Locked up tight

I’ve mentioned before that Amel yachts were built with a lot of cool, why-doesn’t-everyone-do-it-like-this features. As we’re leaving the boat for the next month, an ingenious one that we took advantage of is the ability to lock all of the exterior hatches from inside the boat. And it’s super, simple too!

To lock the bow and stern hatches, all one needs to do is trim in a little line that is located in the cabin below the locker, and then secure it to an adjacent cleat. There are three lockers that work in this way: two forward and one aft.

To prevent the cockpit lockers from being opened, and the engine room, a steel pin is slid into a tube, and that holds down the hatch. Cool, eh?

With the above mentioned security features, and the bars that the previous owner installed on all of the hatches, and the super heavy-duty plate that he had fabricated to lock the companionway door, I don’t think we have to worry about anything being stolen in our absence. Not that I would have really been concerned anyway. Our boat is right in the middle of the yard, in front of the offices, and there is security about.

Note: I wrote this post yesterday and scheduled it to be published while we were in the air, on our way to Panama. Now that we’re traveling, internet connectivity may be hit or miss. If I fail to post for a bit, don’t freak out. And be sure to play nice while we’re away. 🙂