Theft

[Zen]

So I was chatting with a friend, and she said, How do you keep someone form stealing your boat? say your on some island or the like. You go ashore for the day how do you know your boat will be there when you back. Whats to stop someone or at least slow then down from just sailing off with our boat.

I went Hmmmmm. Locking the cabin only stops them from going inside, maybe. Dingies, outboards, tender get ripped off all the time. I really would not need a motor to sail away on my boat. Hmm good question? If it had a wheel it could be locked, but what about a tiller??

So what do you guys do to deter a theft?  ???

[Captain Smollett]

I think part of the answer to this has been discussed before in different contexts.  We also face this issue with camping (you cannot lock a tent, for example).  Thieves like easy targets, so harden the target.

My thoughts:

(1) A seaworthy boat with clear decks and limited obvious gadgetry will be less of a target. Let the thief focus on that mega-yacht with all the electronic gear and all the bells and whistles.  You know the one; it looks like an ad for West Marine on deck.

(2) Anchor out in out-of-the-way anchorages, rather than in municipal areas with heavy 'unknown' trafffic.  If you do have to tie-up in a heavy traffic area, do so where there are friendly watchful eyes for those times you are not at the boat.

(3) Really, how many thieves know how to sail?  I'm sure it DOES happen now and again, but sailing is a lot of work and takes some know-how.  At the club in which I used to be a member, our sailboats in slips were just tied up and there was no full-time dockmaster around keeping a weather eye out for trouble.  The bubbas around here don't like anything that cannot go over 10 mph; they'd just have no interest in stealing a boat that you have to work to get moving.  Also, sailboats are very easily identifiable and noticable.  They don't 'blend in' to the scenery like run-of-the-mill powerboats.  My bigger concern when leaving my boat unattended around here is vandalism - someone tearing up the boat "just because."

(4) Stow the sails and all major control lines.  If gone for more than a 'little while,' take them off the boat.  It will be harder to steal with no canvas.  Also, if them motoring off is a concern, disable the engine somehow (remove plugs if gasoline powered, for example, but I guess this opens the cylinders to moisture....).

(5) If they really want it, they'll probably get it.  You cannot let worrying about stuff like this prevent you from doing what you love.  Tell your friend "so what if someone steals it.  We'll deal with that when it happens."  That kind of attitude, taking all 'foul weather' as it comes is, I believe, part of the sailing spirit. 

The boat is a vessel, a vehicle, a means to an end (the "end" in this case is "the journey," the adventure).  :)

[Pixie Dust]

Zen, regarding theft.  I too have been asked that and also the question of, "How safe are you going to be as a woman on a trip by yourself?"
I usually respond to the thief question with, "Why would you worry anymore about your boat than you would your house or your car?  Houses and cars are broken in to all the time on land."  You lock it the best you can when you leave, make it as secure as possible, possibly carry insurance and you enjoy your day.  We do not need to live our life in fear worrying constantly about the "what if's."
As for safety.... I will probably be safer on the water in my little boat than driving on the highways and staying in hotels all the time with my job!   :)
Zen, tell her "No fear" and "No worries Mon!"   Don't sweat the small stuff until you have to.   ;D
Capt. Smollet- good ideas and input to think about. 

[Zen]

Interestingly, I just came across this.  Not some out of way place, close to home for some. It is old and since then the boat has been found:

"Dear Sailors,

Sometime between 9:30PM (EST) Sunday evening August 28th and 2:30PM (EST) Monday August 29th, our boat Akizuki II was stolen from Young's Boatyard, Jones Creek, off the Eastern end of the Patapsco River, Chesapeake Bay, MD. This is about 150 North of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and 50 South of the C&D canal.

We ask you to please keep an eye and ear open as we try to recover her, hopefully in one piece, and report any suspicious activity involving a boat meeting her description to the USCG or local marine police..

Following is a description which I encourage you to pass along to ALL your boating friends wherever they might be:

Name: Akizuki II (in Navy blue trimmed in gold on port and starboard rear quarter)

Homeport: Baltimore, MD (centered lower stern, below swim platform)

Description:37' Jeanneau Sun Odyssey, 2001 sloop

Color: White hull with Navy/gold trim below gunwale, Navy bootstripe, red bottom paint.

Hull Number: #436, engraved in hull immediately below gunwale on far aft starboard side

Sail Number: #93267 (on Genoa only) Navy sail cover, lazy jack system (std).

