How frequently are catamarans or parts stolen when the catamaran is on a trailer? I assume stealing a catamaran would be easy but risky - it would be pretty easy to break the padlock that holds the trailer hitch to my car and drive off with the trailer, but it would be hard to drive down the highway in an inconspicuous manner afterward.



Can I leave my boat in a parking lot when I'm at work and assume nothing will happen to it?



If I'm camping somewhere that has sailing, can I safely leave my boat on a trailer in a parking lot overnight?



Jonathan

Well, considering that my car was just broken into in the middle of a crowded parking lot in broad daylight, I wouldn't put it past theives to try anything.



There are tongue locks that I see at west marine that sell for like $30 that look quite solid and would take a plasma cutter to get off, as theres no where that bolt cutters could cut. Also you could try axle-locking mechanisms such as putting a u-lock (bicycle style) through the hubs. Granted they wouldn't stop a determined theif, but anything that would make him spend a longer time trying to get away with it.



I think the big thing to do is to leave as little as possible exposed. For example, don't keep your sails in the cat box... in addition to poor sail storage, it would give the theif a fully functioning boat.

Watch out for expensive parts like main and jib blocks, tiller extensions, rudders and daggers.

Think on a positive note about how small the multihull sailing population is to the sailing population is in relation to the overall population. That is, 95% of the population would not know what to do with a catamaran or parts if they stole it!



Just hide the expensive removable parts.

This past spring, my car was stolen with a bunch of my sailing gear in the trunk. All of my blocks, line, tiller, tramp and boating tools. When I came out of my apartment the next morning my heart sunk. I really didn't care about the car, but I sure didn't want to have to replace all of the sailing gear.



As luck would have it the car was found about 10 days later, the thieves did steal the car stereo, speakers and all of the tools in the trunk, but all of the sailing gear was still there. I guess there must not be a big market for stolen main sheet blocks.

When my car was broken into, they stole the subwoofers, one of my amps, but they didn't touch my sailing stuff, I had my jib in the back in its bag, some pfd's and my tools.



Of course, they are some pretty stupid criminals, they left finger prints everywhere. Its only a matter of time before they catch them.

Theives do not sail! or Kayak or go camping. if you cant sell it at a pawn shop they are not interested. As has been posted I would worry about the car more than the boat. I'll bet that having the boat attached would protect the car. they would not want the trouble of the trailer. Not being a theif however I could not really answer the question with more than a guess.

you mean the police actually took fingerprints? I've had a couple of cars broken into; once even with greasy but clear full hand prints on the windshield and the police only made some notes and were done with it.



I agree that most folks that would know what to do with sailing gear aren't the theiving type - but I would do everything reasonable to discourage them. I always lock my trailer and my sailbox and the boat I leave on the beach has three cinder blocks burried chest deep with a cable / lock that I wrap around the main beam. My dad once had a cat stolen off the beach and this also helps to keep a super high tide from sweeping the boat away.

Theft of sailing gear is much more common at yacht club or marina parking lots & docks. I've "lost" drain plugs, battens, tiller stick handles, blocks, etc. Ususally, they've been "borrowed" right before a regatta, but they never seem to be "returned". I now have locks on my storage boxes,

seems to stop these "crimes of convenience".

I had my motorboat storage shed broken into, they took radio & speakers, but left all the PFDs & skis, tow ropes, anchor, battery, etc.

As other posters have shown, if a thief can't sell it, or can't use it, it stays.

Oddly, I have a few extra parts because our cat sat outside when it was for sale, and strangers dropped parts they didn't need onto the tramp.



Cool, eh?



Jonathan

Most people I know have been extremely lucky in not having things stolen. However, summer of 2001 was exceptionally unlucky.



We had two tramps get stolen from the same area of the lake. The first was the ugliest Hobie 16 tramp on the lake. It was off an old boat with orange hulls and an orange tramp! The owner even had flipped it over because the top was so faded. A hundred yards north of that boat, there was a beautiful newer 16 with a black mesh tramp, and they didn't touch it. A couple weeks later, the tramp was stolen off of the Hobie 18 next to the ugly 16. It was a decent tramp, but also not the nicest one within a radius. We figure whoever stole the first one, realized that they stolen a tramp for the wrong kind of boat!



I also found it rather peculiar, because the first year I was a member of our fleet, I had the oldest boat of the bunch, and always thought that no one would touch my boat, becuase the others around it were so much nicer! These incidents last year taught me that that was wishful thinking!



I tend to balk at stripping my boat down for the worry of theft, especially after seeing two tramps get stolen. So you strip rudders, blocks, boom, etc., then some loser comes and steals your fricking tramp! Ugh!



I wouldn't worry about it in the parking lot. After all, what's your best protection you ask??



Answer = Insurance



Good luck,



Tim J.