I have had the unfortunate experience of having my boat burgled and trashed. The frightening thing is how easy it is to gain access to a 26M with the (relative) little use of brute force. The locking hasp on the washboard was bent back using the padlock as a fulcrum- easy enough with a long lever or similar instrument, then you lever the hatch forward enough to gain access to the rear of the washboard with pliers to trap the nyloc nuts securing the hasp to the washboard and then unscrew the set bolts and release the hasp, thus gaining access to the boat interior. Anything portable of marketable value was taken including toolkits, drill kits, electric drill, marina extension lead most of my collection of s/s fittings and personal effects. 2 brand new unused Seago 180 auto lifejackets (red/navy) with full harness stolen with a host of brand new electrical fittings which I was about to install. They let off the fire extinguisher and sprayed liberally all around before leaving. I have since learnt from the police that this is a means of obliterating any fingerprints left behind. The radio/dvd player was wrenched out and stolen, but they gave up trying to prise the vhf from the fascia leaving it half in, but all the wiring is damaged/broken, so none of the instruments are working. Specific MacGregor items stolen/missing: 6" round inspection hatch from starboard side of outboard well, port side cover on steering/engine control pedestal nacelle, wooden trim panel enclosing top of keelbox (giving access behind fascia panel where instruments are located), battery compartment wooden trim cover, cushion for table top bunk. To remedy the hasp situation (after removing hasp and reshaping it to original spec.) I have replaced the securing screws with slightly larger dia. metric setscrews, and utilised ordinary nuts and large dia. repair washers. After tightening, I sawed off the surplus thread but left approx 1/16" proud which I proceeded to mushroom out using a hammer, so that there is no thread left, and it will be impossible to remove the nuts/setscrews without cutting/grinding them off. The screwdriver slots on the screwheads have been made unusable. I propose to make a s/s bar that goes across the inside top of the hatch lip and spans the gap either side of the companionway opening onto the washboard groove plates. This bar will have two projecting plates welded to it equally spaced from the centre line, these plates will have holes in them and will project through slots cut into the hatch lip, on the outside will be a matching s/splate covering the hatch lip, all secured in place by padlocks attached to the holes in the projecting plates. I also intend to have a stronger hasp made from thicker material.