Keeping boat secure at boat dock?
 

I will be storing my boat soon on a boat dock on a lift... dock and lift are the floating type. What do you use to secure your boat to try and prevent theft? Thank you.

Nothing. Cover it and leave it.

Are you in a marina with a locked gate or a private dock?

It is kind of crazy that you may have a boat that is worth more then most cars and you really can not lock the doors...
We leave our boat on the lift with the cover on it and usually try to get it as high as possible under the canopy.
Our lift has an electric winch. So I unplug the cord from the source which is in a locked boat house.
Usually take any loose expensive stuff out of the boat and lock up in boat house.

As I see it, if someone wants something they are going to get to it and take it. Theft deterrents for boats only force the thief to cause additional damage to sidestep "security"

I've had our boats in marinas for 8 years without issue, knock on wood. Put the cover on, keep the insurance paid, and don't worry about it.

Never worried about theft when I have the boat at the lake house. Granted it only stays in the water when I'm on vacation so I'm usually there or not away for long, and the lake doesn't have a huge amount of traffic and only a couple ramps that are sometimes staffed and only for the use of lakefront and adjoining town residents. Good neighbors help. I'd imagine if theft is a concern do whatever you can to make it take longer or be louder to steal. Thick hardened chain from a cleat to the dock or lift? I'd imagine bow eyes can be cut easily with bolt cutters. Granted with cordless sawzalls and angle grinders a cleat could be cut too and may not be easy to securely attach a sufficiently large chain that can't be cut quickly and quietly with bolt cutters.

You want to make it inconvenient to steal. If they really want it not much will stop them. I would think being an inboard and on a lift rather than a trailer would be a deterrent as it may not easily load onto whatever trailer they have available. Make sure your trailer is secure. The hull is worthless and will be cut up or dumped somewhere, driveline, tower and anything else of value will be removed and parted out. I think outboard motors are a more desirable target so far as quick high dollar resale. I'm not a thief so I don't know the market on Indmar/Pleasurecraft/whatever engines but engines really aren't worth all that much. I doubt any thief will hang onto a traceable hull for long, much less a lower production and higher profile wake boat hull. If you have some crazy high dollar high profile stereo they'd probably strip that out at the dock when you are away or asleep. I don't know, I've never worried too much about it. Mine usually stays on the trailer with a lock on the tongue but if someone really wanted it they could be away with it pretty quick, but that's why I have insurance.

I leave my boat on the lift at a public marina and the keys are in the boat. The marina has a locked gate with a code and everyone seems to look out for each other. I haven't had any issues in almost three years.