From Club Marine... Many have probably worked hard, made sacrifices and saved to be able to buy their boat in the first place so that their family can enjoy a day out on the water, fishing or just cruising. To have some miscreant (we can think of stronger words, but they would be unsuitable for this article) steal their pride and joy is devastating - and the impact it can have on the whole family, especially the younger members is far reaching.

We know of one instance where a boat was stolen from a home driveway and a family with two young girls. Despite the fact that the boat was recovered, the impact on the family lasted for many months - the two youngsters were afraid to sleep in their own bedrooms at night in case someone came to take them away. The miscreants don't stop to think of these aspects or are such low life that they couldn't care. All they can see is the profit they hope to make by stealing someone's property.

This year around Australia the incidence of boat theft is becoming unacceptable. It is getting to the stage where a boat can't be left in a private driveway or in a backyard without the fear of it being stolen.

Club Marine has records of boats being stolen from driveways, backyards and even from a security garage under an apartment block. And leaving a boat on a nature strip outside a house is inviting it to be stolen. In some cases it may not be possible to leave it anywhere else, especially in some inner city suburbs. But at least let the neighbours know who owns it and if a stranger takes an unusual interest in it the neighbours are aware of who owns it.

Statistics also show that many thefts occur around building and construction sites. There is always a lot of noise and strange trucks and vehicles coming and going, so a stranger is not noticeable. The arrival of a heavy truck or a tow truck is not unusual in this environment. It only takes a matter of minutes to hook a rig up behind a tow truck or a heavy vehicle and it is quickly around the corner and in many cases never seen again.

Unfortunately, it does not matter how well a boat is secured if professional thieves decide to steal the rig there is not much that will stop them - besides mounting a 24-hour guard on it. However, there is a lot an owner can do to stop the opportunist who sees a rig unsecured and decides to steal it on an impulse.

The first thing is to make the rig unattractive to steal and the easiest way to do that is with a security device. If there are a number of rigs or trailers at a boat ramp or in a yard a thief will always be attracted to the rig that does not have any security devices attached and is easy to take. <end>

Oceania Trailer's manufacture a Trailer Security Device known as 'The Hitch Helmet' - it fits over the coupling and comes with a separate tow ball that slots in to the body of the device and then sits in the coupling. It has the added advantage of being able to be used when the trailer is attached to the tow vehicle and acts as a safety device to stop the rig coming adrift from the tow bar. There is also a stand that can be bolted into a concrete driveway, the coupling is attached to this and the Hitch Helmet sits over the coupling to secure the rig to the stand.

Hitch Helmet is a patented trailer lock that doubles as a safety device, not only deterring theft but aiding to help prevent trailers from disconnecting while on the move.

Hitch Helmet covers the connecting mechanism between the towbar, towball, and trailer hitch, and simply locks around the trailer hitch when the trailer is not connected to the
vehicle.

FACT: tested by the RAC of Western Australia and Water Police receiving best results at time of testing.

FACT: may receive discounts on premium and theft excess.

FACT: highly visible, reducing the risk of contact likely to cause personal injury.

FACT: locking strength and towing capabilities have been fully tested by authorities (report #3035341 - a force of 35.5kn (3620 kgf) there was no visible deformation of the Hitch Helmet. On removal of the force, there was no visible permanent deformation.

FACT: no one lock offers what the Hitch Helmet can offer in one lock.

FACT: made of anti corrosive material AS1831-500/7, and to AS/NZs ISO9002:1994 quality.

The Hitch Helmet is virtually indestructable and creates a formidable deterrent for thieves.

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