removehtml]Has anybody ever had something stolen from them whle the boat was unattended at a marina? What about something of considerable value, or even an entire boat!? My father recently had a trailer made for his 35' boat, and when haul-out time came, we drug the emtpy trailer down to the marina and parked it in the yard, with specific instructions to put the boat on the trailer when it came out. Well, we went down to visit the boat, and there it is on stands. When we inquired with the staff, they told us that they were busy and set it on stands because it was faster, and forgot to transfer it to the trailer when the crane became less busy - meaning the trailer spent not a weekend, but 2 months unattended and unloaded - It was stolen. It's a pretty high-dollar marina on the C&D canal - in general is this considered the marina's liability? the police report is in the works, etc etc, but is there anything else we should do?Error: Error: expected [/URL], but found [/removehtml] instead[/removehtml]
Theft at Marinas
- Thread starter Brian M H23
- Start date
- Status
Trailer theft
Unless your contract with the marine has some sort of "hold harmless" agreement in the contract, they are absolutely liable. It is called "bailment", they are the bailee and you are the bailor. The trailer was in their "care, custody, and control" while on their property as a part of a business transaction with you. They undoubtedly have insurance coverage for this as well, as part of their business insurance package. If they give you any crap, don't hesitate to sue. You probably can't get a lawyer to take the case, because the amount of damages is relatively (to them) small. Take the marina to small claims court and get at least the maximum of $5000.
Unless your contract with the marine has some sort of "hold harmless" agreement in the contract, they are absolutely liable. It is called "bailment", they are the bailee and you are the bailor. The trailer was in their "care, custody, and control" while on their property as a part of a business transaction with you. They undoubtedly have insurance coverage for this as well, as part of their business insurance package. If they give you any crap, don't hesitate to sue. You probably can't get a lawyer to take the case, because the amount of damages is relatively (to them) small. Take the marina to small claims court and get at least the maximum of $5000.
Hmmmm.
Ahoy Brian, Sorry about your Pops loss. Aint nothing worse than a thief. I have a question, did you discover the trailor missing by visiting? You use the term "Marina", that's the same as the boatyard right? If so, the yard never notified you? If so, they must have went to move it then discovered it was stolen yet they never even informed you? And months went by? There are probably signs everywhere in the yard denying responsibilty for everything and anything but that does not mean it's true. I'm not a lawdog or nuttin but I would take them to small claims. It doesn't cost much and they did screw you over to the extent that they did not do what you paid them to do. Good luck, Arturo the sailor.
Ahoy Brian, Sorry about your Pops loss. Aint nothing worse than a thief. I have a question, did you discover the trailor missing by visiting? You use the term "Marina", that's the same as the boatyard right? If so, the yard never notified you? If so, they must have went to move it then discovered it was stolen yet they never even informed you? And months went by? There are probably signs everywhere in the yard denying responsibilty for everything and anything but that does not mean it's true. I'm not a lawdog or nuttin but I would take them to small claims. It doesn't cost much and they did screw you over to the extent that they did not do what you paid them to do. Good luck, Arturo the sailor.
Trailer theft
Unless your contract with the marina has some sort of "hold harmless" language in it, they are absolutely liable. It is called "bailment", they are the bailee and you are the bailor. The trailer was in their "care, custody, and control" while on their property as part of a business transaction with you. They probably have insurance coverage for this as well, as part of their business insurance package. If they give you any crap, don't hesitate to sue. You probably won't be able to get a lawyer to take the case because the amount of damages is (to them) too small. Take the marina to small claims court and get at least the maximum of $5000. (You would be amazed how a process server showing up at their office with a summons tends to make people more cooperative.) Also, all the "we are not responsible..." signs around the yard aren't worth the sheet metal they are printed on, when it comes to liabilty.
Unless your contract with the marina has some sort of "hold harmless" language in it, they are absolutely liable. It is called "bailment", they are the bailee and you are the bailor. The trailer was in their "care, custody, and control" while on their property as part of a business transaction with you. They probably have insurance coverage for this as well, as part of their business insurance package. If they give you any crap, don't hesitate to sue. You probably won't be able to get a lawyer to take the case because the amount of damages is (to them) too small. Take the marina to small claims court and get at least the maximum of $5000. (You would be amazed how a process server showing up at their office with a summons tends to make people more cooperative.) Also, all the "we are not responsible..." signs around the yard aren't worth the sheet metal they are printed on, when it comes to liabilty.
Sail Van
5 years ago we had a sail van loaded w/ 9 sails picked clean by a tow-truck right under the noses of the parking attendants at the Hammond Marina (Hammond Indiana). They watched as it was strapped on and pulled away; I guess if you look legit...you are. Police reports, search and follow up proved fruitless. A week later the same tow truck tried it again and this time they got popped. No way to connect to the previous theft (rats!) but this one gained them bar time. I still look for that white 1980 Ford F-150, 5-speed manual w/ brand new Firestones. They were probably the reason it was stolen. All we really wanted back was the sails. Insurance returned enough & to buy a new headsail. A real bummer...
5 years ago we had a sail van loaded w/ 9 sails picked clean by a tow-truck right under the noses of the parking attendants at the Hammond Marina (Hammond Indiana). They watched as it was strapped on and pulled away; I guess if you look legit...you are. Police reports, search and follow up proved fruitless. A week later the same tow truck tried it again and this time they got popped. No way to connect to the previous theft (rats!) but this one gained them bar time. I still look for that white 1980 Ford F-150, 5-speed manual w/ brand new Firestones. They were probably the reason it was stolen. All we really wanted back was the sails. Insurance returned enough & to buy a new headsail. A real bummer...
Discovered
the theft was discovered on a visit to head down, see if the boat was even stil in the water!, and assuming it was, put the cover on, drain any leftover water out, etc. the marina still didn't know (or at least, claims not to have known) that the trailer was gone - they told us they just put it on stands and hadn't gotten to putting it on the trailer. they never contacted us when the boat finally came out, nor about a missing trailer, though they did mention that someone else's trailer was reported stolen in december, as well as a number of trailers from the local public ramp. Funny..there's a cop at that ramp all summer long. I'll mention the ramp being the public ramp in Chesapeake city - don't ever leave anythign of value unattended in the parking lot!
the theft was discovered on a visit to head down, see if the boat was even stil in the water!, and assuming it was, put the cover on, drain any leftover water out, etc. the marina still didn't know (or at least, claims not to have known) that the trailer was gone - they told us they just put it on stands and hadn't gotten to putting it on the trailer. they never contacted us when the boat finally came out, nor about a missing trailer, though they did mention that someone else's trailer was reported stolen in december, as well as a number of trailers from the local public ramp. Funny..there's a cop at that ramp all summer long. I'll mention the ramp being the public ramp in Chesapeake city - don't ever leave anythign of value unattended in the parking lot!
I know God has
kept me from ever catching the thieves that have stole from me various times in my life, because I'd be the one in jail for murder !
kept me from ever catching the thieves that have stole from me various times in my life, because I'd be the one in jail for murder !
Recent Article in Latitude 38
....about props being pulled from dry-stored boats and wheels (steering). I suspect those are going to some recycler. I've only had a hose and a cheap BBQ (oh, and an expensive car cover) stolen from marinas in 36 years. Either lucky or thieves didn't think I had anything worth stealing (more likely). However, at our YC, someone stole a Yanmar diesel inboard from a trailered boat. Pretty ballzy! Rick D.
....about props being pulled from dry-stored boats and wheels (steering). I suspect those are going to some recycler. I've only had a hose and a cheap BBQ (oh, and an expensive car cover) stolen from marinas in 36 years. Either lucky or thieves didn't think I had anything worth stealing (more likely). However, at our YC, someone stole a Yanmar diesel inboard from a trailered boat. Pretty ballzy! Rick D.
Brian...
When I was in the business and would leave a trailer at a marina to have a customer's boat put on it, we'd put a hitch ball lock on it and give a key to the marina's service department. It not only insured the trailer remained there until needed, it also ensured that it would still be there with the customer's boat on it when we came to pick it up. Just one more step in making the marina responsible and liable...
When I was in the business and would leave a trailer at a marina to have a customer's boat put on it, we'd put a hitch ball lock on it and give a key to the marina's service department. It not only insured the trailer remained there until needed, it also ensured that it would still be there with the customer's boat on it when we came to pick it up. Just one more step in making the marina responsible and liable...
it amazes me...
...that there's so little theft in marinas. I could take a little stroll right now and help myself to tens of thousands of dollars worth of spinnaker poles, life rafts, m.o.b. units, epirbs, dinks, outboards, anchors and steering wheels without ever once needing to resort to a screwdriver or a pair of pliers. Yikes.
...that there's so little theft in marinas. I could take a little stroll right now and help myself to tens of thousands of dollars worth of spinnaker poles, life rafts, m.o.b. units, epirbs, dinks, outboards, anchors and steering wheels without ever once needing to resort to a screwdriver or a pair of pliers. Yikes.
Sorry to hear about this, Brian from Philly
I have left a trailered 19' Lightning in a mostly cleaned out boat yard I was wintered in with my 27' Tartan and was worried about people with a towing hitch coming in and taking it out while I was away. I hope you put a chain and lock through some part of the trailer to secure it although a determined thief could have a bolt smasher. Sad times, and the best you can do is to leave as little of your equipment and gear vulnerable to theft AND degradation by the environment. Sorry to hear about this though. Did you have an alternate place for storing the newly built trailer other than the marina? Does the trailer have a VIN plate (or did it)? Maybe a good description or photo of the new trailer would help the police and others. Thievery is against the law for good reason.
I have left a trailered 19' Lightning in a mostly cleaned out boat yard I was wintered in with my 27' Tartan and was worried about people with a towing hitch coming in and taking it out while I was away. I hope you put a chain and lock through some part of the trailer to secure it although a determined thief could have a bolt smasher. Sad times, and the best you can do is to leave as little of your equipment and gear vulnerable to theft AND degradation by the environment. Sorry to hear about this though. Did you have an alternate place for storing the newly built trailer other than the marina? Does the trailer have a VIN plate (or did it)? Maybe a good description or photo of the new trailer would help the police and others. Thievery is against the law for good reason.
File a claim with your insurance
company and let them fight with the marina and determine blame. The problem with taking them to court is collection. Even if you win, you only have a piece of paper that says you won.......what then. Are you savvy enough in the legal system to force payment is they choose to not pay? Are you willing to spend more money after the judgement to collect the money due? It is a hassle. If there is no insurance,I would, first, approach the marina (boatyard) and ask them what their intentions are as to their liability; second, send a registered demand letter for all the damages (money lost); third, while the time is elapsing, contact the Sheriff's department (civil claims division) to find out what remedies you have should you take them to court; and lastly, file a claim with the proper court. If they are so lax as to have a trailer stolen from their property, I would suspect that they have a great deal of court experience. Jim p.s. Get your boat out of their yard befor taking any type of action or they will hold it for ransome by charging extraordinary fees for storage and services that will offset whatever judgement you are awarded.
company and let them fight with the marina and determine blame. The problem with taking them to court is collection. Even if you win, you only have a piece of paper that says you won.......what then. Are you savvy enough in the legal system to force payment is they choose to not pay? Are you willing to spend more money after the judgement to collect the money due? It is a hassle. If there is no insurance,I would, first, approach the marina (boatyard) and ask them what their intentions are as to their liability; second, send a registered demand letter for all the damages (money lost); third, while the time is elapsing, contact the Sheriff's department (civil claims division) to find out what remedies you have should you take them to court; and lastly, file a claim with the proper court. If they are so lax as to have a trailer stolen from their property, I would suspect that they have a great deal of court experience. Jim p.s. Get your boat out of their yard befor taking any type of action or they will hold it for ransome by charging extraordinary fees for storage and services that will offset whatever judgement you are awarded.
Bold Thieves
The Scout Camp where I work (and sail) during the summer months lost a 14 foot aluminum rowboat with a 3.3 Mercury outboard during the middle of a week last summer when all of the staff and 240 scouts were in camp. Apparently the thieves came into our waterfront area at daybreak, untied the boat from the dock, started the motor and drove it away. Unfortunately, the waterfront staff did not report the boat missing until late in the day, and the scout campers who observed the theft did not realize what was happening. Our camp is on a small reservoir that is popular with fishermen and I suspect the object of the theft was the outboard motor. Neither boat nor motor has been seen since that day. We now remove the motors from our boats when we are not using them.
The Scout Camp where I work (and sail) during the summer months lost a 14 foot aluminum rowboat with a 3.3 Mercury outboard during the middle of a week last summer when all of the staff and 240 scouts were in camp. Apparently the thieves came into our waterfront area at daybreak, untied the boat from the dock, started the motor and drove it away. Unfortunately, the waterfront staff did not report the boat missing until late in the day, and the scout campers who observed the theft did not realize what was happening. Our camp is on a small reservoir that is popular with fishermen and I suspect the object of the theft was the outboard motor. Neither boat nor motor has been seen since that day. We now remove the motors from our boats when we are not using them.
I would say...
that it is Marinas fault... however with no lock on it... it is probaby your fault (insurance dudes will say) as it wasn't secured/locked. It will be a finger pointing thing to the end. I am quite sure you will not be able to replace the trailer with what they will settle on. Good luck dealing with that one. You can't win with insurance.
that it is Marinas fault... however with no lock on it... it is probaby your fault (insurance dudes will say) as it wasn't secured/locked. It will be a finger pointing thing to the end. I am quite sure you will not be able to replace the trailer with what they will settle on. Good luck dealing with that one. You can't win with insurance.
Unique trailer
Thanks for all the info, we realize that it's going to be an insurance battle. Owning an automotive repair shop, once time a few years ago when some vandals came in and spraypainted numerous cars and smashed some windhsields, our shop ended up contracting out the repairs, and our insurance covered it. Theft and vandalism tend to be under the same clause? In any case, we're in a little squeeze. So far, they haven't mention charges for storage in the yard...but getting it moved ends up costing a heft chunk of fabbing a new trailer. The problem of ID'ing it- it did have some strange suspension features - namely that it sits on only 2 of the 3 axles when unloaded. Also I dont know how many boat trailers have two 40 foot long aluminum I-beams with a nice smooth bend to form the A where the coupling is. Though I have no idea where to begin looking for it.
Thanks for all the info, we realize that it's going to be an insurance battle. Owning an automotive repair shop, once time a few years ago when some vandals came in and spraypainted numerous cars and smashed some windhsields, our shop ended up contracting out the repairs, and our insurance covered it. Theft and vandalism tend to be under the same clause? In any case, we're in a little squeeze. So far, they haven't mention charges for storage in the yard...but getting it moved ends up costing a heft chunk of fabbing a new trailer. The problem of ID'ing it- it did have some strange suspension features - namely that it sits on only 2 of the 3 axles when unloaded. Also I dont know how many boat trailers have two 40 foot long aluminum I-beams with a nice smooth bend to form the A where the coupling is. Though I have no idea where to begin looking for it.
I've been lucky...I've had nothing stolen...
I agree with John Farnswoth. People are very lax in protecting their marine property. A simple kill switch or even a chain and a lock or leaving our diesel with the decompression levers engaged could prevent some thefts.
I agree with John Farnswoth. People are very lax in protecting their marine property. A simple kill switch or even a chain and a lock or leaving our diesel with the decompression levers engaged could prevent some thefts.
