Outboard theft - SXM still bad? Paint it pink as a deterrent?

[MondayNever]

Hey all,
I haven't sailed in the Eastern Caribbean since summer 2012, during which time there was a big rash of dinghy/outboard thefts in St. Martin. My company lost a 14' RIB and 40hp dinghy that we tied up to the dock in Grand Case while we had dinner at Sky's the Limit. There were 15 other people at the police station the next morning with the same complaint.

My wife and I are about to return to the area on our own boat for our own adventure, so I've got a couple questions for you guys:

1. Is there still a large scale outboard theft ring in operation on SXM?

2. Has anyone ever painted their outboard whacky colors and still had it stolen? I would assume that a bright pink 10hp yamaha wouldn't be very desirable, but who knows.

Thanks guys!

-Will

[CSSN]

Hi, this is Mary webmaster for CSSN. Here is a link to all the recent reported events of crimes against yachts in SXM (french and Dutch).
You can sort any column and search as well...

Hope this helps you make plans and take precautions.

Safe cruising.

https://www.safetyandsecuritynet.com...oupe-dominica/

[Zanshin]

I'm rather surprised about the dinghy thefts off the dock in Grand Case; there is nowhere to take the dinghys for quick removal/stripping there. As for the rest of St. Martin it is still a case of "lock it or lose it" and dinghy, outboard and even fuel tank theft is still very much a possibility. The morning VHF network, run by Shrimpy's, is a good source of information as well as a vehicle to tell other cruisers what has gone walkabout. A lot of theft doesn't get reported to either the police or the Caribbean safety and security net but you will hear about it on the VHF.
I still hold the record at Budge Marine for the quickest theft of a newly purchased outboard but after losing that new engine I got a bit creative and let the concrete dock scrape up the cowling on another brand new 9.8HP and then half-heartedly put some duct tape around parts of the engine to make it less optically appealing. This seems to have worked well so far.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Mary (CSSN).