| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| mikeb |
Posted - 21 Nov 2012 : 22:24:38
Following up from this thread: http://www.normanboats.co.uk/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6874, a couple of weeks ago I got a phone call from a friend to tell me that my outboard had been nicked!
I went down to the boat (it was dark by this time), and sure enough my 280lb 60hp outboard was missing from the transom. Control box also gone, all the cables (inc the steering) chopped with bolt croppers. Trim panels ripped off and mechanical bilge pump also taken, at some effort?! Cabin door padlocks cropped off and the screws and trim panel that the control box was attached to lying on the floor. I had a box full of coils of new cable, a lead lamp and inverter that was also missing, but strangely they had left a full 25l tank of petrol. Totally gutted as the engine was worth twice the rest of the boat, and what was left looked a right mess.
For the life of me I couldn't work out how they'd managed to get it off the boat - it's so big, heavy and plain awkward, even on dry land it's a 3 man job to lift it. The sheer bulk of the thing was my main security defence! I was thinking it must've been a bigger (fishing?) boat with a hoist or something on the back, and they craned it off.
By now it was low tide, the river was about 3ft deep. Looking over the back of the boat, torch shining into the water I could just make out what looked like some of the wire that was missing, looks like they'd just chucked it in the water.
As I went to climb up off the boat I noticed some of the rope I kept on board was tied round the ladder and the rest floating in the water, started pulling it out, but it disappeared underneath the boat and seemed stuck. Oh well, I'll sort it out tomorrow in the daylight, I think.
Then the boat drifted out from the quay on it's mooring ropes, shone the torch down, and what is that on the river bed, underneath the boat? Only my bloody outboard! Looks like the cretins had got the engine off the transom and onto the gunwale, and then managed to drop it in the water trying to get it onto the quay. Up on the bank and peering into the water I can see the remote control box, the bilge pump, and everything else that was missing on the river bed. Either they dropped the outboard and then chucked everything else in out of frustration/spite, or they were disturbed and dropped the lot back into the water to conceal the evidence?
So there's my outboard, submerged on the river bed, and FA I can do about it at this time of night. Spent the next day getting myself organised (went out and bought a chain hoist and several cans of WD40, amongst other stuff). At 5pm myself and an unwitting friend began trying to retrieve it. Into the icy cold, fast flowing river up to my waist, righted the engine, and lashed about half a mile of rope around it, and managed to winch it up level with the quayside using the chain hoist. Getting it the last little bit and onto the side was a right pain - one of us underneath it standing on the side of the boat pushing and lifting, the other on the bank pulling and twisting.
Eventually we got it onto the bank, and it was surrounded within the side rails of the ladder which loop up and over and cast into the concrete quayside. This should be the easy bit - sliding it out of the ladder and onto the waiting sack truck (the nearest I can get my pickup truck is 100 yards away). But no, the thing was trapped within the confines of the ladder hand rails. The engine was stuck in the tilted position, so the bracket was sticking out at an awkward angle.
Like the krypton factor we twisted and shuffled it backwards and forwards, but every direction (except back over the side!) it was a couple of inches from fitting through. It's now 10pm, kids asleep in the car, and we're wallowing around in the mud and the dark trying to free the engine from the ladder. Off with the cowling, still not quite enough, slacken the gearbox (couldn't see how to disconnect it completely), nope, still stuck. Remove one of the plastic fins, and with less than an inch to spare we got it to move a bit, then we had to pull off the prop to get it free of the ladder. A couple of minutes later and it was on the back of my truck - midnight and freezing cold by now (still in my swimming gear).
Next day got the plugs out and flushed it through with as much WD40 as I could, whilst turning it over by hand. All while still on the back of my truck, as I didn't have anyone around to help me lift it off.
Over the next few days I got it lifted down and onto a wooden frame, and dismantled everything I could get off the engine. Took off the intake manifold and reed valves and got as much oil into the bearings as I could. Dried out the electrics in the oven. All ready to get it back together but I needed some new gaskets for the reed valve/intake manifold, by now it was Saturday, and no where kept these parts in stock. Had to wait til Monday to order them, and they arrived on the following Thursday. Cost - £24 for 3 gaskets! On Tuesday I managed to snap the outlet nipple off the fuel pump, effectively wrecking it. It's a fairly common part, so ebay came to the rescue - found a brand new one for £20! Only problem that the seller was in Singapore and delivery was estimated at 12-14 working days. Went ahead anyway, lo and behold it turned up 2 days later on the same day as the gaskets that were UK stock, and for about the same price!
Got it all back together and lashed up the control box wiring and all the electrics I could test seemed to work - solenoids, starter, power tilt etc. Wound it over on the starter with the plugs out and tried to make sure everything internally was well oiled. Put the plugs back in, primed the fuel and now it was the moment of truth. Turned the key and it fired into life almost instantly, and then kept running without missing a beat for at least half an hour. Not a bad result considering it must've been on the bottom of the river for at least 3 full days.
So now I've got to try and recover the boat without an engine (it's about a quarter of a mile to the nearest slipway). Bought a trailer a couple of weeks ago from a member on here (just before all this happened - another week and the boat would have been out of the water and safely on my driveway). I have got a little auxiliary engine to move the boat with, if I can get it running, doesn't want to cooperate so far.
Ordered up new cables for the throttle and gears, just need to work out what teleflex steering to go for. Also need some electric cables to rewire the control box cable and the power tilt (yes, the idiots even chopped that, even totally pointlessly). Would like to change the water pump impeller and gearbox oil while sometime soon as well.
