Watch out for your fellow boaters

[Stella Maris]

Well, its that time of year again. Holiday parties are taking place, the malls are packed with hurried shoppers looking for that perfect gift. The scent of wood burning is in the air.

Unfortunately this time of year also brings out those that are desperate and short on cash. Sitting here on Karma this morning enjoying a fresh cup of coffee and a bagel, I noticed a gentleman walking down one of the docks. While at first we always assume that this is someone that "belongs" here, it quickly became apparent that this "gentleman" had ill intentions as he began to prowl from one boat to another removing small parts.

I quickly tried to reach the marina office to no avail so the next step was to call the police. They arrived in time to chat with this gentleman and then invite him to the policeman's ball. The bracelets that they provided him with went well with his outfit.

Point being here is; keep our eyes open, question anything that looks suspicious. If the "person" belongs, they should be grateful that someone is looking out for their neighbors. If they don't belong, they get a warm bed and meal for the night!

 

[dloop]

Folks at your marina were fortunate to have you there being so watchful. Nice work! Property theft can really put a damper on the holiday spirit.

 

[Bruce Moore]

Karma... you can't escape it.

 

[Stella Maris]

By the way, this gentleman already had one "invitation" (warrant out for his arrest) to the ball..... He had just not RSVP'ed yet.

 

[Zuma]

Glad you were there to watch over the fleet.... nice job Dave.

 

[Stella Maris]

Somebody has to do it. It is very tough duty..... sitting at the dinette, drinking a nice hot cup of coffee eating a bagel, enjoying the morning with your wife, watching a dirt bag get dragged off in bracelets....

 

[Ram]

The RCMP up here hired an ex-con to make a video of how he steals boats. It was amazing. He just walked down the dock, untied the lines, hopped in a started the engine, and drove it away - to be stripped, have a fake HIN put on and resold in a matter of hours. The whole process from the time he hit the dock until the boat was underway took less than a minute.

They had a few pointers:

- These people don't go around looking like thieves. They look like anyone else on the dock, and they act like they belong there. They may carry fishing rods or other gear to make them look more authentic. They know it is unlikely that anyone will challenge them as you did.
- They showed how any keyed iginition on any boat can be started with a generic key. They don't even have to take the time to hot-wire it, they just stick the fake key in and go. The RCMP says the only real way to prevent your boat being stolen like this is to effectively chain it to the dock.
- They untie the lines before they get on the boat so it starts floating away from the dock, and so they don't have any delay once the engine starts.

Having said that, I think it's unlikely anyone would steal a Ranger, for the same reason they don't steal sailboats - they don't go fast enough. If they have to travel for an hour or more to get to where they're going to hide the boat, they can't afford to get caught along the way. I think the most likely scenario for a Ranger is to have someone get into the cabin and strip the electronics. I depend on the cabin lock for security. I'm sure a determined thief could easily break a window or a hatch, but that wouldn't look so "casual".

 

[Levitation]

Ya did good, David...
You are my kind of neighbor...

denny-o

 

[commander bill]

I would like to extend an open invitation for the Solitude-Karma crew to relocate their boat to Watts bar lake in a slip near mine.