# Storing valuables aboard when cruising



## webbwebs (Jul 30, 2006)

I recently sold my home and I'm in preparation to do some extended cruising in my Westsail 32. I know that a boat is never totally secure, so I'm wondering what might be a good solution for storing valuables, such as laptops, portable electronics, document, passports, cash, etc.

I've looked around and haven't been able to locate anything that is designed specifically for cruising. "Sentry Safe" has a box for around $170 with approx dimensions of 10.6"H x 16.9"W x 14.6"D. My 17" and 15" laptops will fit inside (if passed through the door at an angle), but the box is painted mild steel and I've seen some posts that seriously question the security of the locking system. WeatherGuard makes an aluminum box designed as an under-truck tool box that's somewhat larger (24" in length) that might also work. Being aluminum, it's half the weight and presumably would hold up better to the marine environment. Buyers makes one of similar dimensions (18" x 18" x 24") in aluminum and also make one in stainless in this size.

Has anyone else tackled this concern and found a good solution?

Thanks.

Jack


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## oceanscapt (Aug 1, 2009)

I've never used a safe for what valuables I had on board. When it came to hiding important items, I tended to look for out of the way places to put them (and more important to me, to remember where I put them). 

The first thing I'd do is make the boat as secure as possible. A strong set of washboards and a good lock, making sure the hatches are secured well below deck and that any portholes are tight. I'd also suggest getting some folks in the anchorage to keep an eye on the boat. One boat I cruised with took an extended shore side trip and paid one of the kids on a nearby boat a few dollars a day to lounge around, check the basics, and make it look like someone was aboard rather than away.

Broadcasting your intentions will almost guarantee a visit by the two-legged critters you're trying to prevent looking around. You might consider how to store your tender. If it's tied off the back for days at a time, chances are you'll get a visit. If it's never around at night, chances are you'll get a visit or two. If the boat's dark at night then that may be an welcome sign to thieves. 

But, if someone looks in through a hatch or port and sees cameras, computers, radios, and other items lying about, chances are no matter what steps you take, your chances of being visited by thieves is going to be higher. 

I had an access panel under the pilot berth at the back that was large enough for the laptop. It was neither an obvious spot nor one you could easily get to. Another spot, behind the settee was a good location for my cameras, handhelds, and other "walkable" items. The hidey spot was behind and below a crate of canned food.

I know of folks who stored valuables behind the rudder quadrant, in the engine room, in the chain locker, and in some innovative spots. You might do some looking around for places like that.

My biggest concern is that if thieves find the vault, they'll do far more damage getting the box out (and possibly sinking the boat) than the inconvenience and aggravation of replacing the missing items.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

yea, I would think a traditional Safe is like having big red letters saying steal me, I'm right here? 

Now if that Safe was designed to look like a Holding Tank it could work, especially if the words "Waste" Not for Human Consumption were written on it! LOL


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## eryka (Mar 16, 2006)

False bottom drawers, a bag on a string in the bilge. Caution: we tried #2 for some cash and got some weird looks when, months later, we showed up at a bank in Florida with some moldy $100 bills! 

How about hiding things in plain sight disguised to look not-valuable? I've heard of folks who cut the bottom off a soup can and fitted it out to store things like cash & jewelry and put it back in the locker with other canned goods. 

Ultimately, your laptop is worth less than the data on it, so be scrupulous about your backups. We keep 2 external hard drives in different places so that if we lose the computer we still have all our pictures & notes, etc.


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## eryka (Mar 16, 2006)

T37Chef said:


> Now if that Safe was designed to look like a Holding Tank it could work, especially if the words "Waste" Not for Human Consumption were written on it! LOL


I like it!!


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## huguley3 (May 7, 2007)

You could try something like this thrown down in with the waste tank they would probably only get a disgusted look.


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## tomwatt (Dec 11, 2009)

Years ago as a fresh-out-of-college kid I managed a small restaurant that had no safe, and no way to store the till's contents overnight. I cut the bottom out of a large black olives tin and tucked the cash bag into it, and then set it in among the other black olives cans on the shelf above head height.
The restaurant was broken in to one night, the place ransacked as the thief looked for the money. But the money was not found and remained safely on the shelf.
A key to the success of the ruse with a hide-in-plain-sight gimmick is making sure it's an obvious low-value item, and it helps if there are more than one real one with the hideout tucked into the group like it belongs.
I don't know how many canned goods you might have on board, but sail bags you likely have in abundance.
I like the false waste holding tank idea too.
What about the plastic fender/bumpers? I think one could be crafted to be a hide-safe, and nested among the real ones... just don't forget and dangle it over the side!


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## teejayevans (Jul 10, 2005)

If you are storing $, you could store 10% in a obvious place, and 
the other 90% less obvious, the idea being after finding the 10% 
the thief will leave.
Tom


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## webbwebs (Jul 30, 2006)

*Thanks for your suggestions*

I appreciate the feedback and the excellent suggestions. I guess my greatest concern is my laptop(s). As a programmer by trade, this is my livelihood. It is also my primary navigation and there is undoubtedly a great deal of security information embedded within the data contents.

(I'm almost starting to wonder if cruising is all I've built it up to be.)

Thanks again.

Jack


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## therapy23 (Jul 28, 2007)

huguley3 said:


> You could try something like this thrown down in with the waste tank they would probably only get a disgusted look.


Best one I have seen to date.

Do they have one in boxer style as a single "whitie" would be out of place?


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## davidpm (Oct 22, 2007)

Since you are a programmer you should look into TrueCrypt - Free Open-Source On-The-Fly Disk Encryption Software for Windows 7/Vista/XP, Mac OS X and Linux

Encrypt anything important and don't worry about it.

For some stuff the safest place my be your lawyers safe.


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## davidpm (Oct 22, 2007)

webbwebs said:


> It is also my primary navigation and there is undoubtedly a great deal of security information embedded within the data contents.
> 
> Jack


A simple handheld chartplotter is about $300 and would be a good backup.
I personally would not combine my work computer with primary navigation.
The battery requirements alone would worry me.
But that is a personal assessment of course.


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## wind_magic (Jun 6, 2006)

I think a lot depends on where you are going to be, how much freedom you want, etc. If you're going to be on the boat in Florida, that's one thing, if you're going to be away from the boat for weeks in Brazil, something else entirely.

Probably the easiest thing to do is minimize the amount of valuables you have on board, does she really need the ruby tennis bracelet while cruising ? 

Cameras and computers are getting so cheap now it might be better to worry about the stuff you paid an arm and a leg for at West Marine.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I'd point out that theft prevention isn't a thing of absolutes... most thieves are opportunists, and like when you're walking in the woods with a friend and run in to a grizzly bear, you don't have to out run the bear...you just have to out run your friend...  If you make your boat a bit more secure and difficult to deal with than the next one, then chances are high that the thieves will move on.

Let's face it, a guy with a sawzall or fire axe can really remove anything from a fiberglass boat given a bit of time... and no lock or metal grate is going to be able to stop him. He can just chop through the deck.

There are marine safes, but again, I think that makes it far more likely that you'll get broken into, unless the safe is well concealed. Deception and concealment are far better strategies on a sailboat than safes IMHO.

There are small dry bags that would hold most of your valuables that could be fairly easily stashed in locations that most people wouldn't think to look. If eryka had used a drybag on a string, the bills wouldn't have been moldy more likely than not.

*One point about the computers... the real value of a computer isn't the hardware, as hardware prices are ridiculously low nowadays. The real value is the data... and some computers will allow you to boot off an external USB harddrive... those can easily be safeguarded by backing up and hiding the external USB drive. *

As for safeguarding data... most modern operating systems have fairly heavy encryption built in. Mac OSX and Windows 7 both allow encryption of your home drive with effectively unbreakable encryption techniques, with no need for aftermarket software.


