Need to invent a new lock?

[BobVP]

Sad story in today's SF Chronicle.
I am sure there must be a way to lock a boat up, I have just never had to do it. Even when I had a small commercial salmon troller I left it unlocked...but that was her and then, not there and now.

http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Bethel-Island-boat-theft-wave-hits-hard-4008038.php#photo-3689119

[Mark Kranhold]

Freakin tweekers! If they catch those people... Just shoot em' no need for people like that in this society! We need to start thinning out the prisons, Bring back the electric chair! Eye for an eye you scum bags!:evil:

[Scott V]

That totally sucks for Andy. I hate this kind of news.

[Joe Mateas]

It sucks that Cooch had to go throught it but boat theft is nothing new to Methel Island/Oakley/Antioch, the area is crawling with tweekers. Anything in this area thats not bolted/locked down you might as well just give away. I live in a decent neighborhood in Antioch and with out a locking gas cap I was getting my gas stolen about once a week. Put locking gas caps on my Suburban and K5, so they stole the gas tank out of my boat after that, I was surprised to see they left the battery's. Time to start putting car alarms on boats, it might slow them down but these dope fiends are pretty crafty and will figure a way around it if they want your stuff bad enough. The main problem is there are both tweakers with money and tweakers with no money, the ones with the money have no problem paying the ones with out to go get what they want. This stuff will never hit craigslist or any of the boards, they probably have everything sold before stealing it. I'm 32 lived here for 30, I've seen it all and it's been this way here my whole life and I don't see anything changing anytime soon.

[briansII]

I have my boat in a wet slip on the Island. It always concerns me when I leave it there. The convenience has outweighed the concern, but I'm seriously reconsidering.

briansII

[Darian]

You need to get dog like mine....

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o31/jockscot/image002.jpg

[Baja Fly Fisher]

Something must be in the drinking water. We had the same thing happening in Baja. The crooks were stealing panga's from the beach at night and sometimes during daylight. In one week, there were 5 panga's stolen from the Las Arenas beach. They would fine them a drift down by Las Cruces without the motor. They hit the beaches all the way from Las Cruces to Boca del Alamo. The Feds, navy and police wouldn't get involved but finally had a change of heart. The navy/feds finally captured 4 guys up in the Las Cruces area with a bunch of boats but they said that there were at least 6 more people involved.
The culprits were the Sinaloan's
Since then, the captains have moved there boats to Muertos Bay and launch there boats everyday. They trailer them home every afternoon and bring them back in the morning.
A sad society we live in today.

Jay

[Dan Blanton]

I have my boat in a wet slip on the Island. It always concerns me when I leave it there. The convenience has outweighed the concern, but I'm seriously reconsidering.

briansII

I have kept my skiff in a wet slip at the Sugar Barge Marina for more than a decade. We've had few theft problems but there is always a chance a boat could be stolen. I recall a few years back Mike Costello's boat being stolen from his slip at Herman & Helen's. He was lucky they found it before it could be completely stripped.

After that I started locking my skiff to the dock roof support 4 X 4 with a half inch cable and a case-hardened lock. I suppose if they really wanted my skiff they could still get it but it would take some effort and I think they'd move on to a boat that was easier pickings. We do have lights and a camera in the boat barns. Hopefully those are deterrents too.

I like Bethel Island and I thinks it's one of the safest places to be. There are a lot worse communities to live in, like Stockton for example.

I always knock on wood though; and I checked to see if my skiff is still in the slip the moment I arrive back at the Sugar Barge. I hope I never find my slip empty...

Dan

[briansII]

I have kept my skiff in a wet slip at the Sugar Barge Marina for more than a decade. We've had few theft problems but there is always a chance a boat could be stolen. I recall a few years back Mike Costello's boat being stolen from his slip at Herman & Helen's. He was lucky they found it before it could be completely stripped.

After that I started locking my skiff to the dock roof support 4 X 4 with a half inch cable and a case-hardened lock. I suppose if they really wanted my skiff they could still get it but it would take some effort and I think they'd move on to a boat that was easier pickings. We do have lights and a camera in the boat barns. Hopefully those are deterrents too.

I like Bethel Island and I thinks it's one of the safest places to be. There are a lot worse communities to live in, like Stockton for example.

I always knock on wood though; and I checked to see if my skiff is still in the slip the moment I arrive back at the Sugar Barge. I hope I never find my slip empty...

Dan

Hey Dan,

I'm headed to the Island later today. I will be checking the boat as soon as I put my vehicle in park. :-/

The last 3 years I kept my boat 2-3 slips over from you. I felt it was relatively secure at Sugar Barge. This year I moved my boat down the levee to a relatives home. They've told me of some thefts in the neighborhood, but not the whole boat. They are taking parts off of boats. I'm going to take my electronics off from now on, and try find a way to secure the boat in some way.

briansII

[Dan Blanton]

Hey Dan,

I'm headed to the Island later today. I will be checking the boat as soon as I put my vehicle in park. :-/

The last 3 years I kept my boat 2-3 slips over from you. I felt it was relatively secure at Sugar Barge. This year I moved my boat down the levee to a relatives home. They've told me of some thefts in the neighborhood, but not the whole boat. They are taking parts off of boats. I'm going to take my electronics off from now on, and try find a way to secure the boat in some way.

briansII

Brians,

I don't take my instruments off so I suppose I might find them missing one day. Hopefully not. It's such an ass pain to have to remove them and reinstall them each outing. I think I feel my skiff is more secure at the Sugar Barge than in a private dock/berth up or down the levee. These dirt bags go out at late at night to do their thieving when they think everyone is asleep. It was worse on the Island when all those "boat people" were around...

Dan

[Mark Kranhold]

Darian, I love that sniper dog you have! Great shot.. Love it! One bad a$$ dog there!

[Darian]

Yep!!! I've been training him on use of automatic weapons, too:

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o31/jockscot/image005.jpg

Now all I have to do is remember to feed him and not make him mad.... ;)

[Mark Kranhold]

Is he part of Seal team 6? Looks like he is in disguised in Afghanistan :lol::lol::lol: I might have to have you train my Border collie. That is a freakin cool photo! Thanks for sharing that.

[Darian]

Glad you liked the pic's but I can't take credit for the photos. They were sent to me by a friend as an attachment to an e-mail. Apparently not copyrighted as they've been forwarded all over. I just placed a couple out of the series into the note since it seemed to fit the theme of the thread. ;)