LoJack for Kayaks?

There’s been a rash of kayak thefts around Bristol, RI this spring & summer (the thieves have sold them on Craigslist, by the way - which is why it’s a good idea to check out serial numbers). Anyway, one couple who had 4 kayaks worth $8,000 stolen asked if there’s any way to put a tracer like LoJack in a kayak. Apparently some kind of tracer is molded right into plastic shipping pallets. Seems like it’s be easy to glass something into the end of the bow or stern.



Does anyone know of anything like this? Do any kayak manufacturers offer this?

Here’s an idea you won’t like. Do you
have some spray paint lying around? Just go out and spray some random ugly swaths on the deck and side of your kayaks. It will make them real hard for a thief to sell. If you’re concerned about resale, put down a light coat of 303 before spraying, and then rub it off. Later you should be able to get the paint off without too much difficulty.

An RF tag is different than LoJack
LoJack transmits, which means you need to have a power source. Having a passive RF tag only reflects info when scanned. It’s like putting a chip in your pet. No one will know it’s yours unless someone knows enough to scan it.



I’m all for making a boat unique. The more special it is, the more the paddling community will recognize it. If it is unique enough, your friends would be the only ones interested in buying it and they would immediately recognize it as yours. I’ve had a few friends lose boats, only to have the thief caught and the boats recovered.

Would yer steal dis?

– Last Updated: Oct-11-09 11:19 AM EST –

http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2340900290094647494FwOlOZ

http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2542783800094647494FnMRpA

Ah' had a flashback ta de '60s one day...

FE

Kayak/Canoe Theft
Very interesting. Seems like scanning RF tags would be a good way to check a kayak to see if it was stolen.



I wonder if any manufacturers let you call in the serial number of a stolen kayak, so if a prospective purchaser calls about that serial number, the manufacturer could let them know it’s stolen.



IMHO, kayak & canoe theft is going to become more and more of a problem as paddlesports increase in popularity. The thieves around here have taken only high-end boats & paddles and left the rest, so they know what they’re going after. They might even be paddlers, sad to say.



Another thing - the thieves have come by water and taken the kayaks away by water. And it’s not just boats that were left outside - they used bolt cutters to get into these folks’ boathouse. The cops aren’t sure, but think the same thieves may also be the ones who are stealing kayaks off cartops in the greater Providence area.



So it’s not just the occasional opportunistic theft of a boat left by the water any more. There are skilled, sophisticated thieves out there who know what they’re looking for, and I think we need to be proactive in how we protect our boats.



Anyway, I’m going to do some research and will post anything I find out.

Stolen Kayaks
It’s a little difficult to check a serial number when your looking at a used kayak, what are you going to say “let me run the s/n and I will get back to you”? I figure if they have you come to their house and get their name with a signed bill of sale it’s clean.

I presume people know
But if not, Mariner Kayaks in Seattle has an international listing of stolen kayaks. It’s the most comprehensive list I know of and worth checking if a deal is to good to be true. It also works better if more people report their boats stolen, so I recommend using it.



http://www.marinerkayaks.com/mkhtml/stolendb.htm

Stolen Yak list
I checked mine against the list I’m clean.

Haven’t done my Guide like that yet.
My Synergy has sorta random blue swatches on its red hull.

get a
sticker that says “a gun lives here”


I just leave my smelly neoprene water
shoes in the cockpit.



Works like a charm !



Cheers,

JackL


FatElmo
Yes!