ever built a boat to just have it stolen?

[chergui]

I spent two years learning wood working and boat building to build a 7' Gartside pram for my boat Jeannette. It was a long process of learning but I finally got it in the water in August of last summer. I was quite happy with the results for my first woodworking project. Anyway, I went down to check on it and found it had been stolen from the dinghy rack from my marina in North Vancouver. I was worried about this happening. Who steals wooden boats anyway. If you happen to be sailing around the PNW and see it, please do ask him details about the building process and get a good laugh out of it anyway.

http://www3.telus.net/chergui/dinghy/101640189.jpg
http://www3.telus.net/chergui/dinghy/101640191-reduced-cropped.jpg

Jon

[Captain Intrepid]

That's a damned shame. I'll keep an eye out for it at Crescent Beach.

[2MeterTroll]

ya we we will keep an eye out for it as well. might some one have damaged it and taken it off to get it fixed?

[Bob (oh, THAT Bob)]

I think the motivation for the theft is a combination of the value, and also that it is not a registered vessel, because it was homebuilt, thus difficult to trace. Nevertheless, you have pictures, posting them here is good. Distribute the pics and story as widely as you can. Something as simple as the grain pattern on the stern may allow identification.

[johngsandusky]

Make sure you report it to the police also. It may have been used and left somewhere, or the theif caught with other property. Keep an eye on craigslist and local classified to see if he tries to sell it. (criminals are often stupid)
It's a real beauty, sorry it was taken. My dinghy was stolen from a local beach, but at least I got 17 years out of it first.

[floatingkiwi]

I don't like seeing something taken from a man as much as you guys so that isn't my point here. Anyway, if that is how he ties his boat up I wouldn't be surprised if it sunk at the wharf. See how the bow is under the pier, and I don't think that is a floating dock.
I had one of my inflatables jam under a dock once and had to wait for the tide to drop to get her out. .
Sorry to hear about your beautiful dinghy mate. I hope you get her back in one piece.

[Paul Pless]

kiwi, he said it was stolen from the rack not from the dinghy dock.

[Yeadon]

Do you have any more photos that show the floorboards better? They have an unusual pattern to them, and would probably help ID the boat.

... stolen from the dinghy rack. That really sucks.

[chergui]

Hi. Thanks for the comments. Well, the dinghy rack is on a floating breakwater (an old barge) at the marina. The pic was taken when I launched it, not where I store it. I figured I should post it on craigslist just in case it turns up which I also did last night. It really stands out though, you'd have to be an idiot to steal it.

[goodbasil]

In this area it could well be a crackhead or two who will flog it for $10 just to get another hit. (Likely in any area.) Maybe a quick coat of paint on the hull. Not a projob.
Trouble is it's small, (7'?), so it can be hidden in a garage or even an apartment storage locker. They may leave it there for a year or more till the heats off.

[Yeadon]

I have no way of knowing ... but I picture some weasel who showed up for a short stay in the marina, coveted your dink and took it. Total weasel.

Very sorry about this.

[Thorne]

Keep checking Craigslist, and search for any build photos showing unique / distinctive elements -- i.e. something that could be used as a definitive ID on the boat. Another thing to check is local marinas, as sometimes kids will take a boat for a joyride, then abandon it -- not the pro thief MO.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Oh, no...

Well, your boat left the marina in one of three ways:

1. By motor vehicle

2. Rowed away (are there any oars missing?)

3. Aboard, or towed by, a larger boat.

Check the marina's list of boats that departed between when you last saw the boat and when you found her missing.

In this country we'd tell the Coastguard as well as the Police.

Get pictures up in as many adjacent marinas as you can, phone them and email them pictures

There's a very good chance that she will be found, because the thief will drop her when he knows she's "hot" and searched for.

Her beauty will preserve her - people are very reluctant to trash handmade objects of great beauty.

[Captain Intrepid]

Is there an email address that you'd be willing to be made public? I'd be willing to try and get a picture and description put up at the White Rock pier and the Surrey Sailing Club in Ocean park. It's a little ways from North Van, but I can try if you want.

[donald branscom]

I had my first 12 foot boat that I built stolen by the SHERIFF!!!

Here is what happened.
I was living in Petaluma California and there was a Argus Courier newspaper reporter that would get on the bus near the Washington street bridge and head out to work.
Well one day he was coming home and he got off the bus at the Washington street bridge and looked down the river and saw my new boat from a distance. Well I guess he did not have a story that day so he takes a photo of my boat (which I had Chained up near my art studio )and the story was titled "Derelict boats a problem in the Petaluma river" The next thing I know my boat has been taken by the sheriff. I think my 12ft. boat was the only boat in the area.

I was homeless at the time (right after returning from the VietNam war) so I could not go to and get my boat because they would find out I was homeless and it would call too much attention to myself.

And NO , my boat was NOT in the turning basin. IT was north of the bridge where there is almost no water except in the winter at high tide. The boat had only been there about a week.

Made me very angry.

[SBrookman]

Sorry to hear it...stole your new boat, and what a boat! I just posted on another thread that Gartside's 7' Pram (http://www.gartsideboats.com/catrow.php#7clink) was my next build. If you have time and are in the mood let me know what I have to look forward to, building wise, not theft wise.

I hope you get it back and they find the thief. Too bad keel hauling has gone outta favor.

[Bob (oh, THAT Bob)]

Any surveillance cameras (with video) nearby or along a water escape route that the police could check? Weathercams? Coast guard? Transit locks?

[S B]

Little comfort,but it means you did a great job.:) Hope it shows up. Do you have any buddies up to a prank?

