Remove valuable items from your homes to ensure that they are not stolen
 

Install motion sensor lighting, especially during the winter, aimed downward at your shoreline area
 

Install automatic alarm systems with a phone dialer (to call you directly) triggered by sensors on windows, doors, etc.
 

Secure boats, vehicles, aquatic equipment out of site if possible.
 

Prevent visibility into the cottage from the outside; close drapes, and cover door windows.
 

Boarding up windows or doors from the outside makes it obvious to thieves that no one intends to be in the structure for a long time.
 

Install random-timed lighting inside the home at night with some random sound from a radio. This may confuse thieves.
 

Buy a small lighting device that simulates the flickering light of an active TV combined with the sound of a radio.