Stolen Boat

[four winns 214]

My 2002 Four Winns deckboat was stolen from the locked storage building at our small farm property in western Kentucky. The State Police have all the appropriate numbers. The property hasn?t been touched in the 20 years since my mother-in-law died. We do not live on the property. Neighbors keep a close watch on the place. My suspicion is that an out-of-state building crew working down the road saw that the farm house wasn?t occupied and decided to burglarize the property before they left. They also broke into the well house and there were signs that they were going to break into the farm house, but for some reason didn?t.

The boat was winterized and outdrive was down. The dumb thieves pulled the boat out with the drive down and left a gouge in the gravel drive 10 feet long and two inches deep in the rise leading to the storage building. I?ll bet the at least the props on the duo-prop drive are trash from hitting the pavement at every rise and dip in the road.

My question: Besides the efforts of law enforcement, what more can I do to try to recover the boat? The local deputy sheriff thinks the boat is still in the county. I think it left the state the night it was stolen.

 

[David Young]

The Deputy might have an ideal on who stole your boat, give them time. Do you have insurance on the boat? If so, talk to them.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Man that just sucks. I might search the websites looking for a similar boat for sale, it might be yours. Thieves aren't the brightest and obviously these idiots don't know boats dragging the lower end across the country. I hope it was insured. Good luck.

 

[oldrem]

Will probably be on craigslist soon - hope you get it back

 

[jaggededge]

Saturate social media with a description. Might surprise you who might have seen it passing on the roads somewhere. I know I remember noticing outboards and I.O's on the highway with the prop down. Even flagged one down who was grinding his skeg off.

 

[four winns 214]

The boat was insured. The State Police have issued a press release with a photo of the boat asking if anyone has seen it. They also watch Craigslist and social media. There are other tools they use that flags the various numbers. I fly for a living. I’m going to rent a C-172 at the local airport and fly around the county with a couple of observers to hunt for the boat. I’d really like to catch these punks.

The boat?s trailer has a detachable tongue. When I put the boat in the storage building, I always pull the tongue and store the attach hardware in a separate place. I didn?’t do this a couple weeks ago because I knew I was coming back to the farm and would need to move the boat. Just my luck.

 

[ziggy]

The boat?s trailer has a detachable tongue. When I put the boat in the storage building, I always pull the tongue and store the attach hardware in a separate place. I didn??t do this a couple weeks ago because I knew I was coming back to the farm and would need to move the boat. Just my luck

that is a bummer. sounds like you had for sight against theft and got hosed for a moment of lack of security in lieu of ease of access. however. could this be a clue to the creaton thief. anyone else know you had yer detachable tongue installed at that time? knowing it was ready to tow?
just a thought. sure hope ya get yer boat back...

 

[redneck joe]

Find out who the building crew was,

 

[four winns 214]

....could this be a clue to the creaton thief. anyone else know you had yer detachable tongue installed at that time? knowing it was ready to tow?..

I don?t think so. Just some lucky stupid punks.

 

[alldodge]

Most likely it was by someone local who knew the boat was there. I would post a pic and Lic numbers so maybe someone here may spot it

 

[82rude]

Check local dumps also.Theres a good chance the outdrive and motor were seperated and sold off quickly and the boat disposed of.Boat thieves should be hung from the nearest yardarm.

 

[Silvertip]

Although this is of little consolation, back in the 70's I had an apartment dweller friend of mine had two snowmobiles stolen. They were chained to the trailer. Trailer chained to a parking lot light pole, and the wheels locked with car spring leafs through the wheel slots and locked. Skidding tire tracks led the police to a suburb alley where they found the trailer with two flat tires and minus the sleds. Law enforcement indicated the sleds were probably in upstate New York or out west the next day or two. Never recovered. Bad people tend to make hard working fun loving people miserable with actions like this. Probably needed to feed the drug or alcohol habit.

 

[dwco5051]

Probably needed to feed the drug or alcohol habit.

Around my part of the country meth-heads steal copper, heroin addicts rob convenience stores and alcoholics steal from the family grocery money. This seems to be someone who knew what they were getting and how to turn a profit from it.

 

[jkust]

That's a bummer. Someone got their brand new pontoon stolen on the trailer before they even put it in the water by us this past summer. No sign of it..it was gone like a ghost. Boat theft is more rare in my state by far than in some southern states where it's not as unheard of. Glad it was insured.

 

[89retta]

This happened 2 months ago. All boats were recovered. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/calmar-wizard-lake-marine-boat-theft-1.4289636

 

[Old Ironmaker]

We live in the highest auto theft County in Canada. Once your car/boat/truck/ATV/Sled/trailer/tractor/bike or wheelbarrow is stolen here it is gone. The OPP here give you a case file number and go on to giving the next guy their case file number. There is zero investigation.

Mod EDIT: Content removed

If a high end vehicle it's out of the Province the same day, if not it's chopped the same day. If your thieves were pros you will never see the boat again unfortunately.

At least your theft is being investigated, consider yourself lucky and with some luck you never know especially if they are amateurs

Mod EDIT: Content removed

 

[southkogs]

That's a crumby Thanksgiving trick! :mad2: I've done a bit of SAR work from 182s if you want some pointers ... or aircrew.

If you're not near Land Between the Lakes, that's where I'd start the lookin'. If you can find out where that crew was from, I'd press the company a little to check into what the guys might know.

Good news is that the boat won't likely be parted out as much as someone will try using it. Hopefully that'll help it pop up on the radar.

 

[four winns 214]

I got a call from the Kentucky State Police this afternoon. The boat was found abandoned in a corn field in Pułaski County, Illinois about 45 minutes north of where it was stolen in western Kentucky. Right now it is awaiting forensic processing by the Illinois State Police. I don?t have a clue as to its condition.

 

[oldrem]

I got a call from the Kentucky State Police this afternoon. The boat was found abandoned in a corn field in Pułaski County, Illinois about 45 minutes north of where it was stolen in western Kentucky. Right now it is awaiting forensic processing by the Illinois State Police. I don’t have a clue as to its condition.

At least that's some good news. Hope it goes well for you

 

[sogood]

I've been following this thread and am delighted to hear that your boat has been recovered. As above, I hope all is well and that you get back out on the water before too long. Despite the fact that Ireland is not a crime free country, I'm fortunate to live in a very quiet practically "crime free" area. I moved from Dublin, the capital city, about 15 years ago and the difference is like black and white. I got tired of having cars and property vandalised and/or stolen etc. etc.
Anyway, that's another story.....................

Just happy to hear your good news.