Anti-theft Kayak Cable

The day I bought my first kayak, I had to make several stops on the way home and I realized there was nothing to stop a miscreant from taking it off the roof of my Explorer. After my first paddle, I immediately set out to make it theft resistant.

Step 1

My idea was that a vinyl clad steel clad cable would be ideal for securing the kayak. This left me with two questions to answer: How do I connect the cable to the kayak, and how to I secure the cable to something?

I looked my kayak over, and then took a look at other models and decided that all kayaks are divided into two groups: those with something permanent to connect the cable to and those without.

My first kayak was a Perception Swifty; the seat was molded out of the same piece of plastic that the hull was. A cable wrapped around the seat support in that type vessel (or through the hull, as would be the case with a sit-on-top) cannot be removed without tearing up the boat or cutting the cable. If you have ever tried it, you know how hard that is.

Comments

[mrbill5834]

This is just what I'm looking for. Thanks for the instructions and clear pictures. What type of JB WELD product did you use?

[RangerJ]

Thanks! I hope it works out for you.

As for the JB weld, it was the regular kind with one tube with black lettering and the other with red.

[mrbill5834]

RangerJ,
Thanks for your reply. I'm going to start my kayak theft prevention project this morning.

[RangerJ]

Great! Let me know how it goes...

[dr_insane]

You will need something much stronger than that cable, my friend had his locked up with that stuff, and guess what? It was stolen. You need a motorbike lock/chain, or anyone with a pair of bolt cutters will be able to steal it in a few seconds. But the way you attach it to the kayak is great.

[eg_colon73]

I own a 15'sit on top fishing kayak and my friends and I use a Bell Sports KEVLAR Bike Locks. Just past them thru the holes on the yak and lock it to the rack on top of your SUVor the utility holes on the bed of truck.This locks come on different length and they are super strong! Very hard to cup, trust me!! I lost the keys ones and want easy to cut them.

[you]

My version was to use the aircraft cable with 2 loops at the ends. The loops were done with those aluminum crimp pieces from the hardware store - and it was so long ago, I can't remember how I crimped them - probably used a vice grip or 3lb hammer. 2 more loops are put closer to the center of the cable so that when a lock is put through them and onto the rack it snugly pulls the end loops over the far ends of the kayak. Nothing is punctured in the kayak for this method.

[schkip1973]

I'm with Ranger J. Where is a person going to fence a 7' surfski with decals, a cable and photos. Or a rotomolded kayak with 'stolen from Ranger J, cell number ..." engraved in it.
For these things its more about making it difficult for a silly person to rip it off your roof and vandalise it or cause themselves an injury than an expert safe cracker pinching your specialised kayak.
"a single tree will never make an orchard"

[LeviMc]

you can't stop a thief all your doin is protecting it from the honest guy

[grh]

A thief will break out your window without a second thought ....very easy with just a sharp pointed attack. Happens all the time in retail parking lots when fools leave valuables visible from outside. Run it through the car doors in a loop or secure the ends to a seatbelt anchor point?? A glass side window of a car as the only thing keeping a creep from making off with your toy. Better rethink it. Hardened steel or insurance.

[RangerJ]

I didn't claim it was theft proof, nothing is. The idea is to make it too difficult, time consuming, or attention getting to bother with, which is the idea behind Crime Prevention. As I said, hopefully the would-be thief may not be equipped with the right tool for the job.

The other side of the coin is make it too difficult or annoying to activate or undo and the owner won't bother with it.

Thanks for the observation.