@kayamedic said:
…That Rainbow Springs area is difficult to tote boats to and from the campground. The campground is half a mile from the launch and not accessible by vehicle. So someone probably struck from the water. …
Agree, The trail/sidewalk is supposed to be 1800 ft not counting the distance from the camp sites. Also on a Paddle Florida trip there is plenty of “inventory” to choose from. All you’d have to do is get it in the water and go down stream 1.5 miles to the ramp at KP Hole.
I wonder if the Fathom and Atlantis were stored hull up or down. Would that make a difference? Unsure if a scum-of-the-planet kayak thief wants to know what he is stealing or just steals whatever is handy out of some sicko sense of entitlement.
Eddyline does install a metal U-bolt at each end of the kayak. Works well with a thick chain and padlock, plus the chain is noisy. I’ve left my boat overnight at a local two-day event, but the organizers had arranged for overnight security. At one symposium all the kayaks were left on the beach overnight. While there was no advertised security, I’m guessing there was some form as there were lots of expensive kayaks on that beach.
There’s a symposium on Lake Superior I’m interested in, but I don’t know if the boats are kept at the beach or if they have to be transported each of the four days. I’m with kayamedic on that: loading and unloading gear each day, no problem. Unsure about playing parking roulette and moving my boat twice a day. I better ask before signing up.
These boats were stolen on a multi-day trip, where participants leave their cars at the launch and are shuttled back with their boats at the end of the trip. One year, the state park near my home was one of the stops; they had done an 8 mile paddle, then left their boats right by the state park launch, to continue on their journey the next morning. The cabins they were using were at least 2 miles away, and there was no way to transport the boats to that area. I saw 40 or 50 very nice boats left overnight, unattended, unsecured, with paddles and other gear inside. I’m amazed theft hasn’t occurred before. Maybe after this incident, they’ll figure out a way to take precautions.
Curiously the paddling organizations Facebook page never mentioned any theft… Unless I missed it. Yes paddler beware. I’d at least have a lasso lock. But more to the point I would guess that many participants are new trusting paddlers on these guided tours and simply aren’t savvy yet so it really behooves the organizers to be proactive with security.
I wish more kayak makers would do as Venture does and embed a stainless steel bar across a recess in the deck. It’s really easy to secure my thus-equipped Easky with a cable lock, which gives me a great feeling of security when traveling with it. Most of my kayaks are folders, and they are very difficult to secure since the frames come apart. I often break them down when I would rather not just so I can secure them in a trunk or motel room.
I’ve considered getting something like those PacSafe steel mesh security nets that are sold to secure luggage and backpacks – something like this could be padlocked over the cockpit so that gear and breakdown paddles stashed inside would also be secure.
I’ve looked for “steel mesh cargo nets” but the only ones I’ve ever seen are huge ones made for lifting bulky loads by military helicopters!
(Added: just out of curiosity, I found a company in my area that makes custom wire mesh items and used their on-line application to calculate what it would cost to have them make a single 1/8" stainless steel cable 3’ x 3’ net with swaged loops along the side: $785! So much for that idea…)
If you have a choice between steel cable and chain always pick chain. Cable can be cut with small cutters. Chain at least requires bolt cutters. Take a look on youtube and watch a guy with small wire cutters cut through a bike cable in seconds. Thats why the bike guys use those u locks, need big bolt cutters to defeat them. Pewag chain is the best. Plus when it comes to pad locks Abus Granite is good choice,. Most other locks can be picked in seconds. Hope they get the kayaks back as I can image that would suck big time to lose.
Terrible all around. I dread leaving my boats anywhere, even if it is for 1 minute in the bathroom.
My surfski would never fit in a bathroom.
Maybe a bathroom at a football stadium.
Or pack your folding cart and tote it up the hill next to the tent.
I have a 30’ cable that I purchased for something else. Probably could lock 20 boats together with it.
@Tortoise said:
Terrible all around. I dread leaving my boats anywhere, even if it is for 1 minute in the bathroom.
Exactly. One of the reasons I dislike shuttles too as some people that are supposed to watch the boats while you’re moving vehicle’s don’t.