Drug Bust

E

El and Bill

New member
For those of you who were aware of the theft of our trailer from the long-term storage lot at Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham - it has been recovered - somewhat modified with fenders, plate, and guides gone but otherwise fine. Cops made a drug bust, saw a big boat on a small trailer, checked, and although vin number gone they identified it, crooks caught both with drugs and trailer, we took back possession yesterday. Our newly ordered trailer (after old one stolen) arrived at the C-Sport dealer's yesterday.

Now the coincidence - got a pm, yesterday morning, from a fellow C-brat who coincidently commented that they would consider going to Powell this fall if they had a double axle trailer - long story short - So cancelled the insurance claim, and the stolen trailer is now in their 'back yard,' and we have 'upgraded' our trailer-all's well that ends well.
 
wow
So, was the big boat on the small trailer stolen also?????
it is good to hear that the powers that bee were on top of this.
 
Bill and El,

I didn't realize that your trailer was stolen from the long term parking area.
Was your trailer hooked to your pickup and did you have a lock on the coupler?

We left our truck and trailer parked in the paved parking lot for one week while
we were cruising in the San Juans last September. I can remember how relieved
I was to see our truck and trailer parked right where we left it and nothing was disturbed. We were planning to drive up to Bellingham from Colorado Springs in September to cruise the San Juans. Now the wife and I are freaking out about parking at Squalicum. Just the thought of driving 1500 miles to leave my pickup and tandem axle trailer with electric winch parked in an unsecure parking
lot is very disconcerting. From what we've heard Squalicum was supposedly
one of the more secure areas to leave our rigs parked. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Mike
 
El and Bill-

Glad you got this problem "resolved"! Too bad some parts were missing! :amgry

Maybe we need a thread regarding ways to secure one's trailer and tow rig when leaving it parked while cruising?

On second thought, there is no mechanical way to absolutely prevent a theft with determined thieves and time to operate, so the second focus would be on how to determine how safe a situation is.

Insurance is always the final answer, of course, to recover your financial loss in the end.

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Sea Wolf":24jwvoio said:
El and Bill-
Maybe we need a thread regarding ways to secure one's trailer and tow rig when leaving it parked while cruising?
Joe. :teeth :thup
Click to expand...

I have a few good solutions to the problem, however in an effort to "just be nice", I won't delve into my thoughts about the punishment that should be dealt out to the scumbags that commit these acts of unkindness! :mrgreen:
 
hello dotnmarty,
just to throw in my two cents most homeowner policies extend special limits on personal property. for example, coverage up to $2000 for watercraft, including their trailers, whether licensed or not, furnishings, equipment and outboard motors, (engines being the correct term).
always like to stir the pot.
best regards
pat
 
So Pat, if it's covered under both policies, what's the protocol for submitting a claim? I guess I would just go to my agent and let him/her sort it out.
Thanks, MartyP
 
Marty, Good question
"What insurance covers the trailer;boat, car, or homeowners?. I should know this, but... :
Click to expand...
I guess I need to look into that as well, Will have to check with the Farmer's. Don't think Mr Smith or Mr. Wesson will have that answer, They just think it comes under their jurisdiction.

Glad you brought it up.

BTW, Bill and El, Did your new tires come back too? Glad that the LE folks were keeping their eyes peeled.

Harvey
SleepyC[/b]
 
Many Brats have left their trailers and tow vehicles at Squalicum with no problem. Check with Ruth and Joe of R-Matey for the best information but I personally would have no concerns about leaving my rig there.
 
The trick is to make your property harder to steal than the next guys. When we leave our rig up there next month I will put a chain through the wheels and around the frame and lock it.
Can this chain be defeated? Yes. Will it make the trailer harder to steal than the next guys. Yes.
Will I rember to remove it before I move the trailer? Dunno. :embarrased
 
Roger - We don't know anything about the big boat but it didn't look like a boat you'd steal. Mike - I wouldn't worry about Squalicum - we would leave our truck and trailer here anytime. Simply back up the trailer to a place where it can't be moved backwards from the truck - we had a good lock on the hitch but that's easy to cut, the police said. Our problem was leaving the trailer in the lot unhooked from the truck when we were n town provisioning- without the truck 'pinning' the trailer onto the lot, the thieves could cut lock bolt, hotwire the brakes, and be gone before we returned.