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## QuickMick (Oct 15, 2009)

In the storage spaces behind the couch/settee I installed some library shelves with false bottoms.if you didnt know the spaces are there you would not notice them on casual inspection.


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## QuickMick (Oct 15, 2009)

Doh.... but dont tell any scoundrels my trick... lol


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## Allanbc (Apr 19, 2007)

QuickMick said:


> Doh.... but dont tell any scoundrels my trick... lol


I see a trip to North Texas in my near future! :laugher :laugher :laugher

On a more serious note. There are just too many small, out of the way places on a sailboat to hide valuables. Each boat is different so that makes it harder for a thief to effectively search each nook and cranny. Just leave a couple of hundred bucks in chart table and hopefully the thief will leave happy and not do any more searching.


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## QuickMick (Oct 15, 2009)

Allanbc said:


> I see a trip to North Texas in my near future! :laugher :laugher :laugher
> 
> On a more serious note. There are just too many small, out of the way places on a sailboat to hide valuables.


Looks like _IM_ making a trip to Zotz in Port Aransas to look for small out of the way places!!!


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## Allanbc (Apr 19, 2007)

QuickMick said:


> Looks like _IM_ making a trip to Zotz in Port Aransas to look for small out of the way places!!!


Just look in the chart table and you'll find a couple of hundred bucks. 

Of course, you might find my stash of poisonous snakes, too. :laugher


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## QuickMick (Oct 15, 2009)

hmmmm..... sounds like there could be a movie in there.... snakes on a plane... snakes on a boat.... snakes on a dinky... etc etc etc.... lol.

have a great weekend guys/gals.
Q


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## therapy23 (Jul 28, 2007)

sailingdog said:


> *One point about the computers... the real value of a computer isn't the hardware, as hardware prices are ridiculously low nowadays. The real value is the data... and some computers will allow you to boot off an external USB harddrive... those can easily be safeguarded by backing up and hiding the external USB drive. *
> 
> .


I don't think people are stealing electronics and computers for the data. They are stealing it for the hardware. They don't want your cruising pictures. They want a computer to use or sell.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

While that is true...you're missing my point.* If your computer is stolen... what are you going to miss-the data... not the hardware, which is much easier to replace...*


therapy23 said:


> I don't think people are stealing electronics and computers for the data. They are stealing it for the hardware. They don't want your cruising pictures. They want a computer to use or sell.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

If you still have valuables, you haven't spent nearly enough on the refit.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

true...very true...:laugher


bljones said:


> If you still have valuables, you haven't spent nearly enough on the refit.


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## eryka (Mar 16, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> While that is true...you're missing my point.* If your computer is stolen... what are you going to miss-the data... not the hardware, which is much easier to replace...*


That's only assuming you're in the US or other techno-developed location!

I thought hardware would be the easy part too, which is why I posted the suggestion about double backups early in this thread. However, it may not be that simple, depending on where you're cruising. If you're (for example) on one of the smaller less developed islands - which may still have bad people! - it may not be as easy to replace your hardware as going to the nearest BestBuy in the U.S. In fact, if you're depending on your laptop for communications, navigation, weather forecasts ... you may miss the piece of hardware even more urgently than the photos, music, and whatever data.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

One of my friends who is out cruising noted that when their boat was broken into in the really undeveloped areas, the computers and other high-tech stuff was left mostly alone... they don't really have much of a resale market there. In the semi-developed areas, the laptops seem to be more of a target... however, IMHO, the hardware is still the most easily replaceable part of the computer setup.

