funlovincriminal 197 Posted November 20 Share Posted November 20 Just a heads up. Came back from a Fiji delivery trip to find my boat has been hit by an anti-santa. Small padlocks busted off aft lockers, among other items my tool bag and dinghy fuel containers gone as well as my Solar Panel. Its a 50w Renogy flexible one mounted on a custom 10mm foam and fibreglass backing board, painted 2 pot vivid white. It was mounted via Railblaza articulating bait board Mounts screwed into tapped resin cores. One mount is central and the other set off to to one side. It's pretty unmistakable, will post a Pic. Kick in the dick is they most likely used my own tools to remove it off the pushpit 🤬 Moored on 120 near Stillwater end of the river. A mates boat also lost some gear. Merry effing Xmas eh Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K4309 369 Posted November 20 Share Posted November 20 Thanks for the heads up. Hope you find your stuff, or some karma sorts out the perpetrators. The river has been trouble free for a while now, so a shame to hear it has changed. There is always a bit of ebb and flow (excuse the pun). I know of two live aboards who aren't on the river currently, one who moved off permanently, and one who is on the hard currently doing maintenance. I know the one on the hard has on occasion spotlighted and challenged delinquents in the middle of the night pocking around moored boats in borrowed dinghies. I know there is mixed views about live aboards, but they certainly provide a benefit in having a presence on and eyes on the river. 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Psyche 755 Posted November 20 Share Posted November 20 What's worse is that you it know its most likely another boatie, who else has would bother for a small ticket item? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,717 Posted November 21 Share Posted November 21 As liveaboard I've never caught a thief, but i have towed several boats up the river, rescued a boat when the pile actually broke, secured countless sails and canvas covers and pulled lots of debris and plastic out of the river. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K4309 369 Posted November 21 Share Posted November 21 8 hours ago, Psyche said: What's worse is that you it know its most likely another boatie, who else has would bother for a small ticket item? I wouldn't assume that. I'd argue you are applying too much logic as to why people nick sh*t. I think a lot of it isn't logical. Either on drugs, opportunist, boredom or shits and giggles. Sure there will be examples of people thieving items for their financial value or specific purpose, but I wouldn't think that is boaties nicking sh*t to use on their own boats. I'd assume that is stuff easily moved on for a bit of cash. A lot of the examples of theft from the river I've heard of is stuff that is easy to move. Especially tools, as in FLC's case. Fishing gear and outboards are also up there. All easy to move (sell) with a wide second hand market. And dinghies. A launch was stolen from the river several years ago. That wasn't boaties, that was some toe-rags wanting a free ride 'home' to Gt Barrier. That was the one where they put petrol in it (diesel engine), engine ran away, caught fire and sunk midway to the Barrier. Nearby fisho came and rescued them, couldn't understand why the guy was trying to swim off a burning boat with a really nice spanner set... The point with that example was the guys weren't boaties (hence why the put petrol in a diesel engine) and wanted the nice spanner set, it is the sort of thing that is easy to trade for cash or drugs, and isn't traceable. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K4309 369 Posted November 21 Share Posted November 21 34 minutes ago, Black Panther said: As liveaboard I've never caught a thief, but i have towed several boats up the river, rescued a boat when the pile actually broke, secured countless sails and canvas covers and pulled lots of debris and plastic out of the river. I bet you've scared a few thieves though. Probably without even knowing it. You probably left them traumatised and needing therapy. After all you do have a habit of putting that photo of you in drag and fishnet tights on the interweb. Jokes aside though, I think just by you and the other live-aboards having a presence on the river helps greatly. Without naming names, the live aboard that parks beside us has said he's spotlighted / challenged delinquents after dark. Doesn't happen often, but when things do happen, there are eyes and ears about. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MartinRF 64 Posted November 21 Share Posted November 21 43 minutes ago, K4309 said: I wouldn't assume that. I'd argue you are applying too much logic as to why people nick sh*t. One late autumn day many years ago I was approached by a guy in a dinghy while attending to my boat. He asked if I had been burgled. No, why? I asked. He told me someone had broken into the cabin of his boat and stolen all his matches and his fire extinguisher. Nothing else. Nothing valuable. Who? Why? An arsonist suffering from indecision? /Martin 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Psyche 755 Posted November 21 Share Posted November 21 45 minutes ago, K4309 said: I wouldn't assume that. I'd argue you are applying too much logic as to why people nick sh*t. I think a lot of it isn't logical. Either on drugs, opportunist, boredom or shits and giggles. Sure there will be examples of people thieving items for their financial value or specific purpose, but I wouldn't think that is boaties nicking sh*t to use on their own boats. I'd assume that is stuff easily moved on for a bit of cash. A lot of the examples of theft from the river I've heard of is stuff that is easy to move. Especially tools, as in FLC's case. Fishing gear and outboards are also up there. All easy to move (sell) with a wide second hand market. And dinghies. A launch was stolen from the river several years ago. That wasn't boaties, that was some toe-rags wanting a free ride 'home' to Gt Barrier. That was the one where they put petrol in it (diesel engine), engine ran away, caught fire and sunk midway to the Barrier. Nearby fisho came and rescued them, couldn't understand why the guy was trying to swim off a burning boat with a really nice spanner set... The point with that example was the guys weren't boaties (hence why the put petrol in a diesel engine) and wanted the nice spanner set, it is the sort of thing that is easy to trade for cash or drugs, and isn't traceable. Maybe opportunists, but salty tools from a boat, a solar panel and petrol containers? Sell for a fortune on marketplace, yeah right! This still have to get in a dinghy and row/motor out there for what is really an oddball and not very valuable collection of boat gear. Yes we know to replace new is hundreds but second hand its worth very little. Why didnt they break into the cabin or go for the electronics etc, Id say they went for the solar panel and the other stuff was just there so they took it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
