Thieves Be Damned,yet again!

[Tim_Mattson]

Spent a long wet night on the Duwamish river in South Seattle retriving my buddy Jack`s Alum Hewescraft.He had it stolen less than a year ago from the Port of Seattle on Harbor Is. and then once more two nights ago.:Police1:
He lost almost the same items and the Electric start 9.8 hp Tohatsu was removed and carted away along with Downriggers,batteries and gas tanks.
With the minus tide all the way out,I had to go get blocks,bouys and boards to lessen the grinding of the boulders and re-bar along the water`s edge.
Glad he left all that slime from mooring,it actually slid back in with one hand after I waited for the rear to bob with the rising tide.
We`ll need to put a Gps tracker in the next kicker!
Though not a True classic ,Jack does love his Alum boat and he`ll be back prowling the water`s off Vashon and Bainbridge before too long.
Putting your License number under the covers of outboards in Black pen can sometimes get your items back,though we may need to devise another plan.:donttouch:
Beware and take care out there!
Tim M
ps Special note,Jack used to work alongside the great Norm Boddy at the Sears Appliance repair facility in Seattle!

Thanks for the reminder. Good that you were able to help a friend out in this case Tim.

I'm no authority on the subject, but It seems that thieves are all too often attracted to small boats. The items taken suggest that a number of dishonorable people use boats too, a sobering thought.

[rjparksjr]

This shows you can never be too careful about securing your belongings. Thinking about my little boat- I need to pull the serial numbers off the motor and mark it as well. Thanks for the reminder.

Recently, I was looking at a galvanized trailer that was for sale on Seattle Craigslist, the title didn't match the brand on the trailer, the license plate had gone missing, the trailer looked ten years newer than the title indicated, the manufacturer plastic tag was gone and the "owner" met me in a parking lot.......
I decided to pass on purchasing it. Bad vibes.

Craigslist is a great place to buy stuff for our boats- we just need to recognize that the bad guys could be using it to unload hot stuff and be aware.

I am glad your friend was able to find his boat and have a great friend in you to retrieve it.

Kindest Regards,

Bob

[Lootas1]

Bob, I think you were right on that one. However, I sell stuff on craigslist from time to time and I don't really want people I don't know coming to my home so I always meet them in parking lots. (Of course, they wouldn't come to my house anyway as I live on Lummi Island and they'd have to pay an extra $20 for the ferry trip.)
Jerry

[Skagitguy]

I really don't think it is "boat people" in most cases ,it's the one's that are stealing anything for drug money. Chuck

[Tim_Mattson]

Chuch is pretty much spot -on as Boater`s and especially us Fishermen live and die by the "Karma" and "pay-back is a bitch" rules of life.
When the crap detector goes off ,better listen and walk away.
At 2 nd Wave , I had a seller show up with a Nissan motor that had Stryofoam still magnetically charged,something you only see the first few hours of a motor being un-crated.Guess it was just stolen across town at a small dealer who was unloading a pair of motors when the phone rang.
The thief was sorta honest as the car he stole to do the crime was missing from the Airport Enterprise Rental lot......then magically returned a few hours later.......I`m guessing the guy flew in and did the deed ,then flew away back to another jurisdiction with a pocket of loot.
Powertrip had his Skagit Engine stolen then placed on Portland C-list with pics and a local Wa number.......even had the helm they crowbarred from his once-beautiful Hull,in PICS.Guy sold it as they were almost there with the cavelry.
Pretty sure it isn`t our fellow boater`s......wait until they price the Engine/Control Wire harnesses they cut to remove the kicker......
Good note:Boat was found to only have two small scratches in the light of day.....
Using a marker or engraver in places you don`t normally look will sometimes get it back,or can deter it if obvious.And it proves the items are yours.

TimM

[rjparksjr]

To be clear, I just wanted to share an experience that I recently had in looking for a trailer and the mulitple red flags that were popping up along the way for that particular transaction...that I didn't purchase.

Meeting someone in a parking lot to do a craigslist transaction by itself is not an negative indicator at all. It is probably a good security and safety measure, as you pointed out, or could be convenient for both parties.

Kindest Regards,

Bob

[John Berg]

Serial number fun

Next time there is an event, everybody throws a dollar in a jar per serial # entered in contest. You add up the digets of your serial # . If the shortest # on boats motors and valuables on board has 5 digets, than every body uses the first 5. Highest sum wins the loot. And everybodys serial #s are logged. I have thought about writing mine down when reading these threads and forget when I leave the site. Of coarse I'm a little slow. John

[frogpond]

Great Topic Tim, you can never be too careful thieve are everywhere so far they haven't found me, knock on classic wood.

[Wally]

Yep, it's buyer beware.

I met a fellow in a DQ parking lot in a little Montana town in a blizzard to buy a GPS to measure the speed of our Sande Ace. The batteries were low so the GPS didn't perform right but at $30 and considering the road conditions to get back home, I quickly bought it.

Yep, it really doesn't work.

Also, I sold a broken 90-HP 1990 Force outboard on CraigsList here for "$200 OBO." A fellow called and asked if I would take $220. Duh. We transferred it to his station wagon in a parking lot in Port Orchard and that was his choice of where.

I always thought "OBO" meant you might take a lower price. But if they want to bid-it-up all by themselves, OK w/me!

[Tim_Mattson]

Wally ,
I`ve had numerous people offer more $ on boats and items I list on C-list,as some add some work and see if I`ll bite.
A funny one was when a guy offered me $300 extra if I`d go to Fishermman`s Terminal and troubleshoot/fix his 4 stroke Suzuki on the water.
I agreed and after arriving to what seemed like a dead battery,I had to merely hook that battery up to the dangling battery lead.
John,
I `ve had this habit of writing down serial #`s on paper for every outboard I service as I did at the dealer.When called or asked to do more,I don`t have to look and when items are stolen I remind people I have it written for them in my Log book.
Now do I do this on my own?,well I`m about to......
Final advice is to mark your boats and motors in weird places most won`t look for.Under dashes ,under the splashwell and backsides or bottoms of controls are places where a savvy service tech may see something that will raise suspicion.Use your DMV ,Phone or name.
Other option is to paint it all Pink.
TimM

[Lootas1]

Okay Tim. You bring tears to my eyes. I had a pefectly fine pink boat a few years back and no one stole it but no one would buy it either. Now the Larson Sea Lion sets rotting away back at my son's place in Oregon from whence I rescued it years ago. Suppose I should have painted it some other color and hope to collect the insurance when someone stole it!

[Tim_Mattson]

sorry Jerry

Okay Tim. You bring tears to my eyes. I had a pefectly fine pink boat a few years back and no one stole it but no one would buy it either. Now the Larson Sea Lion sets rotting away back at my son's place in Oregon from whence I rescued it years ago. Suppose I should have painted it some other color and hope to collect the insurance when someone stole it!

Sorry Jerry,
I had a friend`s Pink BMX Bicycle from the late 70`s in mind while typing that comment,it wasn`t meant to dis-hearten any "Corral" boat owners.
My first Glassic was also ,in fact, a Pink Dorsett Lexington.......
My buddy Jack`s Boat also HAD seats with Pink pipng when he first bought it,then we took a Black Marker and covered it.
It`s been stolen twice since then though he has since replaced the seats so I can`t take the blame anymre......
Hope you had fun in the San Juans the past weekend.
TimM