Dinghy Theft in PNW

[Bill Lee]

Our doggy is a 4 yr old 13 pound maltipoo (Maltese poodle): a lover not a fighter. He sleeps in our bed at the bow (stuff tied up at the swim grid). Not a good guard dog. He has amazing hearing and we were chided by our friends for his 'failure' - they were too kind in not mentioning my potential failure(s). I have no doubt that if someone wanted to quietly paddle to our boat at night, untie our stuff and carefully paddle away with it - they could without our noticing. A joyride was out of the question given the dinghy battery issue (keys are stored onboard the mother ship). I suspect prank because the stuff was recovered. The 25 hp Yamaha outboard is worth a lot. Our dinghy is odd. It's a 12.5 foot shell with 2 forward facing bench seats with the front one having a helm. Very comfy for 4 people and long distance exploration (extra large fuel tank).

[redsky49]

Don't be so certain it was a theft.

Years ago, while we were anchored at Farmers Key in the Exumas, a nearby fellow boater (Hi Green Dolphin!) lost his dinghy overnight and was convinced it had been stolen.

Word was put out over the VHF net for all to keep an eye out for it.

Several weeks later it was found, intact and undamaged, having drifted with the current all the way to Andros. It was folded up, put on the mail boat, and returned to him in Georgetown, courtesy of some generous locals.

He had been adamant that he had tied it up properly, but the strong currents, and a poor choice of knots, were to blame.

Maybe this was the case here???

[sailcruiser]

Bill, I'm not in the PNW but wanted you to know that we are seeing an uptick in theft further east too. I have always been security conscious but friends are reporting mostly equipment theft but so far no dinghy theft. I think a combination of the economy and easy targets for thieves. Heck they are stealing bronze from cemeteries around here for scrap.

I think it will pay to not be an easy target. I am glad you were able to retrieve your property.
SC


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[Stu Jackson]

In 2004 we we sailing up in the California Delta, protected flat waters in the sloughs. I'd inflated our boat and put the 9.9 hp engine on the day before. As we were moving along a few minutes and a few bends in the slough after passing a group of water skiers, I turned around and the dink was GONE! Turned right around, thinking it's gonna be a real bear to get the mothership close enough to the bank to grab the dink, unless it's still floating in the middle of the slough (100 - 200 feet wide, rock banks). Just then we see the water ski boat come barreling towards up with the dink tied to them. Great folks.

Sure, I KNEW I had tied it on properly. KNEW, I tell ya!

The chances of this happening to three boats is pretty remarkable, but...

Has nothing to do with being Canadian, either. Wait, I get it, my wife is Canadian!!!

[Tayana42]

Sorry about your bad experience but I'm glad your dinghy and kayaks were returned. I have had one SUP come adrift but it's unlikely that your knots on all three boats slipped free at the same time.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

Sorry about your bad experience but I'm glad your dinghy and kayaks were returned. I have had one SUP come adrift but it's unlikely that your knots on all three boats slipped free at the same time.

Yes... THREE simultaneous knot slippages does seem to have astronomical odds.... Betting it was one...

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by BandB

You make mention of Canadian and prank against Canadian a couple of times. I don't see what nationality has to do with this at all. Simply a matter of unsecured items either taken or floating away. I don't get the special days or prank days bit either.

When at home, do you leave your car parked in front of your home, doors unlocked, keys in the ignition?

I sympathize with you for your loss, but perhaps a lesson earned at rather minimum cost since the items are now retrieved. You choose isolation, it increases the risks of something like this. You choose to leave in the water and not lock and the risk goes further up. Securing the items is necessary. And anchoring alone you might look at your own security as well. Would you have known if they'd come aboard and on into the salon?

Outboard theft, dinghy theft, kayaks, PWC's and bicycles are common. Of course so are items floating away that owners thought were tied well. I don't know for certain what happened but items recovered at minimum damage is fortunate. Don't let it discourage your pleasure in boating, but do let it serve as a warning that securing items better is necessary. In this case you did everything possible to make yourself an easy target.

Yeah.. I don't see this as a Canadian thing at all. We are inundated with ya'll down here and I know no one who minds!
As much as you are meticulous with knots, it sounds lie a knot failure to me. Reid harbor is just too far from anything for "joy riders" to be there to do anything like that. I mean... how did they even get there to decide to steal your stuff?
What type of line is your painter made of? Some are slippery and will come off.

[westsailwill]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Bill,

Check your knots. Nobody would go to that much trouble and risk for a prank. Next time, tie two knots... one for backup. Or better yet, use a cable to lock things up.

Nobody EVER wants to admit they screwed up. It happens to the best of us. It's always easier to point the finger at someone else. As far as the "Canadian" angle....Really. Double knot and lock it next time, then you won't have to worry about Bigfoot pranking you.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by westsailwill

...then you won't have to worry about Bigfoot pranking you.

I am sooo disappointed in all of us. Two pages and it took this long to get to the Bigfoot angle?

Must be a Monday morning...

[jongleur]

Bill Lee:

I re-read your OP but it isn't clear if you only tied
the dinghy to the mother ship or did you tie each
kayak and the dinghy separately to the MS?
Sorry if I missed it.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

I am sooo disappointed in all of us. Two pages and it took this long to get to the Bigfoot angle?

Must be a Monday morning...

Stu...

Ain't he called Sasquatch up there???

[IdoraKeeper]

Well, if it was Big Foot then I guess chaining the dink would be a waste of time. It has been pretty warm up here. It could have been a migrating whodoo. But likely it was kids in kyaks camping at the far end of the bay. It a popular overnight stop for kyak groups.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Prank confirmed...

Picture circulating the net and trending up...

[Bill Lee]

Hi Jongleur,
It makes my case look worse: the kayaks were tied to the dinghy so only one knot had to be untied. HappymdRSailor was right. I have a regular 12' dock line as a painter. I always triple lock/knot it. Always. I am somewhat OCD.

[ranger58sb]

Bill, I don't recognize from your name whether you're an owners club member or not?

But in any case, I have the same boat. Without getting off topic too far, how do you carry your dinghy? Foredeck? With crane davit? Or...?

We carry ours (135-lb RIB, 106-lb 15-hp 4-stroke motor) on a mounting system on the swim platform, but I don't think I'd want to deal with the extra weight of a 25-hp motor that way...

-Chris