The police regularly patrol the lots here, day and night, but the thieves probably had the lot staked.

Insurance? We have BoatUS and they were great - now with the trailer back we will not be making a claim- they were figuring on replacement value for the loss. So, I wouldn't have any concern about leaving the boat here - the trailer simply met a couple of bums and they could be anywhere - the police were great, solved the theft, and insurance company great.
 
First off, it was great to meet you @ Bellingham. I heard about your trailer theft there. I am VERY HAPPY it was recovered. Hopefully, the scumbags responsible will have the proper punishment/consequences for their actions aka be held responsible.

I must also agree that the only defense is to make it as hard as possible to steal. Thieves (more accurately, dopers) are no different than wolves or lions; they prey on the weak. (At least animals to it for survival. Humans do it for "other reasons"). Make it hard and they'll pick on someone else. They are, after all, lazy thieves.

I must say I agree with Dave. I could easily come up with a "suitable" punishment but it wouldn't be "just be nice".
 
Milehog wrote:

The trick is to make your property harder to steal than the next guys.
Click to expand...

I agree. Soon after I purchased Antibody and trailer, I headed to the Army Surplus Store in Mystic Sea Port, CT. They had a United States Coast Guard license plate holder (all official looking and everything right down to the same font and color).

So, I thought...hmmm, this "could", in fact, help to deter "others" (including "other" law enforcement "types") from thinking of issuing me a ticket, or towing my trailer, or whatever (do thieves think of the possible consequences of federal law versus local law?). :twisted:

Well, I like it anyways :mrgreen:
 
Ell and Bill... so glad to hear that you got your trailer situation resolved. There goes that serendipity thing again - as usual everything worked out well. :)

Stacy and I had a great time with you guys in Naniamo.

Jan
 
Soooo glad your trailer was recovered! It's nice to hear a happy ending for a change.

The license plate frame is a nice idea, but dirtbags do not give a crap about it. Our property was hit in June. Boat, truck, garage, and carport storage room. We live in a nice neighborhood with zero crime. The fact that I am in the CG and have window decals and other stuff on the truck and in the boat barn and boat itself didn't slow them down.

For those who think insurance covers whatever, think again. You'd better call your insurance company and ask the "what if" questions. It was an enlightening experience to say the least.

I think I'll start a new thread dedicated to it so as not to hijack this one.

Rick
 
good morning marty,
great question! and the answer depends on the situation.
the homeowners policy extends coverage to personal items, away from the home, example, clothing, radios, fishing gear and the like, as well as smaller, outboard driven boats and there trailer, but only to the extent of $2000. or thereabout.
first claim would be submitted to the boat policy carrier. if they fail to pay for all losses then a follow up claim would be submitted to the homeowners policy, making a full discloser regarding the first claim against the boat policy. i'm not certain but believe there is a limit on size of outboard driven boat, probably under 16', just an educated guess. looked in the policy and can't find a figure.
i recently had a boater file a homeowners loss for damaged personal items in his vehicle, which was parked at the river shore, during a weekend camping/fishing trip. the dam operator opened the gates and raised the river level approx 3 to 4 feet. this caused the vehicle to flood. the homeowners policy denied coverage because the damage was caused by flooding and flooding is an excluded peril under the homeowner policy. he was pissed, but got over it as he was not eligible for flood insurance under any plan due to his residence location.
hope this helps.
pat
 
El and Bill,

Thanks to You and other C-brats for responding to my concerns on parking at Squalicum. I will indeed try to back the trailer and truck so as to block rear egress
for the bad guys. In addition to locking the receiver to the truck and using a coupler/hitch lock I will probably run hardened chain through the wheels and around the frame to hopefully discourage the bad guys. I didn't realize that the Bellingham PD patrolled the parking lots.

Thanks,
Mike
 
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