We always lock it to the boat at night and to the dock if we go ashore. I also put a cable and lock on the outboard to the boat. Back about 10 years ago we was about to pull out of a slip in Nanny Cay. As we waited for a boat to go by I noticed they didn't have a motor on their dinghy. When they passed I could see their outboard hanging about two feet under the water by their lock and cable. So, from then on I always locked my motor to the dinghy too. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />