Stolen - Suzuki DF70 (2012)

[jimbojambo]

How do,

I was absolutely horrified to find my RIB moved on my driveway yesterday morning (despite being clamped on one side, and up on an axle stand on the other with the wheel removed) and my as-new DF70 outboard had been stolen overnight on Sunday. Control cables, wiring and fuel hose hacked through with what looked like bolt croppers, locking nut removed and no outboard. Just a pile of bolts, washers and nuts left in the gravel. I cannot describe the feeling I had when I saw this, I have only had the boat for a month. Feeling sick is an understatement!!

The boat was reversed right up to the garage door, so the outboard was pretty much touching it and fully lowered, my car was parked next to the boat as to stop access for an engine lift but I suspect a van was used to drag the boat forward a few feet with a rope, then 4 or so men removed the engine manually, scratched my car when dragging it away and had it in the back of a van. Must have taken some time though but my neighbours did not see anything either.

Serial number is 07003F-111040, which has been reported to a Suzuki authorised dealer to distribute and get black listed.

I'm not sure I could have done much more to deter / secure it but, as the Suzuki dealer said yesterday, all you are doing is slowing down the job. If they are intent, they will normally go through with it. Even if it means taking a chainsaw to the transom!

For info the boat was on a driveway in Cheltenham. I do not wish this on anyone else so please do all you can to stop these b*****ds getting yours as well.

Will post pictures later. Insurers contacted and 10 page statement put in with 14 photos.

Absolutely gutted!!! Was due to be moored in Portishead Marina in 2 weeks

[Crusher]

Gutted for you Jimbo, can't imagine how gutt wrenching that must be..........
Just one idea to consider for the future, particularly if you are slightly handy at all is CCTV,
A simple 2 camera system with good quality image and hard drive that will record for a month is less than £200 these days....

Hope your insurance pay out in full and quickly and you get the boat on the water real soon

[Chris]

Originally Posted by jimbojambo

For info the boat was on a driveway in Cheltenham

Probably some dodgy Gloucester tosser !

[jimbojambo]

Cheers Crusher. Great point and something to certainly take onboard (excuse the pun) next time it's on my drive. I just hope the insurers cough up properly - it had less than 35 hours on it

[SteveHall]

Really sorry for you, I can only guess what this would feel like - worrying though as I plan on getting mine out of storage this weekend to get ready for the season, and leave on my drive over night... I know I am miles away from you, but these people travel...

Just a quick question - What security did you have on the outboard? (Can’t see any on the photo when all was fine?) How have you proved that the security was fitted? As thats another worry for me - them saying that nothing was fitted and then not paying out.

[Ovey]

I'm really sorry to hear your news, I hope it gets returned/replaced soon.

I know it's not much consolation, but recently there have been a couple outboard thefts involving a chainsaw and butchered transom, so fingers crossed it all gets sorted and you can get back on the water with a new motor on the back soon.

I keep mine on my driveway too - but it's tucked well out of the way between the neighbours garage and my side fence, so is hard to see, let alone get to. I also have dogs and live in a small cul-de-sac so hopefully that's enough to deter any would be thieves, but I have toyed with the idea of CCTV as suggested above.

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by Chris

Probably some dodgy Gloucester tosser !

Is there another type?

[Barrowboy]

Can't begin to imagine how crushing that feeling would be and can't help thinking that there by the grace of god go all of us. You appear to have taken every sensible precaution and yet still the pond scum have it away.

When I bought my rib it had a Yamaha engine lock on it but no keys and it took me 30 mins to remove with a lump hammer and chisel, creating plenty of noise in the process. Admitedly, I'm no expert in this but I was impressed and bought exactly the same type of lock after I'd completed the work on the hull and re-attached the engine.

I also took a photo of it fitted (which is automatically date stamped) and sent it to my insurance company and obviously kept the receipt, serial number, etc.

I hope your insurance company behave professionally. As you say, it had very low hours on it but it's the complete bugg3ration factor of the whole thing that's a PITA.

Hope you get back on the water soon.

[jimbojambo]

Thanks for the support and notes chaps (and chappesses?!)

The first photo was one taken from before I bought it, but I fitted a McGard Outboard Lock (m12), which replaces one of the nuts on the back of the transom. You simply take off an existing nut, ensure the thread is clean, coat in threadlock, tighten the locking nut by hand until it spins, then insert the key, and crank up to the correct torque with a torque wrench. Simple enough to fit and I have no idea how the swines got it off without making a mess/noise.

