Car Keys

D

Deimos

Member
What do people do with them whilst out on the water (and things like wallets, passports/ID cards, etc.).


I'd hate to lose mine as, apart from not being able to get home, the thing has a chip in it and the manufacturer does not have the IDs, etc. to make replacements. And then there is the risk of somebody nicking the car (or the contents).


Ian
 
I have mine (just the ignition key) on one of those orange key ring floats. Then I attach the split ring of the float to a clip on my life jacket.

We don't need a passport to sail here.

Crime is quite low too. You can leave your front door unlocked, and if there are other people from the club on the beach you can leave your car unlocked windows down too.
 
Deimos said:
What do people do with them whilst out on the water (and things like wallets, passports/ID cards, etc.).


I'd hate to lose mine as, apart from not being able to get home, the thing has a chip in it and the manufacturer does not have the IDs, etc. to make replacements. And then there is the risk of somebody nicking the car (or the contents).


Ian
Click to expand...

I have two key fobs for my jeep, and it takes both of them to program a new key fob. I keep meaning to make another one before I lose one. Maybe your vehicle has a similar feature.

If I told you what I did with my electronic keys while out on the water, it wouldn't be a secret any more.
 
i lock all my stuff in the car and then hide the key behind a wheel, underneath the bumper, in the tow hitch or something similar...

Alternatively, get a car like mine and no-one will think there's anything valuable in it and move on to break in to the nicer car parked next to it! :)
 
I remember years ago in the UK you could buy little magnetic boxes to hide under the wheel arches (actually saw one the other day) - but its pretty obvious if anybody sees you putting them there.


I found out a couple of years ago when somebody broke into my car (outside my house) and smashed the boot lock that the manufacturer cannot get the same key any more (I think they have lost the ID or something, plus there is a microchip inside the key for the immobiliser). If I had more keys I'd lock one in the car (so if I lost the one whilst on the water at least I could smash a window and get home). Boat does not yet have any inspection hatches (yet) so cannot put one of those buckets in there.


My nearest decent sized lake (10 mins away) is also a holiday camping place so I guess the risk of having stuff nicked is a bit greater. Also, being a British citizen in France I am meant to carry my passport around with me the whole time (but not whilst on the water). Never been asked for it yet (except when writing cheques) but I can be sure that the day I am I wont have it with me !! (and that can be a big problem).


Ian
 
I have a key that has a chip in it too. You are not supposed to get the key wet and I bet salt water is not good for it. I found out that you can get skeleton keys made for these cars that do not have a chip in it but will lock/unlock the car door. Since there is no chip you cannot use it to start the car. I got my skeleton key made at the dealership where I bought my car. BTW, the keys that have the chip in them are expensive to get made and you have to have all keys programmed at the same time. A skeleton key is much cheaper and does not need to be programmed.

Good Luck!
 
I clip mine to a loop in the pocket of my life jacket. My key has a chip in it, and so far seems to be waterproof. However, I am going to get a non-chip key to carry on the boat.

I used to tie my keys to the boat - the problem is, if something happens to the boat, there go your keys! (Before you ask, yes, and it was almost 30 years ago!)
 
Chainsaw said:
Crime is quite low too. You can leave your front door unlocked
Click to expand...

lol, here you can put your car inside a safe and they'll still steal it!!!

Sailing is easy, I sail at a club with a locker room, so I lock my stuff in a locker, otherwise maybe a zip-lock baggie for the electronic key and put it inside the pocket on your lifejacket [if you have one, I have a musto racing jacket with a zipper pocket on the front?]

now the difficult one is surfing!! lucky when i surfed i was poor so i couldn't afford a car with electronic ignition the key just went into the leach pocket!
 
I wear a hat (fishing style, I guess you'd call it) that has a little zip pocket, where I store the key. This hat has a strap that goes under my chin, to keep it from blowing away. Alternatively tie your key to one of the hiking strap eyes in the rear of the cockpit.

Peter
 
Try a heavy duty zip lock bag and some duct tape onto the front of the mast just above the vang tang. Not pretty but it works. thats just for the key, lock everything else in the car.
 
I tie a key to a short piece of cord which I wear around my neck. I figure that if I end up in Davy Jone's locker I won't be needing the car anyway.
 
one of our cars is an explorer, so you can lock the keys in it, and use the key pad to get in.

my keys are on a shakle, so when i sail big boats i can keep them down below fasened to something.

on the laser i usually leave my car unlocked/windows down and in the car, as it is in a club. still need to figure out the "safe" way that i won't get my car stolen.
 
I have a bucket that fits the inspection port that is beside the cb housing. I put the keys and wallet in there. I have been doing this for several years with no wet wallet yet. As for the electronic key...I'm not that rich used cars that cost under 1k don't have um.:)
 
mikeyh said:
This is what I've just got. "THE SURF LOCK" Bloody awsome. Not sure wher you can get it outside of New Zealand but probably worth making an enquiry.:D


http://www.idpmarketing.co.nz/
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There is a cheaper (and slightly larger; larger than the device I'm getting - don't know about the size of the "Surf Lock") version available in the UK (aimed at surfers) but it looks much more like a lockable box (not the "Surf Lock" but a UK equivalent). Being cheaper and more obvious I thought it was more likely to draw attention to itself and thus be more secure. When buying via post it is difficult as the delivery charges are quite high and you don't get to see it before you are committed - thus I tend to be cautions.


I like the "bucket in the inspection port" - what I used to do when sailing Fireballs (many years ago) - where you need inspection ports in new boats. However, I don't really want to start cutting inspection ports in my new Laser until it needs them.


Ian
 
GE Supra KeySafe. You can find them at Home Depot, or whatever you local home store is. about 25 bux. just like the surf lock only affordable.
 
Just get a non-electronic (plain manual key) cut and stick it in your life jacket pocket or simmilar. Lock the regular electronic entry keys inside while out on the water.

Some car sytems get a bit confused sometimes when you actually use the key manually - check with the dealer first
 
I have a small "pelican" waterproof case that I tie to the back end of my hiking strap. Very effective and inexpensive. If you want to look at the case just go to pelican.com and find the right size case.
 
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