Problems in 'Paradise' :-(

[Nemo55]

Haha,,they may be licked into submission

Originally Posted by simonmd

Sorry to hear of your loss but thanks for reminding us that such things happen. I'm off cruising soon and i don't have a decent lock for my Zodiac, it's now on my 'to do' list tomorrow!


I'm afraid this is what any robbers would be greeted with on my boat, maybe the noise of them saying "awwww, how cute.." would wake me....

[Highland Fling]

Originally Posted by simonmd

Sorry to hear of your loss but thanks for reminding us that such things happen. I'm off cruising soon and i don't have a decent lock for my Zodiac, it's now on my 'to do' list tomorrow!


I'm afraid this is what any robbers would be greeted with on my boat, maybe the noise of them saying "awwww, how cute.." would wake me....

A decent lock is NOT ENOUGH you need to get the dinghy out of the water on deck on the end of your Halyard or in Davits

You need about 5/8" SS chain and a padlock with a hardened hasp to slow these buggers down OR make them choose an easier target.......

FIVE dinghies and outboards went AWOL from one of the local marinas one night and ALL were chained up then another FIVE outboards went AWOL from a local boatyard...........

The SXM Net organiser Mike at Shrimpy's laundry lost (HAD STOLEN) three outboards and RIBs last month the best RIB is still AWOL and the two not so god ones were found the next day on the beach minus the outboards of course.

This IMHO is more than petty thievery.

We also heard that the Gendarmes ALL had to take their holidays before the end of the financial years so for two weeks there was almost no police presence - following on from that we were told that the Gendarmes are from mainland France on a six month secondment and dont get involved in local problems and issues - spoils their holiday in the sun ...

How much truth there is in all of that i am unable to determine BUT i do know that until the Gendarme are seriously into local goings on this is only going to get worse.

Finally the customs people need to inspect every container before it leaves the island then we may see this stop or diminish to an insignificant level .

At the moment St Martin is BAD NEWS for us Cruisers AND St Martin tis Dominica all over again.

The only good news i can report is that there are three Caribbean racing sloops drawn up on the beach in Grand Case and i spoke to the men that sail them and they said IF your dinghy/engine is still on the island we will locate it.

Would be nice if they can.....obviously i will keep this thread updated IF there is any positive progress.

I will be writing to the St Martin Government especially the Tourist office and the Grand Case traders who have a web site with email address to explain the situation and the consequences if this is allowed to continue.

[simonmd]

Originally Posted by Highland Fling

A decent lock is NOT ENOUGH you need to get the dinghy out of the water on deck on the end of your Halyard or in Davits

Yes, I usualy get it out anyway as I dont like cleaning it all the time.

This IMHO is more than petty thievery.

Of course it is, a half decent tender and outboard can cost as much a second hand car.

I will be writing to the St Martin Government especially the Tourist office and the Grand Case traders who have a web site with email address to explain the situation and the consequences if this is allowed to continue.

Let's hope that an area whose sole main income is tourism wakes up to this.

[perchance]

Where there are thieves there are receivers of stolen goods.It's is a good bet that the motors are going off island quickly. It sounds like the local police aren't doing much in the way of investigation.

[osirissail]

St Martin has had a history for the last 10 years I have been sailing through there as a major crime location and boats and dinghies get stolen regularly. But the same thing is pretty much the case in all the other eastern Caribbean Islands. So the words about how to "protect" your dinghy & motor by chain and definitely by lifting out of the water at night is quite apt and important.

Over the last several years there has been a network of "drug dealers" in the eastern islands that exchange stolen outboard motors for drugs - not money. So the incidents of theft have, IMHO, escalated not only amongst cruisers but also locals and even fishermen have been having motors stolen.

As to doing anything about it, except for getting a local to steal the motor back (if it is still on the island, which is doubtful), there is little to be done. Each island is a separate government and additionally little can be done if the cruiser/owner is not willing to spend up to a year on the island going through the hassles of courts and testimony. Cruisers generally move on quickly and with nobody to press charges, what can the local police do?

Reality is sometimes harsh but your only defense is to make your dinghy & motor too much trouble for a thief to bother with since there is a never ending supply of cruisers blissfully unaware of the problem who still keep their dinghy in the water tied with a rope painter.