If your laptop is the sole method you have of communicating and getting navigation, weather and other passage related information, you're probably doing something wrong.


eryka said:


> That's only assuming you're in the US or other techno-developed location!
> 
> I thought hardware would be the easy part too, which is why I posted the suggestion about double backups early in this thread. However, it may not be that simple, depending on where you're cruising. If you're (for example) on one of the smaller less developed islands - which may still have bad people! - it may not be as easy to replace your hardware as going to the nearest BestBuy in the U.S. In fact, if you're depending on your laptop for communications, navigation, weather forecasts ... you may miss the piece of hardware even more urgently than the photos, music, and whatever data.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

bljones said:


> If you still have valuables, you haven't spent nearly enough on the refit.


:laugher :laugher :laugher :laugher :laugher :laugher :laugher :laugher


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

Keep a wallet with some out of date credit cards and a few 1 dollar bills somewhere obvious.

I too have a laptop that I use everyday and while I keep it out of site if I am going to be away from the boat for any lenght of time it is a pain so I often just leave it on the table. I might build a slide job under the table so that I could put it away in seconds and it would be safe on passage.

I did this in the RV.

From Safari Trek
Picasa Web Albums - John


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## trailblazer1229 (May 27, 2009)

I think I posted this some other place, but I will repeat. Chances are you will have shore power. Maybe a Wifi internet connection from the marina? They sell portable surveillance cameras than can be wired together and recorded on a DVR or computer stashed on your boat. Live images can even be broadcast over the internet. You can couple this with a simple alarm connection as well. The alarm breaks on your wshboards and it sends you a pic/email/call or whatever to let you know someone is snooping around. There are all kinds of setups and can be sold in kits and hooked up pretty quickly. There are even pressure sensors you can use to ell if someone is walking around on your deck. If owned a boat at a dock, I would invest a couple hunderd bucks in a system. Cameras are even capable of capturing video at night or in bad weather.


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## n9wvd (Jun 24, 2010)

New member here and currently in the process of hunting down my first vessel. After reading this thread, I can only ask myself if wanting to spend the last half of my life aboard, out and about; is it worth it? On the other hand, thievery can happen anywhere (home, car, mugged). I'm trying hard to not make this topic a black cloud that looms over me which could deter me from my current plans.


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## eryka (Mar 16, 2006)

Go for it n9!! There's a T-shirt I've seen that says something like "you go sailing, you could get hit by a storm and die; you could capsize and die; you could fall off the boat and get eaten by a shark. ... You stay home and you could fall off the sofa and die" or something like that. Your point is exactly like that - things can happen anywhere. I'd argue that with proper planning and attention, this life isn't vastly riskier than many other choices, and the rewards are incomparable. 

Would you rather live your life or live your fears?


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## swimnfit (Dec 2, 2008)

heres a link to a website that has some pretty creative solutions:

Hidden Safe | Can Safes | Fake Hidden Safes | Secret Money Safe


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## n9wvd (Jun 24, 2010)

eryka said:


> Go for it n9!! There's a T-shirt I've seen that says something like "you go sailing, you could get hit by a storm and die; you could capsize and die; you could fall off the boat and get eaten by a shark. ... You stay home and you could fall off the sofa and die" or something like that. Your point is exactly like that - things can happen anywhere. I'd argue that with proper planning and attention, this life isn't vastly riskier than many other choices, and the rewards are incomparable.
> 
> Would you rather live your life or live your fears?


Precisely. I think of it as no different than an automobile or a house. You can secure it all you want, but if they want something they're going to get it and cause more damage getting to it.

Love that t-shirt saying (need to find it and get it). As excited as I am to off-load most of what I have the remaining time at sea, I think I should at least first start by accompanying someone for a length of time. For all I know, I may not have a sea leg to stand on. haha And the urge to leave the landlocked state of WI (especially come winter) is quite strong.

Before I totally veer off topic (which I have a tendancy to do) I'm going to stop it at that and say thank you Eryka. Reading your comment hightened the growing flame.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Bravo Eryka... 



eryka said:


> Go for it n9!! There's a T-shirt I've seen that says something like "you go sailing, you could get hit by a storm and die; you could capsize and die; you could fall off the boat and get eaten by a shark. ... You stay home and you could fall off the sofa and die" or something like that. Your point is exactly like that - things can happen anywhere. I'd argue that with proper planning and attention, this life isn't vastly riskier than many other choices, and the rewards are incomparable.
> 
> *Would you rather live your life or live your fears*?


