TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Boat Parts Theft - $14,000???!!! WOW

Short article but interesting about theft going on. I find it odd they even bring up the Poker Run in this! http://bvinews.com/new/theft-of-boat-parts-on-the-rise/ BTW...it isn't the $14,000 I actually wowed about.....they took an entire engine?? Aggressive thieves! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

There is a big market for stolen outboards. 14,000 is just a average 150hp engine new. The big motors are over 25k.
G

Referencing the Poker Run as a reason for theft is kinda far-fetched.

4 stroke yamahas being the preferred outboard to steal. It's an enormous problem in S. Florida and the Bahamas.

If people would stop buying stolen stuff the problem would end. Greed.

I had a sneak thief aboard my bareboat charter boat while in Virgin Gorda Sound in June 30 2016. Took a winch handle, man overboard flag & pole, and a boat hook. We were at the Bitter end, but took a mooring ball nearby at Biras Creek because those mooring balls are free when the resort closes in June. Would have been less expensive to take a ball at Bitter End. I heard some noises at around 2AM, but figured it was one of the 8 people aboard moving around.

Outboards can easily be many, many thousands of dollars. When there is the perception of no security or law enforcement and a market is available the problem of outboard theft can be even larger. So large! The tenants of Alameda Marina south of Oakland have taken to putting security cameras on their boats. This recent video demonstrates the problem. The insurance claim here is $41,000 with the thought the outboards are taken across the border where there is a robust market. Weak BVI security coupled with a market on any of the islands along the chain could lead to the same brazen theft.

This is video over two weeks edit to demonstrate lax security and law enforcement.

https://vimeo.com/169744976

sj please tell me this video ends with an arrest... there is the vid and a license plate

That video has been making the rounds on the Internet. There was one arrest reported. Now that Ron is on the case I'm sure they will get the rest of the gang.