Just glancing at the Boats and Motors Forums over the last number of weeks I cannot help but notice the number of postings related to stolen property and boats. From full blown rigs, to trailers, to expensive components such as leaning posts or electronics they all seem to walk fairly regularly these days. Weather you blame it on the economic times or just the general degradation of our societies respect for fellow man; we have a serious problem with thieves these days. So the question becomes; what can I do to keep my prized possession safe? Here are just a few items to keep in mind:
Physical barriers try to keep your rig out of plain view from the street. Parking your boat in a garage or behind your house/behind a locked gate is most ideal. If you must keep your boat within view of the street then at least consider keeping it as close to the house as possible and attempt to park in such as manner that the tongue is hard to access. (For instance, consider parking with the tongue toward the house as opposed to facing the street or consider parking the trailer at an angle so someone must physically move the boat around before they can just hook up). Also consider a boat cover; the cover will not only shelter your rig from Mother Nature, but it will also eclipse some of your rigs components from plain sight and thieves and they are less likely to go after something if they cannot see the entire package.
Lock it up as a minimal precaution you should use a tongue lock and I highly recommend using these at the boat ramp as well. In addition I would recommend a wheel lock as well. Simply running a heavy chain through the holes in the rim and around the frame of the trailer is a great deterrent. I have found the large Kryptonite bike locks fit well through some rims and around the leaf springs so the trailer cannot roll. You can also lock the trailer to a tree of fixed object with a chain and padlock. Remove any and all gear and lock it inside your garage or shed, I recently had a buddy loose a $600 cooler ou