& Even Trailers
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Stolen Boats /
Motors & Even Trailers |
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Stolen Motors ; Sad to say, many fishermen find that "kicker" motors of from a 6 to 15hp size are a prime target for thieves these days. For one, they are easily carried off. Another is there seems to be a ready sale for this size of outboard motors.
I began to wonder after looking on e-Bay as to why many of these seemingly running motors are broken down and sold as parts. I can see it if the power head was blown, or a lower unit seized up, but occasionally about all of the parts are being sold at the same time where the person selling them appears to no real idea what he has. That is until you realize that you do not see many of the mounting/clamping brackets put up for sale that have the Model and Serial Numbers on them. Kind of makes one begin to wonder???
There are things you can do that MAY help prevent the ordinary thief, like bolting it to the transom, but use Loctite on the threads or peen the ends of the bolts over. And in addition, padlocking it to the boat surely won't hurt. These may slow down the theft if it was an opportunity type theft. However if they are really after something AND they think they have the time, they will make their opportunity. Bolt cutters are sold in the hardware stores every day nd I doubt if ID is required for this type of these purchase.
Recently the scumbag thieves have expanded their method of operation. They do not simply cut the locks or similar deterrent, but use battery operated SawZalls and simply cut the transom off the boat around the motor. Not much you can do if you have to store your boat in your driveway or back yard, other than have a guard dog. And that is not fool-proof.
Usually there is no such thing as recovering a USABLE boat if it was stolen, just ask the insurance companies. The reason is it will be stripped of everything of value and dumped in some area, many times not so isolated and usually without the trailer. They are not really after the boat, but the motors, and all your gear / electronics. If they can get it in a package deal, then they get braver.
I know one fishing equipment related sales rep who was getting ready to go on vacation. His wife and he were packing, loading things in both the van and the boat parked separately in their driveway. The thieves must have been parked across the street, and or had a lookout, as between his and her exits from the house to the boat/van and back, the thieves backed in, hooked the boat trailer to their vehicle and were gone in less than 3 minutes while the owners were inside the house. It was recovered 3 days later, stripped, but left on a Freeway On Ramp. Talk about ruin a vacation.
If you park it so the trailer is accessible, sometimes they just throw a chain around the trailer tongue at night, and pull the boat down the street far enough to then be able to securely hook it up if no one notices and or follows them. If someone comes too close they just throw the chain off and drive away.
Typically it may be best to shy away from a motor that is missing the ID tag, as IF it was stolen, that is about the only sure way to prove who it belonged to (if you had written it down). However in a recent boat/motor/trailer combo that I purchased. The owner knew the Mercury motor's year and of course the HP, but when I tried to find the ID plate, it was missing. He indicated right where it was on the motor, but all I found was a location where it appeared to have been glued on by an adhesive AT ONE TIME. I have no doubt that it is not stolen, but it took me considerable research even to find the model, and a close serial number so that I could purchase a water pump impeller. The issue here is Mercury does not list their motors by year, but by serial numbers.
Preventing Boat Trailer Theft ; It can be rather disheartening to return to the launch after a day of fun / fishing only to find your boat trailer missing from your towing vehicle. Many of us do padlock the trailer hitch lever down so it can not be disconnected from the ball. This can also be a good thing to get used to doing as it is a reminder to not forget to snap the lever down onto the ball.
But what about securing the hitch extension into the bumper's receiver? If you just use the original spring snap clip to hold the pin in place, it is rather easy to pull the pin, slide the trailer rearward enough to get the extension out of the receiver and then transfer the extension to a waiting vehicle that has the same commonly used receiver. To prevent this, I have drilled my extension pin out enough to also accept a padlock bail, as shown in the photo below on the right.
It is nice to purchase 2 padlocks using the same key for this situation. You do need to remove the extension padlock occasionally and clean it up. I have found that if you don't, the lock may become hard to unlock. Therefore it may be prudent to smear some Vaseline around where the bail enters the base to keep out water (which turns metal into rust) and over the key slot to keep the dust from getting inside the tumbler.
The thing you can
do is get a high grade tongue lock, a rubber coated cable with a titanium heavy
duty long shanked padlock. Wrap the cable around your axle where it can
not be slipped off if the tire is pulled off, and wrap it through the holes in
the rim of the tire. This will help prevent them from being able to break
your tongue lock and just driving off with your trailer.
However one area where
drift boaters frequent and has had numerous trailers stolen,
the trailers leave the area on the back of a flatbed truck, loaded with a winch
/ overhead boom set up, not towed by the hitch. So if you see a
truck coming out of any launch with an empty trailer loaded on the back of a
flatbed, contact LE with a license number of the truck.
If Oregon would require all small trailers to at least have a
license plate, trailer theft would drop significantly in SW Washington according
to the Law Enforcement Officers that were contacted after trailer thefts.
For those of you who may wonder what the upper license plate frame says, it is "Crime Control", and the bottom, "Not Gun Control".
| Padlock on the hitch | Padlock securing the extension to the receiver |
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Other Theft ;
Of course you never leave your rods/reels or sonar in your
boat parked in your driveway. But that is not all that may grow legs and
walk off. I have a friend who owns a 17' Arima, who parks it in his yard
next to his house (a small lot and not much space there). One night someone
stole his complete convertible top and 4 rods, within 10' of his window.
