Patent ID: 8179285

Claim:
A marine vessel theft deterrent apparatus for a marine vessel which includes a plurality of propulsion devices, the theft deterrent apparatus comprising: a keypad remote arranged to transmit a user authentication code; and a first computer including a first authentication unit, disposed at a maneuvering compartment of the marine vessel apart from the plurality of propulsion devices, and arranged to receive the user authentication code transmitted by the keypad remote, to execute an authentication process on the user authentication code, and to generate a unit authentication code; a second computer including a second authentication unit and an operation control unit; the second authentication unit, disposed in each of the plurality of propulsion devices, being arranged to receive the unit authentication code generated by the first authentication unit and to execute an authentication process on the unit authentication code; and the operation control unit, disposed in each of the plurality of propulsion devices, being arranged to allow operation of a corresponding propulsion device of the plurality of propulsion devices if authentication by the second authentication unit does succeed, and to prohibit operation of the corresponding propulsion device if the authentication by the second authentication unit does not succeed.