I saw another note on this board about stolen equipment. We have had some gear stolen recently. Given that our equipment tends to be very specific to catamarans and sometimes to specific models, it has a limited market - i.e. us! Could we use this thread to alert the community to stolen gear, and thereby a) get it returned to the victim and b) deter these crimes?

As an example, we lost a Hurricane 5.9 trampoline, the mainsheet, blocks, jib sheet and blocks from a Hurricane 4.9, and jib sheet and blocks plus other blocks from a Nacra 6. (The mainsheet blocks had been left on overnight for the first time!). Strangely enough an incomplete Hurricane 5.9 had just been sold on eBay in our area days before this happened, and someone saying they were the buyer was looking around our boat park three days before the thefts. Need I say more? If you see Hurricane 052 up for sale, or in use, I'd like to know!

We now advise members to remove their gear, and failing that to lock it. Mark the rest (scratches, sail number, etc) and photograph everything - especially those unique marks.

We are a tight community so let's make the thieves aware we can watch them as well as they can watch us - and they have nowhere else to use this gear.

It is pretty amazing how this stuff disappears and in most cases is not seen again. This story is on here somewhere but we had a club member (on a lake here in South Carolina, US) have a set of Hobie Tiger sails and Hobie 18 sails stolen. A while later, after getting replacements, the entire Hobie Tiger was stolen. All this behind a clubhouse gate. We never saw hide nor hair of any of that stuff (HOW do you get away with a Hobie Tiger...this was over two years ago when the Tigers were relatively rare).

I remove almost everything I can from the boat every night. I'd also suggest etching(where appropiate on the item) the sail number on everything that is specific to the boat that will then be sold with the boat.

I would also consider etching your post code / ZIP code on other items, but make sure they etching is large enough to be seen by the thieving scum as if they only notice after they have nicked it, it ends up thrown in the lake/river/sea and so does not gain anything to you.

I leave my boat on the beach in SC. I've had the boat turned over, my porthole covers used as frisbees, the boat set on its wheels and dragged into the water at low tide and left, you name it its happened. I take everything that can be removed off the boat, cover the tramp with sand and tie the wings up against the sidestays. They still don't leave it alone. I now have the local authorities get anyone thats on the boat off at night, including me. This year I have had no problems with the boat, even over the 4th of July.

A couple of cinder blocks buried 5' in the sand and a chain / padlock will at least keep the boat from being relocated easily. That worked great for the boat but my trailer was stolen from where it was stored at my brother's house two blocks away. We should have chained that one up too.

I leave my boat on a public/private beach - there is a bar near by that rents boats/waverunners. I have never had a real problem except someone stole a rachet block. I meant to take them off but didn't. I have the term "easily removeable high value item" that applies to my boat on the beach. I don't leave the spin pole attached (but WTF would someone else use that for?) I mainly worry about someone knifing the tramp ($$$$$) or stealing the rudders ($$$$$$$$) but so far I have been lucky. I don't leave my wheels there and I take off my port covers (I think the boat dries out easier that way).
It is all a calculated risk- I want to leave the boat on the beach so I don't have to raise and lower the mast all the time, nor do I want to take the rudders, downhaul, rotation lines, spin halyard, off all the time. more time is spent on the water and not rigging.
but then again, I guess I need to confess that I have raided a couple monohulls that have blown up on to the beach that no one paid the slightest attention to for months. Several shackles and blocks were obtained <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Some years ago, a friend of mine had his brand new Prindle 18.2 stolen while it was on its trailer. The only problem that the thief had was that it was the only one in the country at the time! Word went around and it was spotted in another boat park along the coast.
I reckon we will spot Hurricane 052 pretty soon too.

Paul

Actually, there are lots of things blocks can be used for. Harken sells a system for hoisting stuff up in your garage. And I need a block-and-tackle system myself to create a sort of "dumb waiter" to hoist groceries up to the second floor where we live in the summer.

P.S. We had a bright yellow Hobie 18, including trailer,stolen a number of years ago, and never found it. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I suspect that some redneck boater currently has his outboard motor swinging on a $500 set of harken blocks with a $100 mainsheet.

"And I need a block-and-tackle system myself to create a sort of "dumb waiter" to hoist groceries up to the second floor where we live in the summer."

Not to hijack the thread but you can get an inexpensive electric winch to hook up to the line and just push a button to hoist it up. I'm working on one for my place at the lake. Ice chest loaded is too much to keep hauling up stairs... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Clayton

Mary,

of course people can use the blocks for limited applications - but a trampoline?? Anyway, I am working on the principle that if someone wants it for their own use they'll get away with it if they are remote, and aren't collared by the law for some other petty crimes. If they plan to use it within the sailing world, they'll come unstuck. We are protecting ourselves from the people that think they can re-equip their boat cheaply (I don't think there are many/any of us genuine sailors who would do that), and from those who see an incomplete boat on eBay etc and figure they can get it cheaply and double their money by refitting it from the local self-selection pick'n'mix that is the average boat club. Of course Hurricane 052 may have nothing to do with our losses, but "we'd like to eliminate it from our enquiries" as the police would say!

My mainsheet blocks and mainsheet were stolen, but not my new hotstick, carb ratchamatic spin blocks(4), no high tech rope or any of the covers. I even had a cover over my mainsheet and blocks to prevent UV wear on my mainsheet. They left it swinging on the boom. I still think its a bunch of kids with a beater boat, but who knows, it ma be a dumb waiter somewhere

What would a stupid waiter want mainsheet blocks for? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I would look to someone who knew you were leaving the mainsheet there.