bolted to what's left. All I try to do is keep the boat in as secure a place as I can. I also have a 13 and think that if they want the motor they will just take the boat with it. Sorry if this didn't help much.
Mike

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Thanks for the reply moose. My motor is a 2003 and I paid more for it than for the boat. :)
It is in the process of being installed now and I don't know if it has screw clamps that can be locked.

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my old Mariner 15 hp was stolen last year off my little boat that was pulled up on my dock. They cut the padlock I had installed thru the two clamp handles.

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The sad truth is there is very little you can do to keep a thief from getting what they want. Moose is correct, if a thief really wants your motor they will cut it right out of the transom if they have to. Then your are without a motor and you are left with a boat that does not have a transom.

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I understand, what you guys are saying. But I lock the door to my house even though anyone could easily kick it in. lol
It is unlikely that anyone will mess with it where I'll be keeping it. I was just going to put something simple on it for occasions like if I'm towing and spend the night in a motel.
If it does have the screws for holding it on the transom, I'll try to put a lock thru the handles like the post above. Or maybe I'll just be more trusting. :)

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Home Aside and I were traveling to the North Channel together last August. We drove overnight, and as we were driving through Espanola, Ontario, around 4 am, Pat turned on the radio. There was a PSA on the air that I remember, it was from the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police). The tagline was “if you like it, lock it”.

While it is true that thieves will steal from you even if it is locked up (if they want it badly enough), most thefts are crimes of opportunity. Give a thief time, concealment and motivation, he’ll strip your boat bare….but the reality is that for most thieves, you simply have to make your boat “less appealing” than the next boat down the line. By definition, a thief is a lazy or a desperate person who can’t or won’t work for his money.

My advice – lock the motor and when storing the boat, remove the propeller.

For locks, visit the following:
Q-Lock
McGuard Motor Locks
Master locks

I just finished cutting the lock off my project boat for my brother. The lock must have been put on there in the 80’s when dad owned the boat but the key was long gone. Using a Dremel and a cutoff wheel took about 15 minutes of hard, loud work to get it loose…after drilling out the lock core.

After you’ve provided this first line of defense, make sure you have adequate insurance to cover any other losses and don’t worry about it.

Dave

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Thanks for the links and great advice Dave. I'll check into insurance too.

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Arthureld,
If you decide to use a padlock try to get one of the round locks like a "Diskus" or if that won't fit them an American 700 series is very tough. The less shackle they have to attack, the better.
Mike