The list below was put together by a major insurance company.
Thieves typically strike where they find
an easy opportunity. You can help deter theft by keeping in mind three basic
principles - TIME, NOISE and VISIBILITY.
Do things that increase the time it would take to steal your boat. Take
preventative measures that would force a thief to make noise in order to steal
your boat. Keep your boat where it is visible, making it difficult for a
thief to steal your boat without being noticed.
Below is our top ten list of simple precautions you can take to help prevent
your boat from being the target of a thief.
1. Do not leave your key in the ignition when the boat is not in use, and do not
leave your key on the boat when it is unattended.
2. Secure your boat and trailer so it cannot easily be moved. Park something big in
front of it. To those of you that have a swing away
tongue you can remove the bolt that drops in to lock the tongue in place.
a. On Land – if the boat is to be left on a trailer for a short period of time,
install a high quality trailer hitch lock. If the boat must be left on the
trailer for a longer period of time, remove one wheel from the trailer and lock
the removed wheel in a secure location, away from the boat. Also, chain
the trailer frame to a large tree or other immovable object.
b. On the water – if your boat is large enough to carry or tow a dinghy,
remember that a dinghy in the water is tempting to thieves. Stow it aboard
your boat if you can, or if it must stay in the water, use a cable and padlock
to secure it to the primary vessel. If your dinghy has an outboard motor
you should remove it if possible, or install an outboard motor lock to secure it
to the transom.
3. Never leave your boat parked near the road with a “For Sale” sign posted on it,
unless you have hidden a game trail camera nearby.
4. If your boat is kept at a marina, choose one with full-time security and good
lighting. Make sure your marina is aware of when your boat is being used
by you or an operator approved by you. The sooner they become aware the
boat isn’t in its slip or where it is supposed to be, the sooner they can notify
you so efforts can begin to locate your vessel.
5. Install an anti-theft alarm and/or tracking system on your boat. Your
local marine supplier should be able to recommend a quality model.
6. Remove all personal property, such as portable electronics and fishing
equipment, from the boat when not in use. If it cannot be easily removed,
stow your equipment where it is out of sight and preferably in a locked storage
location. Use a diamond-tipped tool and etch identifying marks on all
electronic cases, high-value rods and reels, HD/Flat Screened TV sets and other
expensive personal items.
7. If the boat is kept at your home, store it behind your house or on the side
of your house. Avoid leaving it in a spot that is visible from the street. Also, if possible, park it so the trailer tongue doesn’t face the street.
Install specially designed stern drive and propeller locks to help prevent
theft of them.
8. To avoid entry into your vessel's cabin, replace the spring-latch locking
assembly with a deadbolt-type and padlock it.
9. Do not leave registration, title or document papers on the boat when it is
not in use.
10. If you must leave your boat for an extended period of time, ask a friend to
check on it regularly.
Of course, if the worst should happen and your boat or equipment is stolen, it
pays to have comprehensive insurance in place and current photos.
Recovered Merchandise ; If you had your stolen unit covered by insurance, and it was finally recovered, but if you did get paid by the insurance company for the loss, remember that the insurance company now actually owns the boat and or motor, so you need to notify them if you do manage to somehow get it back and it is anywhere usable. They will probably sell it to you for next to nothing or they may even tell you to keep it. But if you don't tell them, then it is legally the same as you stealing it from them.
Actual account; "I actually had a truck stolen and my insurance company paid for the truck, 4 years later it was found in a police yard where it was being held since the day after it was stolen. The thief drove it until it ran out of gas and left it on the side of the road. Somehow the paperwork got lost so the police apologized and gave me the truck back 4 years later. I called the insurance company because they had the title and I was able to buy my truck back for $500 total. They paid me $6,500 for the truck when it was stolen and it was basically in the same condition when I bought it".
Stolen Outboard Motor Serial Number List? Serial Numbers are critical if you hope to have recovery, get them and photos NOW. Insurance companies collect (or should) the serial numbers for every boat policy they sell. If you cannot find the serial number to your unit, and you bought insurance on the boat prior to the loss, they will have the info.
If and when it is stolen, provide that serial number to the police.
Suggested guidelines if your boat/motor is stolen. The thieves are going to likely dispose it it SOON, so act quickly.
(1) File a police report, provide them with make , model, and serial number, as it will be entered into the system that will flag a alert if the property is pawned. If you do not have the model and serial number GET IT NOW BEFORE YOU NEED IT. Give a picture, if you have one, if not, AGAIN, GET IT NOW Think about any markings, dings, etc. that could help identify it. It's very tough to snag prints or anything from the scene, TV programs like CSI provides a false view of police capabilities.
(2) Call your insurance agent, ASAP.
(3) Run an add in a couple of newspapers or Craigs list wanting to buy a motor of the model and size of your loss, wait to see who calls
(4) Check local pawn shops
(5) Keep an eye on e-Bay and Craigs list, but regionally as you do not know where the thieves reside.