Distinguishing features:
#

Large 47" leather covered steering wheel (std is 35") w/Navy blue canvas cover
#

No dodger, but dodger frame on cabin top
#

Harken adjustable genoa car lead system (non-std)
#

Forespar whisker pole mounted on forward port stanchions in stanchion chocks off deck

Documented with USCG (no MD registration numbers): #1116967. Maryland FY06 orange stickers, on port and starboard sides of the mast a couple of feet above the cabin top.

Of course by now we expect the boat to be well up or down the bay if being taken out and name, homeport changed or obscured, but that is worth noting as well. USCG and Maryland DNR police as well as local police have this report and are on the lookout.

Please contact me immediately if you have any information that might be connected to our boat's disappearance.

Thanks in advance for your help...we miss her already."

[Captain Smollett]

What were the circumstances of it being found? I tried to find out, but only saw postings related to the theft.

I really don't think there are THAT many stolen sail boats, compared to the opportunity for the theft to occur.  (stealing a car is harder, with alram systems and ignition cut-offs, etc, but car theft is far more common).

I found:

Stolen Boat and Missing Person which seems to be more of a domestic type dispute than a random theft.

Another stolen boat recovered in Freeport and this seems to emphasize the 'if it looks expensive, it looks worth stealing' idea.

Indeed, a Google search for 'sailboat stolen' yields few factual sites of actual boats stolen (some relate to gear being stolen, others to novels, etc).

I think the concern, while not COMPLETELY unfounded, is akin to fretting about the barn door being locked while the horse is actually tied up inside her stall.  Or something like that.

[Zen]

Overall I agree with all you say. I just happened to run across that whilst surfing boat blogs. There was a picture of it, really nice looking ($$$$) boat. It really did not say anything about the whole thing other than it was found. It was not much of a news article.
A small OLD boat like mine is nothng that someone would look to take. Looks slow, even totally cleaned up it will still not look like something worth while to take. As you say the just for the he11 of it part, is more likely. I had an old funky VW bug, once, someone got in it smoked drank, then broke the windshield just for the he11 it. That really sucked! >:(
Sometimes people can just be mean  :(
You are right nothing something that I would stay up worrying about. If the area looked that bad, I most likly would go somewhere else if possible anyway. If I could not I would not go far from shipside. I did while down at the boat today givr a little thought about what I could do to disable it. The easiest would be to chain the mast to one side of the stern rail. Simple, effective deterant. However I always say, locks are for lazy thieves  ;) If someone really wants your stuff, you can slow them down but you cannot stop them! :-[

My friend who I was speaking with was just, as they say in the street tripping. Another thing she said was. Oh, how can you be out on the ocean with stuff that is way bigger than your boat and could just run into you. I said oh, like those tractor-trailers that pass you at 80 mph while you are in your little porsche .
her :-X :-\ :-[ :-X

Also said was, well you have no control over things...

I said, oh, like the people that went to work in NY and they were just minding their own business and someone landed a Jet on their desk...
her  :-\ :-[ :-X

me:  ;D ;D ;D ;D

[CharlieJ]

one of the larger concerns , other than actual boat theft, is theft of things from the boat while you are away. When a boat is anchored out in a hot area, it's not fun to have to close it all up when you go ashore. Nice to be able to leave hatches open for air flow.

James Baldwin in his website on Atom details a few precautions he's taken to set up his Triton to make her a bit safer to leave, and leave open.

http://www.atomvoyages.com/

[xroyal]

Agree Capt. S. The one stolen in the Chesapeake was expensive.

In my old marina in Tiburon, CA the thieves were mainly after gear on expensive boats such as big winches. Same old story, hit in the dead of night, and aim at/take mostly what they can see. Sorta like keeping your car seats empty of visibles.

I'd probably keep the decks clear, cabin curtains drawn and hope for a friendly skipper to keep a watchful eye on my vacant boat. I suppose one could rig a simple alarm on the hatch access?

If you can afford a Jenneau 37, you can probably afford insurance &/or to replace . I shouldn't think thieves are too interested in KISS smaller puddle jumpers.

Rest easy.

[Captain Smollett]

James Baldwin in his website on Atom details a few precautions he's taken to set up his Triton to make her a bit safer to leave, and leave open.