[chergui]

Nah. It was stolen unfortunately. I've reported it to Stolen Boats Canada. Seems like a great idea. They send out alerts to marinas, coast guard, etc in canada and Washington: http://www.stolenboats.ca/

Apparently there have been other problems and people come at night on boats. They forcefully rip apart boats to get inside. As I was looking for the dinghy someone told me of other break-ins. There are video cameras but I don't think they record. They're for customers to log into and view their boats for what that's worth.

[chergui]

At least I have an excuse to build another boat now I guess. Next time I will pay more attention to security. I did some looking around. I'll do this:

A Xena floor anchor bolted and bedded with 5200 to a fore knee:
http://www.bikesax.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=FAXN03&Category_Code=SEC-FLA&Product_Count=1

some chain: http://www.bikesax.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=B&Product_Code=CHOX332

and a lock, something like this:
http://www.bikesax.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PLXN69&Category_Code=XENA-BLT&Product_Count=1

That should work :)

Jon

[Bob (oh, THAT Bob)]

That looks like a nice chain and lock. Kryponite makes some nice bike and motorcycle chains for about $100 USD, however I have picked up what looks like a good copy heavy chain and U-Lock at Harbor Freight for $15, super deal, though I haven' checked it for hardness yet, and suddenly I don't see them in stock; perhaps they were too costly to make, or they got into patent violations, don't know. Another option is to go to a rigging shop and get some grade 120 chain, that stuff is very hard, I think it might even be as hard as the security chains, and much cheaper, at least it was a few years ago, not sure now. (Standard proof chain is grade 43, trucker chain is grade 70.) Then you get some nylon tubular webbing large enough to fit the chain inside to pad it, and secure the ends of the webbing to the chain with zip ties.

[Pacific Woody]

Now that's just not right. I'll keep my eye open and pass it along to my friends.

[Harry Miller]

Jonathan that's a real pain. If it's any consolation you can start all over again and build a second one before I finish my first. Actually I doubt is a consolation at all and I hope you get it back safely.
http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97990

[chergui]

Jonathan that's a real pain. If it's any consolation you can start all over again and build a second one before I finish my first. Actually I doubt is a consolation at all and I hope you get it back safely.
http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97990

Hi Harry. Well I don't think I'd build another. I rented out a shop and had to get rid of the moulds and everything. If I had space to build one I'd be busy working on it right now. I like Gartsides double enders. I would probably try one of those next: http://www.gartsideboats.com/catrow.php#910tndrs

[Michael s/v Sannyasin]

I second the advice about posting the crap out of Craigslist or any other venue one might try to sell their stolen booty. I saw a post recently where a person who had a very nice bicycle stolen, who then posted about it, magically had it returned. Thief wasn't going to be able to unload it easily.

It also may happen that someone buys it, and/or finds it, and recognizes that it is the one you are posting about and they will see it gets back to you. There are lots of good people out there. And that's particularly true if everyone knows it was something you built yourself.

Good Luck.

And, from someone who has had 20+ bicycles stolen, lock it or lose it. And, by lock it, I mean lock it to something immobile that nobody is going to be able to take with them.

[Three Cedars]

I always sign my boats in an out of the way place where no one would think to look... just in case!

[chergui]

Well it looks like I get a second chance. My dinghy was found hidden in the bushes nearby the marina! No damage to it and it's returned to where it belongs. Hopefully there will be no further problems and I'll be taking some extra care in securing it from now on. Thanks for all the replies. I had many emails from people on CL also saying they would keep an eye out for it. I'm very relieved to say the least :)

Jon

[scudder]

Congratulations! Glad to hear the good news!

[Yeadon]

Wow, that's fantastic. So what's your best guess on what happened?

[damnyankee]

Thats amazing! :) some times Karma works in your favor.

Christopher

[chergui]

Wow, that's fantastic. So what's your best guess on what happened?

I'm guessing someone came into the marina, rowed it to shore, had a friend help him hide it until the could unload it and then noticed it was reported stolen before they could do anything. Or they were just idiots and realized that it might raise suspicion when viewing it to potential buyers they had to show it hidden in the bushes.

[Bob (oh, THAT Bob)]

Outstanding!!

Run some stainless rigging cable under the floor boards, then lock to those, and a soft-shielded chain around both seats. Enough so they would have to destroy the boat to take it. Should go a long way to stopping the posers. A professional thief with bolt cutters may stay away from the unique, which is more easily identified after a theft, and often tougher to sell as it is an unknown quantity.

[Harry Miller]

That's great news!

[johnw]

A happy ending! That's great!

[donald branscom]

In this area it could well be a crackhead or two who will flog it for $10 just to get another hit. (Likely in any area.) Maybe a quick coat of paint on the hull. Not a projob.
Trouble is it's small, (7'?), so it can be hidden in a garage or even an apartment storage locker. They may leave it there for a year or more till the heats off.

That is your stuff. Your fear that crack heads got it.
Maybe it was just a greedy person that saw how nice it was and wanted it Maybe to add to their collection. A Scorpio type.
Maybe it was the son of a rich man who did not think he could ever build anything.
Maybe it was some girls that got drunk and went for a joyride.
Maybe it was.... Fill in the blank with YOUR fears!

[sailboy3]

I don't like seeing something taken from a man as much as you guys so that isn't my point here. Anyway, if that is how he ties his boat up I wouldn't be surprised if it sunk at the wharf. See how the bow is under the pier, and I don't think that is a floating dock.
I had one of my inflatables jam under a dock once and had to wait for the tide to drop to get her out. .
Sorry to hear about your beautiful dinghy mate. I hope you get her back in one piece.

I think it's just the angle of the pic that makes it look like that. Wood boats with no ballast don't sink anyway. You'd think that they made those docks just to catch your dinghy on, though.
Milo