"My kayak has been stolen from my car :(( It was stolen around 7-10pm on Thursday, January 3 from the 1000 block of Pacific Street in Vancouver. It's a mango deck Nimbus Telkwa. I'm totally stunned - somehow they got through the lock and straps on a very busy main road in Vancouver. They busted up one side of my roof rack doing it too! Who the hell steals a kayak anyway. I'm super bummed - screw 2013 already."
Here's a picture of Richard and his kayak from a paddle with us from a couple of years ago.
Vancouver paddlers, be alert! There have been a couple of thefts of kayaks in the Greater Vancouver area recently.
ReplyDeleteThere is probably a pair of thieves, or one very very tall and strong thief. Why do I think so? Well, Richard's kayak is over 18 feet long, weighs over 53 pounds, and was locked on top of a vehicle that is not low and tiny. Rich is 6 foot 4 and strong. The thief who carried this kayak off without drawing attention must have been similarly tall and strong or he would simply have dropped it. Even two little guys would need some practice to be able to unload the kayak from the high roof of the vehicle. They probably didn't carry it far, just around a corner to a waiting vehicle.
It's pretty clear this theft was not an impulse crime. So look around! Keep an eye out for kayak thieves: one tall guy, or two medium-sized, at least one of whom can tell a good model of kayak from a cheap plastic "drown me" boat from Wal-Mart. Are these stolen kayaks being sold to a pawnshop, or to paddlers at marinas? Or is someone walking up to paddlers on the beach saying, "I might be able to persuade my friend to sell you a used boat for a real good price... want me to ask?"
If you've bought a used kayak, check the serial numbers!
And Rich, the next time you come to Victoria, we'll paddle in the Harbour so you can rent a kayak from Ocean River. We'll go out to look at the Esquimalt shore, eh?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post guys. That cheered me up a bit. I miss my little yacht :( At least I still have my roof mounts in case I need to rent a boat, but nothing will fit as nice as the Telkwa. No calls about it today, so I'm pretty sure it's in another country now. Sad Rich is sad.
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