Stolen Dock Line

[SailAwy]

Ugh, I am so aggravated. Yesterday I went to go do some spring time maintenance on my C25, and noticing my outboard was lowered and thinking how odd that was since I always raise it after each outing, I was immediately blessed with discovering my cockpit locker was flooded (monsoon like rains for last 2 weeks), so naturally my attention was redirected at figuring out the cause of the leak. Long story short, I figured out it was a busted scupper. Temporarily plugged it, bailed out about 20-30 gallons and went to cleaning that mess up. Came back today to slap some 3M 4000 on the fitting until my new one comes. But then went to investigating the cause of the now suspected fallen outboard. As it turns out, some a**hole stole my port side aft dock line, which when really wrenched on without it, is just enough to knock the outboard into the dock, which I assume at this point gave it a good enough wack that knocked it off its latch and came down. The outboard is mostly fine. Scratches from rubbing up against the dock, and I'm sure not without some unneeded stress on the motor mount and transom its bolted to, but no significant damage, thankfully.

Really though, what kind of miserable, desperate prick takes someones dock line?

I've only had the boat a little over a year, but is this a common occurrence? I don't suspect anything can be done to prevent this, but damn, what a frustrating thing to discover. Some people sure do suck.

[SV Siren]

I don't think it is all that of a common occurrence, but then again our family had someone try to steal the ENTIRE boat from our slip, but after finding out they could not get it to the boat ramp next door due to the fact it was a fin keel and the water was too shallow, they abandoned the boat right where it was sitting aground about 75' from shore. Luckily the dockmaster noticed it just sitting there abandoned, and retrieved it and put it back in the slip, and gave us a call to tell us what had happened. Nothing was missing and there was no damage..grateful for that.

[JPA Cate]

What kind of person steals a dock line?

Somebody who thinks they need it more than you.

Sorry that happened, and that your o/b was damaged. Bad stuff happens, and for no good reason we can ever figure out.

Ann

[Stu Jackson]

Monsoon rains mean some kind of heavy weather, do they not? No evidence of a broken line?


MF-ing b*stards, that's what they be then!!!

[SailAwy]

Originally Posted by SV Siren

I don't think it is all that of a common occurrence, but then again our family had someone try to steal the ENTIRE boat from our slip, but after finding out they could not get it to the boat ramp next door due to the fact it was a fin keel and the water was too shallow, they abandoned the boat right where it was sitting aground about 75' from shore. Luckily the dockmaster noticed it just sitting there abandoned, and retrieved it and put it back in the slip, and gave us a call to tell us what had happened. Nothing was missing and there was no damage..grateful for that.

What a fantastic dock master!

I have learned in my short time in the boating community that the majority of people (much like on the forum) want nothing more than to lend a hand or provide some sound advice, so I try not to get too bent on these isolated incidences. I would’ve been seeing red though had I discovered someone actually tried to take my boat. Glad it worked out!

[SailAwy]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

What kind of person steals a dock line?

Somebody who thinks they need it more than you.

Ann

Hi Ann,

Yeah, I’m guessing you’re probably right about that. Some people can be quite petty that way.

[SailAwy]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Monsoon rains mean some kind of heavy weather, do they not? No evidence of a broken line?


MF-ing b*stards, that's what they be then!!!

Hi Stu,

That was my first thought too, but no line or even pieces of line. Definitely removed.

Haha. And that sentiment was pretty close to my next line of thought.

[svmariane]

Plus side: you still have the dinghy motor. And now you know another reason why vessels "double up fore and aft". Frustrating of course, and not a damn thing we can do to prevent something like that without 24-7 security sitting on the aft deck.

[JPA Cate]

If he'd have doubled up, might not all the doubled lines have had one taken? The mind boggles.

Ann

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by SV Siren

I don't think it is all that of a common occurrence, but then again our family had someone try to steal the ENTIRE boat from our slip, but after finding out they could not get it to the boat ramp next door due to the fact it was a fin keel and the water was too shallow, they abandoned the boat right where it was sitting aground about 75' from shore. Luckily the dockmaster noticed it just sitting there abandoned, and retrieved it and put it back in the slip, and gave us a call to tell us what had happened. Nothing was missing and there was no damage..grateful for that.

!!!!!!!!!!!

Never underestimate the stupidity of drunks or teenagers (or drunk teenagers).

[svmariane]

Okay. Doubling up lines fore and aft is admittedly old school. How about using 3/8 #10 gauge HT chain with padlocks? (Bolt cutters in the companion way for emergency departure.) Many dock cleats have that hole in the middle, right? Seems like those were made to hold something, right? Besides, a handful of quick-links and the mooring chains double as emergency anchor rode.

Sorry for the OP's troubles but dock rats are dock rats, ubiquitous world wide, and count yourself lucky if nobody gets hurt or nothing of major value goes for a walk-about.

[Group9]

Things we have had stolen from our dock over the years:

Two really long dock lines.
Two really big fenders.
Our spinnaker pole.
Our boarding gangway.

Plus a big round buoy that was used to buoy off our anchor line and chain one day when the windlass gave out and we left it overnight.

And, the hell of it is, it's all the kind of stuff other boaters, not crackheads, would take.

[RainDog]

I had a kayak and a boarding step stolen. The kayak annoyed me to no end.

[Tayana42]

I’ve been sailing for 50 years and I’ve been lucky. I’ve kept boats in the USA in slips on the Chesapeake Bay, Long Island Sound, Jacksonville, and Southern California. And I’ve kept a boat on a trailer in Minnesota and Phoenix. The only thing I’ve had stolen was a toolbox full of tools from my VW camper. My fault for forgetting to lock the door.

[WindwardPrinces]

Once I had a 45 lb anchor stolen, and substituted with a 35 lb anchor (the new anchor didn't reach the chain).

When I investigated, it was on the Island Packet next to my boat.

He probably thought I didn't notice, and I never got the anchor back. I thought about confronting him, but I had to leave the boat for extended periods, and the anchor was a cheaper price to pay than any other type of retribution.

Still bugs me when I think of it, but it was part of the price of having to leave a boat unattended, and I did learn a lesson about doing that.