44 replies and not one good reason for ever taking your keys out of your boat...if you take your keys out of the boat and put In your truck,you run the risk of not remembering to get them out if you ever tow your boat with somebody else's truck.....couple of my buddies had that happen to them when owners truck was in shop for repairs and they used his partners truck to tow the boat, drove 120 miles and then had to fish a tourny with their trolling motor..
I'm pretty sure the odds of somebody cranking your engine in motel parking lot are about equal to your boat getting hit by lightning or a meteorite but if that concerns you,be sure you got an extra key hid in the boat someplace.....

Left the keys to the old boat at home one day. Got a Ranger now so don't have to worry about that.

THIS x2

keys and safety lanyard are pulled and put in glove box of truck. Spare key is in tackle bag and one in rear compartment of boat.

Thank you. My sentiments exactly, there's no logical reason to ever remove the key. The only reason I epoxy mine in is so some Ahole doesn't walk by and remove it. I first epoxied a key in 43 years ago and to this point I've never found a downside. A master power switch and a starter button would be ideal.

Stays in ignition, 21 years .

Never take mine out.

Key stays in my truck console, the rod locker keys are on the same key ring and i keep it locked until i get to the water.

I always remove the key and it is stored 'somewhere' and I also have spare keys also stored 'somewhere' just in case!!
Insurance is the main reason for removing keys in the event of vandalism or theft!!

Lost the key from the ignition a very windy road trip that had the foam float on it. Assume the float did the dirty work.

Only if staying at a hotel. Took them out once and got to the lake and left them at home.

Guess I don’t know why for a second I would take the keys out on a boat that is hooked to my truck? Maybe leaving it on shore to go inside for lakeside lunch but otherwise why?

Do you want to be "that guy" who later discovers his outboard is seized up from heat destruction? It happens, and your insurance company may not be very happy you left the key in it - the very thing that allowed the loss to occur. Vandals have been known to walk by a boat sitting on a trailer and fire up the engine, then walk/drive away quickly while laughing. They'll also simply steal the key and drop it into a nearby garbage can - again, just as mischief. You might be in a restroom, or getting something to eat while the boat sits outside, or sleeping while on a weekend trip. A spare hidden somewhere in the boat you can normally get to resolves the issue of driving to a lake and finding you left a boat key on the dresser (where it probably never needs to be). My standard boat key storage location has been the center console of my tow vehicle. If I make it to the lake with my tow vehicle, I've got keys.

Rarely do I take the key out of the ignition but when I do I place it somewhere in the boat.

Never take mine out, but keep the spare on my truck key chain as well.