(6)
Do a periodic on-line search for an engine of your make, year, and
model. But don't bother to use the serial
number as it will likely have been removed anyway.
(7) Don't hold your breath waiting for it to be returned, but miracles do happen occasionally.
(8) Take a trip one day to some of your local boat launch facilities, kick back
and just watch, you never know what may turn up and it can be entertaining seeing all the misadventures.
(9) Don't buy any motor that has the serial number altered, unless you can positively identify it as yours. If it has been altered, contact law enforcement.
(10) I have heard that many of these boats and motors will wind up in Mexico.
(11) If you do find your property, do not make a commotion, but contact the police ASAP. If you don't have a serial number and something is stolen you can periodically check pawn shops. If you find your property, contact the police and they will put a hold on your property.
Cyber Theft ; Here is another twist that is more prevalent of CraigsList. A boat, motor and trailer is advertised a a very decent price. In this case, no date of manufacturer was given, the one photo had wiped out boat ID number and the seller only used the CraigsList contact. OK, I copied the CraigsList computer address, but let it set for a few days, thinking about it. The add was very non specific, but did say the motor had been recently rebuilt. Finally I looked it up again and it was still listed, so I contacted them. The listing was out of Portland OR, with the small map location as Hayden Island.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
From:
craigslist 7316435926 [mailto:93132e846e5c389398b4dcf75c092903@sale.craigslist.org]
Sent:
Friday, May 07, 2021 6:30 AM
To:
93132e846e5c389398b4dcf75c092903@reply.craigslist.org
Subject: Re: looking at
your boat on Craigs List
On 5/6/2021 11:16 PM, Lee wrote:
What year is the motor?? And what was done to it in the rebuild?
Lee
Here was the response
Of course ,please send me your email in this msg and i will send you all the info-pics.
Then
From:
Christine D. Brown [mailto:christine99d.brown@gmail.com]
Sent:
Friday, May 07, 2021 11:05 AM
To: XXXX
Subject: 14' Aluminum
Fishing Boat
Hello there,
My name is Christine D. Brown and I'm the owner of the 14' Aluminum Fishing Boat. This boat is in great shape Length overall (LOA):14, Includes MinnKota Endura 55 trolling motor with very few hours,25 HP newly rebuilt Evinrude outboard,Solid trailer with good tires and new bearings). It has no damage, no scratches or dents, no hidden defects. It is in immaculate condition, meticulously maintained and hasn't been involved in any accident... The title is in my name and is clear. I am selling it at this final price of $500 because my husband died 2 month ago (he had a heart attack) and it brings me bad memories and I, along with my daughter decided to sell the house and so we moved in Butte trying to start a new life. That's the reason why I want to sell it asap and my last price is $500 including delivery to your home address.
Let me know if you are interested, email me back.
Thank you
On Fri, May 7, 2021 at 2:48 PM Lee wrote:
Yes, I am very interested & have cash. I understand your situation well, lost my wife almost 3 years ago. You will be in a daze & operating on auto pilot for a few months. Good that your daughter is helping.
Do you know the year of manufacture of the boat/trailer & the model number of the Evinrude motor (a tag will be located on the transom mounting bracket). What size trailer hitch ball? 2” most likely
I appreciate your delivery offer, as at age 84, I do not like to drive in much traffic, especially in Portland. However I live off exit 7X in Washington, so possibly we meet somewhere in between, like Woodland or Longview?
My cell phone is XXXXXXXX
From:
Christine D. Brown [mailto:christine99d.brown@gmail.com]
Sent:
Friday, May 07, 2021 12:15 PM
To: Lee
Subject: Re: 14' Aluminum
Fishing Boat
As I told you in my first email, after my husband died I moved to another city (Butte, MT) and took a new job. The boat is here and is already at the shipping company in Butte, MT, sealed and ready for the shipping. My presence won't be necessary because I prearranged the deal with eBay. The deal includes free delivery and it will arrive at your address in 2-3 days. You will have 7 days to try out prior to making any purchase and if by any reason you find something you don't like about it you can send it back on my expense. If you are interested in knowing more info about how the whole process works, I can ask eBay to send you an email with more information on how to purchase it. eBay will contact you shortly after they have the details with all the information that you need to complete this deal and you will also have proof that I am covered by them and a legitimate seller.
If you are serious about buying the boat, please reply with your full name, shipping address and phone number so I can forward them to eBay in order to open a case regarding our deal. After that they will send you an invoice with more details about payment, shipping and insurance and will explain better the entire procedure.
Looking forward to hearing
from you!
Here was my response
Sorry, I do not like doing business this way,
something sounds fishy. How do I get the title & you only mention title
for the boat, what about the trailer?
But I do have a grandson who lives in Montana, I
can have him meet you in Butte & take delivery there. This way you may get
a refund on shipping.
Lee
| 14' Smoker Craft Big Fisherman (stolen?) | Here again, the license numbers on both the vehicle and trailer wiped out |
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LeeRoy Wisner All Rights Reserved
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Originally stated 09-19-2010, Last Updated 06-09-2023
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