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1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 refit

  • Thread starter Thread starter q240z
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 1,855
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This sucks. Does anyone local have anything they can help out with?
 
That is awful.
I hope they catch the low life, or at least recover your tools.
You may want to make the rounds at pawn shops yourself.
I would think homeowners coverage should apply.
May you get back to productive work soon.
 
Sorry to hear it. I had my shop robbed a few years ago and the cops laughed at me when I asked about fingerprints. I was told I watch too much TV! This ain't CSI buddy. Yet they knew exactly who did it. Because I knew the Sherriff I demanded that they send a Detective over. He told me that 90% of robbers are inside jobe or someone that knew what was there. In my case it was a guy that worked for Firestone and had been there to change a tire on one of our big trucks. I'd be looking at someone who was hanging around the yard and familiar with what you had to steal.
 
Hiya Bill! I understand the desire to zing DC whenever possible, but the boat's out on the bay in rural MD! Word has it there's a "heroin epidemic" out there, and a fairly large population of ne'er do wells on the dole. I guess the theory that welfare keeps crime at bay is right: my boat's on the bay, and I'm a victim of crime. ;-)

The list of stuff taken has gotten very long. In addition to the tools, there were both new and classic Chris boat parts taken, including brand new, still in the box, 2" Groco stainless raw water strainers and 1-3/4" stuffing boxes that I just brought to the boat on Friday in preparation for moving the engines into position on Saturday. I literally just picked up the stuffing boxes on Friday.

But there's weird stuff that was taken, too. Like a coffee can full of old stripped, bent or broken silicone bronze screws. And those new engine beds I made out of a new 20' stick of 3"x5"x3/8" 6061 angle...gone, along with four of the original windshield frame extrusions. I also had all of the chromed bronze safety rail stanchion bases and tops on the boat. I brought them aboard so I could install the mahogany handrail because it was in the way of putting the galley forward bulkhead in. I'm guessing after the high value stuff was off the boat, they decided to go for metal that could go to the recycler. Either that or they're into classic Chrises or know somebody who is. OR they'll show up at a flea market or CL or ebay.

Either way, unless the cops recover everything I'm seriously screwed on the windshield and stanchion parts. I called all of the major Chris Craft part suppliers but the response was the same everywhere: look to ebay for the stanchion parts, and good luck on that windshield.

Thoughts anyone?
 
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They are probably headed straight to the scrap yard to get cash for the metal. Doesn't matter that the strainers, etc are worth lots, they'll take the cash. I would check with scrap yards. Around here, you have to show id to sell scrap and most yards now have video surveillance. Either that or a fellow boater needed some parts. 2" strainers aren't exactly in high demand. Sorry to hear about the bad news.
 
As bad as it sounds, I'm sure you'll figure it all out. It will just take more time, money, and effort. I'm very sorry to hear this but in the end, the boat will probably be in better shape. You will probably end up having to get a windshield built which will/should be of better design and quality than the original.

Hang in there. It's a setback, but I have confidence in you. :)
 
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As bad as it sounds, I'm sure you'll figure it all out. It will just take more time, money, and effort. I'm very sorry to hear this but in the end, the boat will probably be in better shape. You will probably end up having to get a windshield built which will should be of better design and quality than the original.

Hang in there. It's a setback, but I have confidence in you. :)

I have to second this but I am sure the wind has been knocked out of your sail but stay tough now more than ever.

This does Suck and is unbelievable low life Sc** Fu****s

Good Luck
 
When the thieves are found they should be keel hauled down the nearest aircraft carrier.
 
Yachtsmanbill,
I really like your new hair style. :rolleyes:
 
Had to change the Obamamine avatar... like most folks, it wudnt werkin' no' mo. ws
 
As bad as it sounds, I'm sure you'll figure it all out. It will just take more time, money, and effort. I'm very sorry to hear this but in the end, the boat will probably be in better shape. You will probably end up having to get a windshield built which will/should be of better design and quality than the original.