[anjou]

Its time these thieves were shot and killed. Law breakers will break laws as long as laws dont have any deterant.
Death is the ultimate deterant, so start a killing spree and watch the crime figures drop.
I see the somali pirates are less prolific now the world has grown balls and lost its shyness and decided laws dont work but death does.

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by anjou

Its time these thieves were shot and killed. Law breakers will break laws as long as laws dont have any deterant.
Death is the ultimate deterant, so start a killing spree and watch the crime figures drop.
I see the somali pirates are less prolific now the world has grown balls and lost its shyness and decided laws dont work but death does.

I see you are taking the "Miss Fixit" title seriously

[neilpride]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

A few years back, a story made the rounds here in BERMUDA of a French man selling small RIBs and motors. These apparently had been stolen at this time of year from the mass of North travelling boats. He, apparently, intended to cash in on the time/distance difference and scoot East with the cash.
Someone from another boat is said to have recognised a RIB, stolen from a friend.
St Georges harbour is full right now, stay vigilant folks.
I have no confirmation of these reports.

I hear the same history last week, a couple weeks ago there is probably 20 or 30 outboard engines stolen in a row in the boatyards french side, Timeout, JMC, Geminga boatyard, plus a 27 foot power boat sunk close to La royale because the bad guys leave it with the Transom outboard mounting holes open and the boat take on water at the transom .

[atoll]

could try a old africa trick.............
an expat,after having his 3rd 4x4 hijached at gun point decided to get hold of some cyanide,which he very carefully added to a nearly full bottle of johnny walkers whiskey,this he left in the glove compartment.

sure enough 3 months later he was hijacked again,two days later the newspaper ran a story about 3 dead plain clothes police officers found in a stolen 4x4....................

[zeehag]

there is no safe cruising grounds when it comes to theft of dinghies and outboards--the best way to keep one is to raise it from water, lock it and engine to boat, and keep a watch...there were incidences of folks having their boa t boarded for the engines on board--yes, even with a yappy dog--dog doesnt mean safety.

[Sand crab]

There are lots of cable burglar alarms out there that are super cheap. If the bad guys cut the cable then a 120 db goes off. You can protect your stuff for under a hundred bucks.
ALARM IT SCREAMING CABLE LOCKS FOR JET SKIS & WATERCRAFT
Also there are all kinds of portable alarms that can be rigged to a door or hatch or the motion detector type that you can set up in seconds to sound off if someone tries to enter the inner sanctum of your boat. Again, under a hundred bucks.

[jglauds]

I wonder:

Why don't St. Maarten police undertake a sting operation?

Why don't enterprising kids set up a dinghy watch service? $2 to watch your dinghy at the regular tie-up places?

[SailingwithSoul]

Originally Posted by atoll

could try a old africa trick.............
an expat,after having his 3rd 4x4 hijached at gun point decided to get hold of some cyanide,which he very carefully added to a nearly full bottle of johnny walkers whiskey,this he left in the glove compartment.

sure enough 3 months later he was hijacked again,two days later the newspaper ran a story about 3 dead plain clothes police officers found in a stolen 4x4....................

WoW!!! Was there an investigation after the fact? Did he get into any trouble?

I was going to suggest the old Joshua Slocum trick or putting tacks in your dinghy The risk of deflation aside, does anyone know if doing so would carry any criminal penalties on property owner?

[perchance]

Anjou you are too kind. How about some fresh pictures of the boat work. I am tired of admiring your woodwork.

[Highland Fling]

Originally Posted by anjou

Its time these thieves were shot and killed. Law breakers will break laws as long as laws dont have any deterant.
Death is the ultimate deterant, so start a killing spree and watch the crime figures drop.
I see the somali pirates are less prolific now the world has grown balls and lost its shyness and decided laws dont work but death does.

Well i have evil thoughts - like first some serious torture - i hear water-boarding is not torture (Tony Bliar come here please i want to ask you a few questions - ooops thread drift) so we could start there then continue by cutting off their hands (and balls so they cant father any more little thieves) The doctored whisky bottle (note spelling) sounds like a great idea..............but where to get cyanide and i suppose it would need to be Rum seeing it is the Caribbean But then IF the Government and the Police were interested to the slightest extent this would stop very very quickly.