I have not read the link, yet, but does large, mean Rottweiler figure into the mix?  That's THE BEST anti-theft device I know.

;D ;D

[Zen]

"I have not read the link, yet, but does large, mean Rottweiler figure into the mix?  That's THE BEST anti-theft device I know."

Nah, I never had any worries about theft when my 95lb Akita was around  :o

[AdriftAtSea]

One thing to remember, most thieves like to leave the scene of a crime relatively quickly.  It is almost impossible to do so in a sailboat, especially one that one isn't familiar with.  Powerboats, at least in the USA, are far more often the targets of outright theft than sailboats.

Most criminals don't know how to sail, and many won't bother with smaller sailboats in anycase.  The larger, flashier, expensive-looking powerboats are much richer targets in their eyes.

Of course, keeping the boat secured, and anchoring away from high-traffic areas helps avoid much of the problem to begin with.  Boats that are docked are far easier targets for the people looking to steal equipment off of a boat, than one out on the hook.  Having a few other boats around, and keeping a lookout for each other also goes a long way to cutting down on thefts.

[CapnK]

Good thoughts and tips in this thread! Can't add much to what's been said. :)

Someone tried to steal my boat a month or so ago. I came home one day, there was a bloody mess everywhere, and the CrewDogs were very fat and contented-looking. All I could find of the thief were some clumps of hair, and a PWC lifejacket, all shredded up.

OK, that's not a true story. ;D But this one is:

Sat Feb 7 16:14:59 UTC 2004
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - [Published Thu, Jan 15, 2004.] A $750,000, 57-foot yacht featured in sailing magazines was stolen from Charleston's City Marina last week and authorities speculate it could by now be in the Caribbean. "Incredulous has been my overwhelming reaction so far," said Glen McIntosh, the Atlanta physician who owns the Beneteau 57 weighing more than 47,000 pounds and which has a 75-foot mast. " The yacht was shipped from the Beneteau factory in France to this country last May. A North Carolina man bought it from Chuck Laughlin, owner of St. Barts Yachts. But a short while later, due to health reasons, the man had Laughlin put it back on the market. Writers from sailing magazines came to Charleston to write about the yacht with its sleek hull and mahogany staterooms. "We did everything in the world we could do to publicize this boat," Laughlin said. "Everybody in the sailing world knew it was here." McIntosh became owner Dec.31 and sailed the weekend after New Year's. Laughlin called him Jan. 8 to say the boat was stolen the previous night. No one saw anything suspicious and no one heard the engine being started that night, which was clear with a full moon, police said. The yacht has electric winches and it's possible the thief could have acted alone, authorities said. The coast as far north as Myrtle Beach was searched, but there was no sign of the yacht which was not equipped with a satellite-tracking system. Deer said the hull has a 7-foot draft, so couldn't be hidden in any of the small creeks around Charleston. "It was built to go across oceans. If it was sailed to the Caribbean, they should be getting there by now," said Lt. J.E. Williams of the Charleston Police Department. Laughlin thinks it was taken to the Southern Hemisphere where it would go unnoticed. "You can hide an aircraft carrier in the ocean and that boat is capable of going around the world," he said.

The boat was recovered evenyually, and last I heard the thieves had undergone trial and were sent to jail. Glad to hear that! Can you imagine having your 3/4-uva-million-$ boat stolen when you'd only had her for 9 days! Geesh! :)

[CapnK]

Found this:

9:13 a.m. Friday, January 30, 2004

Stolen luxury yacht found shipshape

Police lack suspects after tip leads to boat at Bahamas marina

BY STEVE REEVES
Of The Post and Courier Staff

A luxury yacht stolen under the cover of darkness from Charleston's City Marina on Jan. 7 was found Wednesday night near the town of Freeport, a playground for the rich and privileged on Grand Bahama Island.

Investigators still don't know who sailed the vessel 500 miles to Freeport or why.

Acting on a tip, Bahamian police and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency agents found the $750,000 Beneteau 57 in good condition at Running Mon Marina and Resort, investigators said Thursday. The yacht, which is owned by Atlanta physician Glen McIntosh, is one of only 35 built so far and the only one in North America.

This sailboat, stolen Jan. 7 from Charleston's City Marina, was recovered Wednesday night by U.S. agents and Bahamian police. "The boat has been secured," and the owner's insurance company is making arrangements to sail the boat back to Charleston, FBI Special Agent Robert Derr said Thursday.

