Enjoy your boat? It's likely thief would, too
Thefts are up nearly 40 percent over last year around Tampa Bay.
By NICOLE HUTCHESON, Times Staff Writer
Published October 6, 2007
Michael Platt isn't used to being the victim.
The 55-year-old has spent decades working as a cop, most recently as a captain for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. So it was a bit of a shock in July when he went to check on his 27-foot fishing boat in a dry dock at Madeira Beach Marina and found it missing.
"It was just gone. It just disappeared," said Platt, who lives in Seminole. "They cut the locks off and just drove out of there."
His Contender Sports Fishing Boat, with its two 250-horsepower motors and a top speed of 60 mph, was perfect for offshore fishing and handling rough waves. Those qualities also made it desirable for thieves.
"Go-fast" boats like Platt's are the hottest ticket on the black market these days. Across the state, criminals are scooping up the high-priced vessels from marina parking lots, docks and back yards.
So far this year, more than 1,200 boats have been stolen statewide - that's 30 percent more than the same period last year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. By comparison, the number of boats on the water increased by less than 2 percent during the same period.
In the Tampa Bay area, boat thefts are up even more. Nearly 200 boats have been taken in the area, about 40 percent more than last year at this time.
"In the last year, there's been a recognized problem," said Lt. John Humphreys of the FWC, which tracks thefts statewide. "And it's a problem touching every part of Florida."
In South Florida, authorities say the problem is fueled by the smuggling of illegal immigrants or drugs. Here, authorities suspect a large number of boats are taken to chop shops and sold for parts.
In both places, the boat of choice seems to be from 26 to 30 feet long, capable of hauling a large number of people at high speeds with a larger fuel tank.
Just like Platt's.
"I was always more worried about it burning or sinking," said Platt, who has yet to find his $140,000 boat. "I never thought about it being stolen,"
That's part of the problem, authorities say. Boat owners aren't aware of their vulnerability. For the most part, boats are built modularly, so parts can be replaced easily. Unlike automobiles, individual boat parts aren't always labeled with identification numbers.
"Outboard motors are easily removed, the electronic range finders and depth finders ... they're all very expensive and highly sought after," said Pinellas County sheriff's Sgt. Charles Degenhardt. "The value that these things get is driving this."
Big business
Boats are big business in Florida, legally and illegally.
The marine industry is considered an $18-billion a year industry in the state. And Florida has the most registered vessels in the country - more than 960,000.
But what's also lucrative, authorities say, is an increasingly active human smuggling and drug route, one that continues to creep closer to the Tampa Bay area.
To get from Fort Myers to Key West is about 90 miles on the water, said Rodney Barreto, chairman of the FWC. Many boats that are stolen on the state's east coast are brought to the west coast and serve as a jump off point for illegal operations.
"You're looking at 180 miles in a single trip, potentially. If they have enough fuel, they can go," said Barreto, who has been vocal about the need for boat owners to take better precautions against theft.
Barreto should know.
Just last month, his 36- foot Contender was stolen from his Key Largo home.
The thieves cut the stainless steal cable, let it drop 12 feet from its cradle and jammed the ignition with keys until the engine started, he said.
The boat was found hours later in a shallow area of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, less than 2 miles from Barreto's home. A bag of chips and two 50-gallon drums of fuel were the only things found on board.
"The message here is we need to relook at how we secure our boats and take better precautions," Barreto said.
Local issues
While the FWC serves as a clearinghouse for information on statewide thefts, it's left largely up to local law enforcement agencies to patrol and investigate such crimes.
And while the problem of boat thefts has reached record numbers, local agencies generally don't focus on being proactive about boat thefts.
"If you go to a sheriff's office you can always find someone dedicated to car theft," Humphreys said. "But it's difficult to find anything parallel to that in the boating or marine industry."
Compounding the problem is the stealth and random nature of the crimes.
Authorities can't patrol at-risk areas because hot spots are uncommon. They also can't target boats on the road at odd hours of the night.
"You see a boat going down the road at 3 a.m., it's not unusual because when people are going deep sea fishing, they hit the water pretty early," Degenhardt said.
For now, the message of caution to boat owners seems to be the best bet.
"When I got my boat back, I put a kill switch on it and I'm securing my boat to the lift now with a chain that can't be cut," Barreto said. "I hate to do that, but that's the price you pay to live in paradise."
Nicole Hutcheson can be reached at nhutcheson@sptimes.com or 727893-8828.
By the numbers
Stolen boats
County Boats stolen in 2007*
Pinellas 64
Hillsborough 95
Pasco 24
Hernando 14
Combined 197
*So far this year through September
Fast facts
How to keep your boat safe
-Dock in well-lit areas
-Remove expensive equipment from your boat when not in use
-Use a trailer hitch lock after parking a boat on its trailer
-Install an alarm system
For more information go to: www.myfwc.com/law