Not feeling quite so bad now, as I haven't actually lost anything significant. Just a few costs for cables etc. Going to have to rethink my mooring location though. Might end up keeping it out of the water instead - something I'd wanted to avoid as it's a right hassle to use it then. |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| mikeb |
Posted - 24 Nov 2012 : 22:27:57
I should have taken the hint that the only 'shinier' boat than mine had already been targetted. Where it is moored is pretty quiet, there are only another couple of boats there and they all look semi abandoned. In fact, one was washed up onto the bank in the recent spring tide, and they literally walked right past it to get to mine.
It's a shame because the location is otherwise perfect - it's only 5 mins from home, so we can just roll up and pootle off down the river on a whim/tide. I might end up keeping it out of the water most of the time now, which I suspect will mean that we never get to use it regularly.
Yes, my insurance does stipulate an 'approved' lock, but I haven't found one that looks big enough to cover the bolts on my bracket. They also want the serial number on record, which is something I haven't managed to locate on anywhere on the engine. I think I know what that means unfortunately, and it pretty much makes it uninsurable.
I like the idea of the steel box, but I think it might upset the balance of my 20!
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| IanM |
Posted - 24 Nov 2012 : 08:42:44
When I'm parking my car in what I perceive to be a slightly dodgy area I always try to park between two nice shiny cars in the hope that any scumbag will target those first. The same applies to boats. They will go for the easiest or shiniest target first. So when you choose a mooring for your boat, try not to be the best target and if the marina/moorings you are looking at seems cheaper than others in the same area, be sure to ask around to see if there is any particular theft problem there.
As for the bolts, whilst there are incidents of people cutting off transoms to get at engines I'm pretty sure that will be much more rare than engines simply being unclamped. Unless they are after your particular engine or are too off their head to think about it, they will take the easier engine off the boat next door. In Mike's case I suspect they went for the biggest HP engine they could see without really thinking about how heavy it might be. Unfortunately, it's hard to defend against really stupid thieves.
Also, check your insurance as there may be specific clauses about outboards like a stipulation that they should be padlocked in place and that you should have recorded the serial number.
The local Canal Trust has just refurbished an ex-BW work boat that is powered by an outboard. The BW approach to security is a massive heavy-duty steel box that hinges down over the whole outboard and padlocks into place. You can see it in the open position in the piccy here:
http://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/10031208.Logs_delivered_by_canal_boat_for_first_time_in_decades/
It's an extreme approach but a BW-proven one. |
| ken cattell |
Posted - 24 Nov 2012 : 02:43:35
Pity there was not an abundance of blood around the boat to encorage you into thinking the thieving gits had lost a finger or two when they dropped it. Well done in retrieving it all but you didnt ask for the hassle. This seems to be getting more common, (or the exchange of information is now easier) begining to have doubts regarding putting mine on the water permanantly now. Seems you cant have a bit of pleasure without some tealeaf deciding they have a greater need. |
| mike |
Posted - 23 Nov 2012 : 13:13:56
Its very true about not making the motor look to good
On our 22 we have an old Honda 9.9, 80's vintage with the old shape square cowel. Had a quiet few days in the workshop last year so did up the motor, all cleaned up, new paint, got some decals off tinternet, made up with the result, motor looked almost new (except for the shape.
You can all tell where this is going!!!
Two weeks later some barsteward tried to have it away and did about 600 quids worth of damage in the process.
I think half the problem is that in a lot of cases the people who nick stuff have no idea about boats, they assume that all boater are rich, so all boat bits are worth money and if they can get a few quid for it for some chemical enjoyment its fair game.
I have a lot of sympathy for the Middle East view of cutting off hands and branding foreheads, however in these enlightened times these practices are frowned upon.
Hope everything gets sorted out handy for you.
Mike
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| adi-n-chez |
Posted - 22 Nov 2012 : 17:47:29
Mike
Well done in saving yr motor - I think I would have put a claim in for the motor & tried to buy the 'worthless' sunken lump back for spares !
Im of similar opinion on bolts - rather lose the o/b than the transom (Although mine is thicker than most!) My motor came of a 22 Conquest that I bought , The key wouldnt move the corroded outboard locks , around 4-5 minutes work & they were off so not much of a deterrent either.
Good job tho
Adi
Sewer Tubes ? I'd rather have a D**ncr*ft (Only Kidding) |
| mikeb |
Posted - 22 Nov 2012 : 11:20:57
quote:
Originally posted by IanM
also consider making it visually less appealing so it is harder to sell on. Scuff up the cowling/transfers and maybe even spray it matt black (or bright pink if you prefer).
They've done that for me - the previously smart looking cowling is now missing most of it's paint and is all scratched up. There was a cover over the top of the engine anyway, the and the lower leg already looked fairly scruffy, prop not in great condition etc.
Not sure about 'security' bolts, as I've heard horror stories on here where thieves have chopped out the transom to take the outboard, so it doesn't seem like much of a deterent. |
| IanM |
Posted - 22 Nov 2012 : 06:54:58
Nice work, although you shouldn't have had to do any of it. The ropes and ladder stuff is where tried to support the weight of the outboard whilst they removed it. I guess they underestimated the weight (or are rubbish at ropework).
Outboards are always going to be a popular target for theft but you could bolt it through the transom with big chunky security bolts and also consider making it visually less appealing so it is harder to sell on. Scuff up the cowling/transfers and maybe even spray it matt black (or bright pink if you prefer). |
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