The insurance company have asked for an invoice for the lock, which I kept safe (and have all the rest of the papers that came with the delivery) so I've sent them all across. I've also got pictures of the lock itself lying in the driveway after the theft, so hopefully that helps. It has a few scratches on it now so it has been gripped with some kind of grips.

Interestingly, the ratchet strap that held the boat to the trailer was burned into 2 pieces with what looks like a blow torch. I would have thought a Stanley knife would have been far easier (or just undoing it!) - so maybe some kind of heat was applied to the nut. There are no scorch marks on the boat, but the nut was on the engine side, so would have shielded it from heat if that was part of the technique applied. I don't know why else they would have used a blow torch to cut the strap, so maybe they were using it on the lock and thought "I'll quickly burn through this strap whilst I have the torch lit"...

What a week.

I saved up for this boat for over 2.5 years and it really stings.

[SteveHall]

I can only guess how you feel mate, I would be the same - I myself saved up years for the boat, got a little on loan and a little from the sale of my old RIB.

You have got me worrying - Ive mailed my insurance company to check everything over - my lock was fitted when i got the boat, so I havent got any recipts...

I hope the insurance company pay up! And its all sorted before the season kicks off!

[Ovey]

+1 for the lock being fitted when I bought the boat! I'd better take more photos! I already have photos of the wheel lock and the hitch lock, but I didn't think to photo the motor lock.

Incidentally, when I got the boat I got a bunch of keys with it. The key with the same badge on it as the lock (a Yamaha lock) doesn't seem to fit the lock at all - and the keyhole is rotated to the bottom of the lock with no play in the lock to rotate it round for me to get a proper look!

[Crew2]

Gutted for you!

Might be worth registering your loss on www.immobilise.com - a national database that police and second-hand traders can use to check items. Another something useful is www.smartwater.com - "The liquid carries a forensic ‘code’ which is registered to an address or location. Once applied it is almost impossible to remove and can only be seen under UV light. Forensic analysis provides conclusive proof of ownership."

Good luck with the insurance, let us know how you get on.

[Ovey]

There's also this one which is boat specific for lost/stolen boats/engines:

StolenBoats.org.uk :: Free directory of Stolen Boats :: Boat Insurance :: Marine Security

It's linked to the Police and is a national database of stolen items.

[kerny]

Sorry to hear that mate, you must be gutted. I'm sure all will go well with your insurance claim as you took all the security measures needed.

[Chris Caton]

that's another t shirt I've got, our Honda 150 was stolen a few years ago when less than 12 months old, it had just been serviced so we had all the service records and photos etc to show insurance assessor, they paid out in full fairly quickly and we got a brand new replacement, so there is some hope for you to get a decent payout to replace your engine. One thing I did learn from the experience, the insurance assessor was very keen to know that we had kept the insurance company informed of where the rib was, even if it's left with a dealer for service overnight etc as it's your insurance that the claim is made against, not the dealers, worth bearing in mind!

[kerny]

I would have thought that the claim would be against the dealer Chris.
I suppose you could leave your locking devices with the dealer but you yourself could never prove that they were fitted or not if it ever got knicked or damaged while at the dealers or boat yard.

Also made me think that when we leave our trailers with Chris at Ty Calch because we are tractor launched we can't fit the hitch and wheel clamps. So are we covered for theft or is it down to Chris's insurance

[HUMBER P4VWL]

As many locks as you can but get a tracker too.

You can go and get it then......

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by kerny

I would have thought that the claim would be against the dealer Chris.
I suppose you could leave your locking devices with the dealer but you yourself could never prove that they were fitted or not if it ever got knicked or damaged while at the dealers or boat yard.

Also made me think that when we leave our trailers with Chris at Ty Calch because we are tractor launched we can't fit the hitch and wheel clamps. So are we covered for theft or is it down to Chris's insurance

assessor told me that they wanted to see evidence that the required locking devices where fitted, but it's up to you to make the insurance aware of any changes to the insured details, including storage even if temporary, such as servicing/repair, I've done it ever since by email and I always get an acknowledgement by email, so I'm guessing that's want they want. but the claim was definitely against my policy, I'm sure if the insurer thought they could pass it on to the dealers insurance they would have done so, maybe worth the question next time you book in for service etc, better safe than sorry

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

As many locks as you can but get a tracker too.

You can go and get it then......

I asked about a tracker, wasn't a requirement of the policy and no discount, so I haven't gone down that route, but guess there are some options on new engines now so may be worth it for peace of mind

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Little discount but be good to get them, especially if a ring of people doing a series of thefts.

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

Little discount but be good to get them, especially if a ring of people doing a series of thefts.

trouble is it's a bit like trackers on cars etc, them slime bags know where they are fitted n just rip them out n chuck em over a hedge