Vandals...

[shadow]

Hi all,

This may seem like a silly or weird question but here in OZ I've seen several instances of kids throwing rocks at moving cars and on 2 occasions, they were pretty seriously injured.

My question is, has anyone ever experienced bored or stupid people ever throwing rocks, bottles or whatever at your boat either while moored or underway near a shoreline?

Just curious as I know that a lot of the kids nowadays seem really bored and just plain stupid and need a cheap and stupid thrill.

I'd be curious to hear about anyone's actual instances of something similar or just plain vandalism.

Thanks for everyone's attention. Cheers!!!

[rebel heart]

When I was in high school some other students got busted for throwing cinder blocks and bricks from a freeway overpass onto cars below. Crazy.

The majority of the crimes I have heard about, been victim of, or seen with my own eyes:

- Stolen outboards.
- Stolen fishing gear left out.
- Stolen electronics and compasses from the cockpit.
- Transients hopping on boats and living in them until found by someone else.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

When I was in high school some other students got busted for throwing cinder blocks and bricks from a freeway overpass onto cars below. Crazy.

The majority of the crimes I have heard about, been victim of, or seen with my own eyes:

- Stolen outboards.
- Stolen fishing gear left out.
- Stolen electronics and compasses from the cockpit.
- Transients hopping on boats and living in them until found by someone else.

They're just doing all the stealing and transient living "That Americans Just Won't Do!" <sarcasm>

Steve B.

[Kanani]

In all of the hundreds of ports that I've been in, I have only had one theft and it was in one of the most unlikely places in the world. i really don't even count it as a real theft because there were so many things of value laying around that they could have taken, including my wallet, full of cash and my wife's purse.

In '86, we sailed into Wellington NZ Harbor and we were directed (by the Harbor Master via VHF radio) to moor at the Customs Dock which was a large commercial dock. We had been boon-docking for many months (in Fiordland on the South Island) and thought that it was time to call my wife's father and let him know that we were OK.

We went through a gate and around a building where we found a pay phone. We spent about 30-minutes on the phone then started the long walk back to the boat. When we arrived, there was a flashlight (torch) burning in the cockpit and the companionway hatch had been broken open. It was obvious that there was one person in our boat and another person was a spotter. When we were seen returning, they ran off.

We went down below and the only thing that we could find missing was a stereo radio that I had mounted on a bulkhead. It was a battery operated radio that I had removed the whole battery holder and wired it into my boats 12v system with a 9v converter, so it was no good to anyone else.

About the time that we finished examining the boat for missing items, we heard the vessel in front of ours pull away. It was Jacques Cousteau's "Calypso". The area that we were in was gated and there was no way that anyone else could have gotten in or out of that area. I am convinced that the culprates were on-board the Calylpso.

As a side note....I believe that was the old Calypso and she sank in French Polynesia on that very voyage.

[Alan Wheeler]

Kids Droping a rocks from an overpass was a big issue here in NZ earlier this year. The rock went right through the front Windscreen and killed the driver.
We have the odd boat stolen every now and then. But there isn't many places one can go in NZ, without being spotted somewhere by someone. I am lucky that my Marina is still reasonably safe and secure. Although a dinghy went missing off the back of a boat next to mine a few years back.

[shadow]

Thanks for everyone's response. Sorry to hear that things were stolen and even more surprised that stupid kids didn't throw rocks or sticks at your boat while just cruising close to land either on the way in or out.

Cheers!!

[seafox]

I've chucked the odd empty beer bottle towards Wheels boat in the middle of the night. Never hit it though. If I drank less I reckon I could probably hit it.

The kid who killed the driver in Auckland when he dropped the concrete from the bridge went to jail for it. A few copy cats did it for a while after.

[Alan Wheeler]

The only crooks Darryl deals with these days, wear blue overalls. I think Andy of Marauder is entertaining them at the mo.
So is the motor back Darryl??

[seafox]

Apparently it was supposed to be finished on Friday. The idiots lost the key that connects the gearbox to the motor. Andy has had to get one fast couriered from Auckland. With a lot of luck the blue crooks will finish it on Monday and we can install it on Tuesday. We will take it for a long test on Tues arvo. I would be real keen to come across to the Sounds on Wednesday. Can't leave Andy behind though.

[migot1]

sailing under thw Corinth Cannel Bridge, some kids throgh garbbage and plastic bags down at us. nothing hit us--but not a nice feeling.

MIKE

[stevensc]

A couple of months ago there was a group of kids on an overpass shooting a pellet rifle as cars went under. One night they shot and cracked the windshield of the wrong car, it was the sheriff on his way home. He simply turned and approached from another direction and hauled them all off.
About ten years ago I was doing some work in Brazil we were warned that sometimes punks drop stones on cars fom highway overpasses. When the car stops and the driver gets out to survey the damage he is assaulted and robbed by the partners of the guys dropping the stones. So if it happens to you go a good distance before stopping.
Steve

[Pura Vida]

The vandalism and theft in our marina is almost always connected to children who are in the marina with their parents, most frequently the Sea Scouts. I would guess that very little is actually delinquent behavior but is simple youthful rowdiness. A number of people will not dock on the pier with the scouts for that reason.

[ssullivan]

Nothing. EVER. Lived on the water for several years as a live aboard and never saw anyone's stuff get stolen.

I did see some kids (barely teenagers) trying to access the marina docks in Bonaire once, but the marina security hustled them off right away.

It's a very crime-free thing.

[RaptorDance]

We've been out cruising since 2004 and the crime rate is very low. Lower than on land.

Sometimes a dingy or outboard gets lifted, but that's pretty rare.

The only vandalism that we know of here in Mexico was a few years back - someone was stealing just the fuel hose between the outboard and gas tank off dingies in Zihuatanejo.

In San Diego there was a mentally unbalanced individual who'd ice pick your dingy if you anchored too close to him.

Generally, we've found the crime rate lower in Mexico than the US. Particularly in the cruising areas.

Regards,
Bill

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Kanani

<snip>

We went down below and the only thing that we could find missing was a stereo radio that I had mounted on a bulkhead. It was a battery operated radio that I had removed the whole battery holder and wired it into my boats 12v system with a 9v converter, so it was no good to anyone else.

About the time that we finished examining the boat for missing items, we heard the vessel in front of ours pull away. It was Jacques Cousteau's "Calypso". The area that we were in was gated and there was no way that anyone else could have gotten in or out of that area. I am convinced that the culprates were on-board the Calylpso.

As a side note....I believe that was the old Calypso and she sank in French Polynesia on that very voyage.

It appears to me, Kanani, that you have the broad outlines of a short story, at least. Obviously, it must be entitled The Curse of the Pilfered Radio.

TaoJones