Brian: I would start then
By visiting all your local scrap metel recylers. There is rampent theft of copper brass and aluminum going on, as its quick for sure money. Scrap dealears are not required to verify anything ID wise of any one brining in scrap. They just buy it. We lost 3500.00 in copper and brass water line fittings last fall. The Sheriff told me thieves are ripping out whole runs of wire out of new construction, running up into the sticks somewhere and burnning off the insulation, then taking it in for cash. They caught a couple doing it here recently homming in on the plume of black smoke. The fittings I lost were anywhere between 15 and 60 dollors each. They might have gotten what $1 per pound so maybe 100 bucks. Anyway the scrap yards are in the know about this problum but could care less. Some kid bringing in 70 to 80 brand new brass 1 to 2" compression fittings worth 3000.00 !!... didnt come buy them ligitimently thats for sure and they know it. Two of our local scrap dealers would not even return my repeated calls. So if you have the time go in person, bring a picture of the trailer to show them and tell them to grt a licence plate number and call the cops if parts of it start showing up, and also update your poliece report you made about the posibility of thoes two I beams showing up at some recylers. One of my suppliers told me that they have had their own forklifts used to smash thru fences to get at the copper pipe and wire they wanted to steal. These "Crack Head" thieves trully have brass balls!! Good Luck, I hope this helps. And I hope you find it..
By visiting all your local scrap metel recylers. There is rampent theft of copper brass and aluminum going on, as its quick for sure money. Scrap dealears are not required to verify anything ID wise of any one brining in scrap. They just buy it. We lost 3500.00 in copper and brass water line fittings last fall. The Sheriff told me thieves are ripping out whole runs of wire out of new construction, running up into the sticks somewhere and burnning off the insulation, then taking it in for cash. They caught a couple doing it here recently homming in on the plume of black smoke. The fittings I lost were anywhere between 15 and 60 dollors each. They might have gotten what $1 per pound so maybe 100 bucks. Anyway the scrap yards are in the know about this problum but could care less. Some kid bringing in 70 to 80 brand new brass 1 to 2" compression fittings worth 3000.00 !!... didnt come buy them ligitimently thats for sure and they know it. Two of our local scrap dealers would not even return my repeated calls. So if you have the time go in person, bring a picture of the trailer to show them and tell them to grt a licence plate number and call the cops if parts of it start showing up, and also update your poliece report you made about the posibility of thoes two I beams showing up at some recylers. One of my suppliers told me that they have had their own forklifts used to smash thru fences to get at the copper pipe and wire they wanted to steal. These "Crack Head" thieves trully have brass balls!! Good Luck, I hope this helps. And I hope you find it..
Cherubini 44 thefts
The 44 cutter we had was a target at Castle Harbor in Delran NJ nearly the whole time we had it. The toll included 4 (that's right, FOUR) bronze Barlow self-tailing winches on two separate events plus the drums only off the big ones because the thieves could not figure out how to detach the rest of them. Obviously at 6.00 a pound these were scrapped. I suspected local (motorboat) dock rats. The tabs were picked up by Warren Luhrs because the boat was not insured. More recently at the Cherubini yard I have lost two tarps, a can of hole saws, my newly-made white-spruce compression post, a caulking gun, and the worst wooden stepladder in the whole place... but these are obviously because of brethren there and I will have to settle it over beer at McCrossen's.
The 44 cutter we had was a target at Castle Harbor in Delran NJ nearly the whole time we had it. The toll included 4 (that's right, FOUR) bronze Barlow self-tailing winches on two separate events plus the drums only off the big ones because the thieves could not figure out how to detach the rest of them. Obviously at 6.00 a pound these were scrapped. I suspected local (motorboat) dock rats. The tabs were picked up by Warren Luhrs because the boat was not insured. More recently at the Cherubini yard I have lost two tarps, a can of hole saws, my newly-made white-spruce compression post, a caulking gun, and the worst wooden stepladder in the whole place... but these are obviously because of brethren there and I will have to settle it over beer at McCrossen's.
Street lights too
A couple of years ago thieves in Baltimore, MD were stealing the street lights for the aluminum. Now that's gutsy. In other areas of the country there were also incidents of thieves stealing power lines out of electrical sub stations at industrial complexes. Some got away with it, some got caught, some got fried. Scrap metal is worth big bucks. Now where is that guy with the aluminum hull???
A couple of years ago thieves in Baltimore, MD were stealing the street lights for the aluminum. Now that's gutsy. In other areas of the country there were also incidents of thieves stealing power lines out of electrical sub stations at industrial complexes. Some got away with it, some got caught, some got fried. Scrap metal is worth big bucks. Now where is that guy with the aluminum hull???
- Status