Lower unit thief

[Hyperion]

I know most of us don't have outboards but thought I would share. In Miami there has been a rash of lower unit thefts totaling about 8 so far in two months. All they steal are Mercury Verados. Anyone have a clue as to why they would target that particular type?

 

[Comodave]

Maybe that is what they have on their boat and they run aground frequently???

 

[Larry M]

$$$$$. Just guessing. The base price is $70,130 and the low retail $46,185 for the engine. The lower unit only is $5.2k is or so. Not surprised unfortunately.

 

[Delta Riverat]

Easy to remove it looks and they probably get $500 each.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Yep. Re-sale. Luckily (maybe) I've got Yammies. A fair amount of electronics go missing in Miami, as well. A spate if thefts in the last year.

 

[Delta Riverat]

I forgot about the props. Another $50 each.

Dump 'em at the fence and get your dough.

 

[slowgoesit]

Marathon went through a rash of lower end thefts when we were there back in 2018. They got about 75 or so one night. Mostly ones that were on piers out of the water on lifts.
An issue contributing to the problem is that the outboard manufacturers have so far resisted putting serial numbers imprinted into the lower ends. That would put a major crimp in the thieves ability to resell, as purchasing a lower a lower end with the SN removed could be equated to purchasing stolen property and the buyer could be prosecuted.
Make it mandatory for repair shops and brokers to run SN's of outboards and lower ends prior to working on or selling the outboards. It would probably add half 20 minutes of time to the broker, and the repair shops generally check the SN's anyway before they pull up the repair manuals . . . .
Not sure why the manufacturers are digging in their heels . . . .

 

[SteveK]

wonder where all the replacements are coming from. I mean the stolen ones in that quantity need to go somewhere.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. SK. Perhaps the stolen units are going offshore (the Caribbean, Central and South America etc). 75 units in one night suggests an organized group of thieves.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Simply, they are expensive, there is a demand for the part and they are easy to remove from a dinghy.

Why do you think that many boat owners with stern drives remove them in the winter? Same reasons, except the price for used. Much higher.. A good used Bravo lll with props can sell for Many thousands of dollars, no questions asked. Like 6, 7 or 8 thousand dollars.

pete

 

[Turtle Blues]

Targeting the gear case and shaft assembly.
Most props are well under $1K but there is still the old adage " It doesn't cost a thief anything to steal it"
Also stealing in bulk will actually increase the market for the part.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Simply, they are expensive, there is a demand for the part and they are easy to remove from a dinghy.

Why do you think that many boat owners with stern drives remove them in the winter? Same reasons, except the price for used. Much higher.. A good used Bravo lll with props can sell for Many thousands of dollars, no questions asked. Like 6, 7 or 8 thousand dollars.

pete

And a Bravo drive can be removed with a couple of hand tools in about 3 minutes.

 

[Turtle Blues]

"And a Bravo drive can be removed with a couple of hand tools in about 3 minutes"


Amen.
I always feel bad driving through an industrial area and seeing a trailer boat minus the out-drive. Someone thought they would save a few bucks parking on the street instead of secured storage and that's the inevitable result.
We gave the security tape of a guy driving into the Marina lot at night and stealing the catalytic converter from one of our service trucks. Police caught him a month later doing the same thing in daylight at a commuter lot. I and the police investigator begged to participate in prosecution but county prosecutor couldn't be bothered. Slap on the hand and undoubtedly back to the same criminal activity.

 

[Bigsfish]

Last year I hauled my boat to do some work, while on the hard my 2 Garmin screens of the bridge were stolen in a yard with security. The crime unit that worked the Miami River investigated, the detective knew my adopted sun who works for the same department. He didn’t want to be quoted but they average crimes like this numerous times a week and by the time the crime was reported the units were on board a ship headed south. Once on the ship there is nothing they can do about it.

 

[Turtle Blues]

A big step in the right direction is requiring AIS to be renamed only by an authorized service center. I know it's a PITA but does allow for serial number to owner verification. If it's got a bill of sale no problem, just a little time. Should not be a big deal if you understand the reason.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

jeez, that would be a bummer coming down the dock looking to take your boat out for the day...

 

[cafesport]

Great looks like I’ll be returning for a mini marine crime wave. When I left there were 8 or so verados on neighbors boats. Looks like it’s time to set up another security cam system that alerts the owners and the guards.

Bigs my brothers boat was stolen from dinner key a while back. His slip was right in front of the police station.

 

[psneeld]

Scary part is I worked with a guy in a marine electronics firm who used to install on one boat for the day and before he left the marina, take a few displays for the black market before he left.

No one questioned a uniformed guy on boats and walking down the dock with electronics.

Pretty easy to do in the big picture of things.

 

[BruceK]

Sounds like the work of the well known universal used goods supplier "Midnight Spares".

 

[Cargile]

On ebay I searched for Mercury Verado Lower Unit. 192 results came back.

 

[Hippocampus]

Small Yamahas (9.9-20hp) were peak pickings in the Caribbean. One of the reasons we went with a 4 stroke Suzuki 20hp. Thief of the Yamahas was so high it effected sales from what I was told.

 

[kthoennes]

Boy I'm glad I live in SD. I don't think the lock on our dock gate worked at all last season and the worst that happened was somebody else used my dock hose and left the valve on. (Service hose, not boat supply..)

 

[BruceK]

On ebay I searched for Mercury Verado Lower Unit. 192 results came back.

Wonder how the 192 sellers sourced their items for sale. From Mercury I hope but...

 

[SteveK]

Why has theft become acceptable?

Canada is just now putting together a joint police force of all levels in GOV and Leo to stop stolen vehicles leaving in containers. A known problem that an Elliot Ness special unit must be formed to stop. Someone is going to jail for tax evasion.

 

[hollywood8118]

I guess if I owned those units I would accept the fact they need to be cleaned more often and just leave the drives down in the water. Funny irony that you will replace drives more often left out of the water than in.
Hollywood

 

[Gdavid]

I would expect anti-theft fasteners to be a way to mitigate these thefts. No such devices are absolute, thefts defeat wheel locks all the time but at the least it would could slow down or deter theft of your particular unit(s).

This type of crime is incredibly frustrating because it just isn't much of a priority to prevent or prosecute, we all end up paying the penalty through higher insurance costs. While it is understandable that protecting the personal property of the middle and upper class is low on the priorities of law enforcement, it creeps into affecting everyone and we all just continue to share the costs and accept the change.

I feel similarly frustrated about irresponsible and inept operators (I hesitate to call them "captains") who damage their boats in easily avoidable manners and drive up the operating costs for all of us.