Breaking into a yacht?

Question

In the story I'm writing, I have the main characters attempting to sneak onto a private yacht to find something.

Does anyone know how well guarded/secured yachts are at port or at sea? Is there any place on a yacht that would be easier and less noticable to get into?

Answer 1

They say that beginning writers should write about things they know about... obviously you have never spent nights on the water on a small boat because if you had, you would know the attitude is SHOOT FIRST AND ASK QUESTIONS LATER.

If ANYONE goes on a boat, at night, un-invited and un-announced... they stand a very good chance of BEING SHOT.

I remember when I was living in the St. Pete Marina, and that is about a secure a marina as you will find on the Florida Gulf coast, I was awakened one night with shouts of "WHAT THE **CK ARE YOU DOING ON MY BOAT YOU $@%$*"  followed by a couple of SHOTGUN BLASTS.

If you are going to write about people sneaking down a pier or a dock in the middle of the night and breaking into a boat... you need to know more about how things are REALLY done on the water.

There has been more than once, when I have been cruising, that I have maintained an "Anchor Watch" all night with a cup of coffee in one hand and my loaded Winchester 1300 in the other.  When you are anchored in some secluded anchorage and a boat load of shady looking people anchors next to you... calling 911 is NOT an option... the law on the water is whatever weapon you have on board.

Answer 2

Interesting way of asking this question.

I won't answer you on this forum - publicly.

Email me at [e-mail] - providing I am satisfied that you are actually writing a story (and the onus is on you to provide some evidence of that to me) then I will give you some methods for your book.

Geoff

Answer 3

At sea, it'd be real hard to approach & get close enough to board without being noticed.

Two possibilities come to mind.  Try a scuba approach at night, while the ship is anchored;  just climb up on the swim platform.  Or crash a party in progress...hide in plain sight, as it were.

Answer 4

Many of the exoctic locales (and the open seas) have a "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality when it comes to p****y.  Also, today's luxury mega-yachts are so security-focused you would be surprised at the methods employed to keep unwanted guests away.  (Think underwater infrared cameras, motion/heat detection systems, biometric locking systems on exterior/interior bulkhead doors, "saferooms" etc. This is in addition to an arsenal of weapons that many boats are keeping aboard these days.  I know of several individuals that work most of the year on megas out of Simson Bay Yacht Club in St Maarten, and more than one of them has at least one ex-SEAL or ex-Ranger as a crew mate.)

That being said, even if it's not legit research for a book I would love to hear about what happens when you try to sneak into the tender garage via the aft swim platform, through the engineer quarters, through the engine room, through the crew mess and cabin area, up through the main guest stateroom areas, into the galley for a quick snack, up through the main salon where you quick mix a martini while "tickling the ivories", through the wheelhouse, onto the sidedecks, past the owners suite, up to the sundeck and next to the jacuzzi where you are unceremoniously tossed overboard by an ex-Royal Navy operative crewmember who was entertaining a few local ladies while the owner was on-shore for the evening.

P.S.  See garrison's ppost at the end and reference my first sentence again!!!  He's right, trust me...I've "been there, done that"!!!  Shoot first, ask later...

Answer 5

not guarded at all and a crow bar would do nicely

Answer 6

Okay, It really depends on the size, but I am assuming its 50' +

so, to get in without being noticed by land-gaurds (assuming it's a highly gaurded yachting club) you would want to try Scuba-diving and swimming to the yacht from far out in the body of water, due to the fact that if it is an extremely guarded yachting club, so they swim to the boat, and at the back of the great vessel their is often a swim deck and they would get onto it (Care-fully! Rembember, boats bounce.) but odds are the a guard would see them so it would be of their best interest to hide, so (Assuming the Ship is HUUGE)

they would be able to slip down into the engine room, which I believe would be located at the end of the ship, and since robbers wouldn't usually steal anything from the engine room the guards wouldm't look down their, so, the main character would venture up to the control deck and into the main Cabin,

they would need to see in the dark because the hull and bow of alot of yachts have windows, if their were any light the ship would stick out like a cow among ants. so once they find the document (I would suggest the safe should be under a couch seat.) after this, to escape I suggest that they arrange a get-away boat, after diving off the back into the water, all the guards would be on their pursuit.

Answer 7

Most marinas have a secure entry into the marina itself where the yachts are moored. Once you get past that, it is the actual yacht owners and staff that look out for each other. The easiest way to enter the yacht is through the door at the rear.