Dingy Questions

[Cruisingdad]

Funny you should bring up dinks and motors being stolen. It is unfortunately true. We had the motor on our first dink stolen... but they left the boat! Of course, we had so much crap in the dink they probably thought it was like trying to steal a hurricane damaged mobile home!!

You can put a pad lock on the motor when you secure it to the dink. That keeps them from stealing just the motor. I always pull the shut-off cord to it and keep it with me when ashore. They also make this flexible cable (like for tying up bikes) that does not cut very easy. We used that for some time too and never had a problem. I have to say though: truth is, if they want it, they are going to get it... you are just trying to keep out the "honest thieves".

Also, you can do what a friend of ours in the BVI did: he painted his brand new dink AND motor pink, and purple, and flourescent(sp?) orange stripes. After he lost his second dink, he wanted to make sure that this one was so ugly NO ONE WOULD WANT IT! (Plus, everyone knew when he was coming!! Ha! Ha!) I personally have not gone that far......... yet.

Have fun with it. I cannot ever imagine being without one. We go through more gas than diesel!