The sailboat could have gone unnoticed for weeks at the nearly deserted marina, which has a reputation for criminal activity, Derr said. The Beneteau 57 was one of two boats docked at the 70-slip marina.

"A number of stolen boats have been recovered from this particular marina over the years," Derr said.

Freeport is a major tourist destination that attracts 1 million visitors each year. Its deep-water port is home to at least six cruise lines. The 30-room Running Mon Marina and Resort is closed for refurbishing, according to its Web site.

The town of Freeport, a 230-square-mile free trade zone established in 1955 by the government of the Bahamas, is at the crossroads of routes between European and North and South American trade links and international shipping transiting through the Panama Canal.

The yacht's owner, who bought the sailboat one week before it disappeared from City Marina on Lockwood Avenue in Charleston, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Police are focusing their investigation on finding who stole the sailboat, which has a 75-foot mast and weighs more than 47,000 pounds, said Lt. J.E. Williams of the Charleston Police Department.

"We've got some good leads, and we feel confident we'll get to the bottom of it," he said. Williams said this is the first time he's investigated "a boat theft of this scale."
"It's a good feeling to know we recovered it," he said.

One question that troubles Chuck Laughlin, the owner of St. Barts Yachts in Charleston, who sold the Beneteau 57 to McIntosh, is how the thief or thieves were able to slip aboard the yacht and sail into the night unnoticed.

"I hope they catch the people who did it so we can see what the process was and learn what we can do to keep it from happening again," Laughlin said.

[Captain Smollett]

CapnK posts text of an article

Inidentally, that's one of the links I posted above.  Didn't CTFL did we, now?  ;D ;D ;D

[CapnK]

Nope - I sure didn't - got that from a Googlin'... :D I was trying to find out what kind of jail sentence the perps received. Didn't look that hard, just hope it was a looooooong one. ;D

[Zen]

I forgot , I noticed at the ASA class. They had the boats that were for rent/class locked to the deck. A HD cable running through the turnbuckels through a eye bolt on the dock, with a lock on the ends. Not the best, if someone wanted the boat but it would be a hassle for someone looking for a quick get-a-way. However with some planning they could bring bolt cutters.

Another boat I noticed at my marina, had the tiller removed.

[starcrest]

I was asked to help bring a 90 foot schooner to hawaii.its original crew had "abandoned ship" and they needed a new crew.I did not realize it at the time---but the riteful owner of the boat was "repo-ing" the boat due to non-payment by its defaulted owner.this "defaulted owner" just would not allow this to happen.Half way there some of the crew went over the side in the tender and changed the name of the boat from "Krystal Anna" to "Island Hunter".I was told this was done in an attempt to conceal it from officials.trying to conceal a 90 foot long 57 ton Hermaphrodite Brigantine Square rig schooner was pointless.then I later learned that the defaulted owner was charged with High Seas Piracy and spent time in federal lock-up.the boat was auctioned off and later was lost on a reef somewhere off molokai due to hurricane Iniki. :o

[Fortis]

I'm a fan of motion sensors pointed into the cockpit and foredeck. They are cheap (Kmart type DIY car alarms...and the scream of a siren normally disuades interest in staying aboard (we had it wired to our fog horn type tooter as well as the siren that came with the unit, which was mounted in the gas locker so it could scream out of the vent without getting soaked).

Motion sensors are also a really nifty way of turning on your spreader lights/deck lamps for when you dinghy back to the boat late at night. The remote switch that lives on your keys is also handy.

Bit hard on people anchored near you if a pelican comes to roost...but that is more by way of a plan with no drawbacks!

Beyond that, I told my wife, Margaret, that if we ever did the Amazon trip that I would add an electric fence zapper to the lifelines and boarding ladder!


Alex.

[pura vida]

Turn the tiller all the way to one side and chain it to the backstay? Park it next to a nicer boat and as mentioned before keep up your insurance. It seems that stealing a sailboat would be like stealing a schoolbus.

[AdriftAtSea]

Just thought of something, since my boat is a trimaran, and it is stored with the amas folded, anyone who wanted to take it under sail, would have a serious problem, as it isn't very clear how to unfold the amas... and it would probably flip in even a light breeze if the amas aren't out. It would also steer like poop since the average user won't be able to figure out the steering system...which tends to balk under sail unless the proper actions are taken.  :D