I'd point out that you can choose where you sail, and by doing so, eliminate much of the risk of theft... some areas are safer than others...


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## sailor50 (Aug 26, 2009)

Line a hanging locker with shims and cedar "false" planks. You will lose space with this, but at first glance, your foulies are there. Nobody I know of has had theirs stolen.


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## sww914 (Oct 25, 2008)

I'm more afraid of the banks, lawyers, and government in the US than I am of some dirtbag in Madagascar or Guatemala. The dirtbag *might* get you but the others will without fail.


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## n9wvd (Jun 24, 2010)

sww914 said:


> I'm more afraid of the banks, lawyers, and government in the US than I am of some dirtbag in Madagascar or Guatemala. The dirtbag *might* get you but the others will without fail.


lol - so true


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## exterran (Jun 22, 2010)

*Another idea you probably should do anyway ...*

Sorry ... must have hit next twice and missed that, comments removed.

-Dave


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

You need to read more closely... See post #14...


exterran said:


> Where I live, although I am not yet a cruiser, I work with a lot of customers and their PCs. You all have some great ideas for how to hide the laptop, but I've not seen anyone mention data redundancy yet.
> 
> I'd recommend getting a decent USB HDD capable of holding a few backups of the system. Back up regularly and hide both when you're away. Of course it is a problem if the laptop ever gets stolen, but lets face it, you're more likely to have a hard drive or other failure with the laptop itself over time. Just as others have mentioned, it is the data that matters - make a spare copy in case you find yourself in a pinch.
> 
> ...


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

n9wvd said:


> Precisely. I think of it as no different than an automobile or a house. You can secure it all you want, but if they want something they're going to get it and cause more damage getting to it.
> 
> Love that t-shirt saying (need to find it and get it). As excited as I am to off-load most of what I have the remaining time at sea, I think I should at least first start by accompanying someone for a length of time. For all I know, I may not have a sea leg to stand on. haha And the urge to leave the landlocked state of WI (especially come winter) is quite strong.
> 
> Before I totally veer off topic (which I have a tendancy to do) I'm going to stop it at that and say thank you Eryka. Reading your comment hightened the growing flame.


Heck I have a Mazda Miata (hence my online moniker) for over 10 years now and have never locked the doors. I keep nothing of value in sight and have never had an issue, even parked in Manhattan! I often leave the glove box open and the console open so they can see there is nothing of value in them. I figure if they want something they will just cut the top and grab it. The stereo looks basically stock, though it is decidedly not and every thing else looks low value. I had a VW that had a nice stereo, and was always waxed to the 9th degree, and it was broken into 4 times. So a lot of it has to do with appearances. Perhaps you should not put that extra coat of varnish on, don't polish the winches and make the boat look as inconspicuous as possible. (at least that is going to be my excuse!) I was even thinking that you could put stealth displays into old instruments to make them look outdated, but function like new. Perhaps build a laptop display into an old loran unit, or mount a computer screen into an old tv?


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

n9wvd said:


> New member here and currently in the process of hunting down my first vessel. After reading this thread, I can only ask myself if wanting to spend the last half of my life aboard, out and about; is it worth it? On the other hand, thievery can happen anywhere (home, car, mugged). I'm trying hard to not make this topic a black cloud that looms over me which could deter me from my current plans.


Living scared ain't living.
It's just dying slowly, fearfully.
I don't do fear.


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## QuickMick (Oct 15, 2009)

one scenario (a pretty long shot depending on local) = the fear of someone taking something. the other scenario = a love of the water, a million smiles and some of the best commradarie (sp?) you will find anywhere on earth.... easy trade for me


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