Has Your Dinghy Gone Missing?

We tested a “dinghy finder,” and it works!

A rash of dinghy thefts in the (Caribbean) Islands got me thinking. With a little research, I found what I was looking for, a tracker. I took it for a test drive – and it works.

The obvious way to protect a dinghy from being stolen is to haul it out of the water on a halyard; when ashore, secure it to the dinghy dock with a stout chain and a robust lock, but then the thieves may just make off with the engine or the gas tank.

Another solution is to fit your dinghy with a ”tracker,” one that will show you, on a map on your smartphone, where your dinghy has gotten to.

The Apple AirTag is one such device, but it has its shortcomings. It needs a Bluetooth connection in order to connect up to the system to show you where it is on your iPhone.  But, if there are no smartphones nearby, there is no signal and no tracking.

If the thieves have a phone with Bluetooth on, they can see the tracker on their phone, locate it and throw it overboard. That is if the thieves are smart enough.

GPS Tracker is the Go!

So, the Apple Tracker is not the answer. What’s needed is a GPS tracker. I found the LandAirSea 54 on line. And, since it only cost $10 on Amazon, I bought one. The LandAirSea.com website has lots of good information and subscription options. A month-by-month subscription is $20 for an upload ping every three minutes and only $10 a month on a two-year contract.

The device itself is a hockey puck. You can hold it in your hand. It came with a USB charging cable and a small tool for turning it on and off. It has a built-in magnet for attaching to cars and trucks. The 54 is waterproof and made primarily for fleets of commercial vehicles so the home office can see where their trucks or cabs are. You can subscribe to one of the more frequent tracking options, like every few seconds, if you want real-time tracking.

I downloaded the app onto my iPhone, registered my tracker and signed up for the one-month plan. To test it out, I stuck it on a friend’s dinghy and found it a day later. It hadn’t been stolen; the owner just moved it to another dock. But it worked and is more accurate than the FindMy app on my iPhone.

Think about the tracker location

There is a “fence” option on the app. Draw a box around an area on the map and the 54 will alert you should the tracker stray outside that area.   But back to your dinghy. Don’t mount it on top of the engine where it can be seen. Don’t mount it inside the engine cover, as the tracker needs to be kept away from heat. Hide it under the seat or in the bow locker. I tried attaching it to the engine mounting bracket, but the tracker’s magnet didn’t find a spot, so I stuck it in the PFD bag.

This tracker is secure. No one will be able to track your tracker. It does not rely on WiFi or Bluetooth, as it uses a GPS link, good anywhere and everywhere. The battery life, while on the 3-minute uplink mode, is good for six months. An accessory wiring harness is available to power your tracker by the dinghy’s battery.

There may be other GPS trackers out there, but for the $10 it costs to buy the device and $20 a month for the few months I’d need it operational, it seems like a cost-effective option to paying the thieves $500 ransom to get your dinghy back.

Now, if we can only get the local constabulary to accompany us when we confront the thieves who have stolen our dinghy, we might help reduce the number of dinghy thefts!

David Lyman

CSSN Caution: The presence of AirTags and some other cell based/Bluetooth tracking devices are designed to discourage unwanted tracking and can be quickly and easily detected and located by thieves. Be certain you fully understand the limitations of these devices. See this CSSN dinghy theft report for more details. Remember, proof of ownership is an important detail, don’t overlook this simple step!

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About the Author

David Lyman is a marine photojournalist, media producer, sailor and author. His articles appear frequently in Noonsite, Caribbean Compass and Cruising World, He has been owned by four different sail boats from a 34-foot Alden sloop to a Bowman 57-foot ketch. For more than 50 years, David has sailed up and down the East Coast, Maine to Florida, with more than two dozen voyages offshore: Maine to the Caribbean, and back. He resides now in Camden, Maine when not delivering boats or on assignment in the Caribbean.

Sailing with David Lyman – YouTube Channel

Other Reports by David Lyman for Noonsite:

• Offshore Passagemaking: Lessons from a Novice Crew (March 2022)
• Free Webinars for Caribbean-Bound Sailors (Sep. 2021)
• Medical Insurance for Caribbean Cruisers (Jan. 2021)

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.

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