funlovincriminal 197 Posted November 21 Author Share Posted November 21 Of course, the RRP of the stolen items adds up to slightly less than my excess. I've had boats in the river on and off for 20 years and this is the first incident. Biggest pain is the tool bag, although not valuable $ wise - contained 20 years worth of boat job specific items. If you asked me to list it all I couldn't, but you can bet with every little job I need to do over the next few years I will be cursing the bastard! As an aside, the only reason I discovered the theft is because my neighbour had rearranged my pushpit and BBQ for the second time this year so I was on board trying to straighten that mess out. In all honesty that annoys me more than the theft! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K4309 369 Posted November 21 Share Posted November 21 1 hour ago, funlovincriminal said: As an aside, the only reason I discovered the theft is because my neighbour had rearranged my pushpit and BBQ for the second time this year so I was on board trying to straighten that mess out. In all honesty that annoys me more than the theft! Your neighbour must be a bit special, how did he manage that?!? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 682 Posted November 22 Share Posted November 22 Use to be a thing back in the 70s at Westhaven,night of departure of overseas vessels(they were allowed to live onboard back then)vessels would get broken in to,mainly safety gear taken/alcohol Unfortunately those that break in to vessels taking panels/fishing gear/electronics etc are on selling to other boaties,who can resist a deal right? Often look at fishing gear etc at cash converters and think yip wonder that came from. Boy brought a locked laptop from them,figured out how to unlock,saw all the photos and found a name in laptop,quick f/b search and posted on page,turns out stolen 6 months earlier. Cash converters couldnt give a toss. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
motorb 35 Posted November 28 Share Posted November 28 On 21/11/2024 at 10:13 PM, Psyche said: Maybe opportunists, but salty tools from a boat, a solar panel and petrol containers? Sell for a fortune on marketplace, yeah right! This still have to get in a dinghy and row/motor out there for what is really an oddball and not very valuable collection of boat gear. Yes we know to replace new is hundreds but second hand its worth very little. Why didnt they break into the cabin or go for the electronics etc, Id say they went for the solar panel and the other stuff was just there so they took it. If these individuals had any intelligence they'd not be mucking around flogging gear off boats to sell for next to nothing online. The reality is they don't care what damage they do nor what value is destroyed by their antics. I'm sure half of what they take ends up dumped on a kerbside anyway Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Psyche 755 Posted November 28 Share Posted November 28 Professional burglars have a set rate from the fence for the goods they steal, saw this doco on on it years ago and it might be something like a tv or laptop $100 no matter the retail. So 5 items for a nights work = 500 but the full retail might be 10k plus? Doesnt matter to them as its turnover and quick money for whatever, but with the solar panel- an item that new is less than 200 and second hand 50 bucks maybe, that has to be either f-wits, teenagers or a scumbag boatie 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
funlovincriminal 197 Posted November 28 Author Share Posted November 28 19 hours ago, Psyche said: but with the solar panel- an item that new is less than 200 and second hand 50 bucks maybe, that has to be either f-wits, teenagers or a scumbag boatie I wish it was less than $200 😅 $330 for the panel, $100 for the railblaza Mounts plus whatever the foam, glass, resin, primer and paint cost me. And then there was the hours making it! Oh how I would love to stumble across it mounted to someone else's boat 😉 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Psyche 755 Posted November 28 Share Posted November 28 Have you thought about putting a trailcam on the boat? https://www.jaycar.co.nz/1080p-outdoor-trail-camera/p/QC8043?srsltid=AfmBOop3mThN2TVyCxNG9XV2vdgXXWrQQ_lVfZvsVEymRpR6caphoAFS Theres probably ones with a sim that upload images to the cloud or even a security cam of some sort aimed aft from the washboard area Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K4309 369 Posted November 29 Share Posted November 29 Was speaking to a guy on the wharf at the river a couple of weeks ago that had cameras on his boat. They were on the spreaders. AliExpress jobbies. Solar powered I think, can't remember if they were SMS linked, but fairly sure they bluetooth to a device / phone for easy download. He was happy with them. Affordable and effective by all accounts. He put them on the spreaders so the couldn't be nicked as well 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K4309 369 Posted November 29 Share Posted November 29 Sounds like you are not alone FLC, Penlink has been hit, as well as other boats. And I might have to eat my words to Psych. Why would anyone nick a mainsail?!? Generators, diesel, power tools and fishing rods are all useful and easy things to move on, but a mainsail? There has been reports of substantial thefts from boats and the Penlink platform. From Penlink; 200l diesel, generators, power tools. From boats: Fuel, mainsail, fishing rods. This all seems to be happening upriver of the dinghy pontoon. We believe by someone in a sizeable tinnie. Please report anything unusual to the police. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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