Hang in there. It's a setback, but I have confidence in you. :)
I think you just came up with a good name for the boat: "more time, money, and effort" :p

On the windshield, the new plan (until Saturday), was to assemble it piece by piece on the boat and have my fabricator TIG all the pieces together. Then we were going to take it to his shop for final welding and machining radii into the welded corners. Great plan! Would have been far better than the OE way, which just had all of the pieces mechanically fastened together. Now, all the time spent dinkin' around with it over the winter...complete waste.

Anyway, my insurance adjuster suggested a custom marine window manufacturer, but it turns out they don't do custom windows anymore. He referred me to another guy, and another guy...it started looking like nobody's doing custom windshields anymore. They're all too busy with OEM work.

So I started asking if I could buy extrusions, since I've got a capable fabricator here who can weld it together. One guy said he couldn't sell the extrusions for liability reasons. He said if I sell the boat and the windshield fails, it could come back on him if he supplied the extrusions. Made no sense to me, but then he suggested I call Desman Glass. The good news is that Desman will work with me to get a windshield in the boat. The bad news is that they're in South Carolina. But Ron, the owner, said he'd be happy to sell me his extrusions, assuming they'll work in this application.

There might just be a spark of light at the end of the tunnel.
 
I'd put $$ on it's someone at the Yard that either works there or is related to someone that is. Do your own detective work don't depend on the cops! Don't think it's over. A detective told me that 90% of the time they come back to get that one thing they missed or couldn't carry out.
 
We had the same problem here. It was crack heads and they sold irreplacable antique boat hardware for scrap.
The scrap yards are very careful here. You need photo ID and they take your picture.
 
I'd put $$ on it's someone at the Yard that either works there or is related to someone that is. Do your own detective work don't depend on the cops! Don't think it's over. A detective told me that 90% of the time they come back to get that one thing they missed or couldn't carry out.

I started thinking the same thing when Q mentioned that they took a half can of Awlgrip. Who would know that's valuable?
Eric
 
Wheres A.B.A.T.E. when ya really need them???? Somebody didn't like my new avatar so I had to
put up my step brothers picture instead. Ive looked in to it and it CAN become an FCC issue altering a member in good standings identity. DO NOT MESS WITH MY FAMILY

ABATE: A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments
 
I'd put $$ on it's someone at the Yard that either works there or is related to someone that is. Do your own detective work don't depend on the cops! Don't think it's over. A detective told me that 90% of the time they come back to get that one thing they missed or couldn't carry out.
I figured they might come back. But the only stuff of value they left is pretty big...the 2-stage compressor, Shopsmith, the tracksaw table, NIB washer, dryer, and refrigerator. They'd have to take a saw to the tent frames to get those big tools out, and the appliances...that'd take a serious level of dedication.

As far as doing my own detective work, it's tempting but probably not worth it. Given what my deductibles are and the amount of work left to be done on the boat, if I spend more than a day playing detective it's not cost effective. I decided to focus instead on prevention (12V alarm w/lots of PIR sensors, cameras, strobe lights, sirens, and a cellular auto dialer) and getting replacement tools.

It'll be a nice surprise to see a familiar face on one of those IR game cams!
 
Sorry to read about the theft, I hope you get lucky and they find your stuff. Boat sure looks a lot nicer than when I saw it back in 2008.
 
It's been a while, but I'm slowly getting back to where I was before the theft. I'm still not too enthused about writing articles, because I can't get anything done because every time I try I find that I need a particular tool that was stolen. Jim R very generously traded a cordless drill he had for a burger at Happy Harbor restaurant on me, but it's the little stuff that is the hardest to document, harder still to remember, but when you really need them and they're not there, the project grinds to a disappointing halt.

Anyway, here's the latest update. Hopefully, I'll be back into the swing of things soon. 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Alarmed

Cheers,
Q
 

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