There goes the neighborhood

Other than an old Chris Craft in the midst of restoration, we are the cheap house on the block. We’re the ones with tarp covering a leaky window and a do-it-yourself epoxy job on the transom. We’re not exactly ghetto, but we’re not nearly as nice as some of the luxury yachts nearby.

And for the first time ever, we’re kinda glad that we aren’t a luxury yacht with all the latest toys. There are thieves about, and these are thieves with expensive tastes. In the past couple weeks, there have been 8 burglaries on luxury yachts on Lake Union. The only things stolen are plasma screen TVs. Several flat-screens were stolen from display boats during Boats Afloat, another TV was stolen from the boat moored just across the dock from us, and two more at different docks in our marina. Apparently, the TVs aren’t the biggest loss – it’s the woodwork that the thieves rip up when they’re removing the TVs, and the damage they do when they break in. Some yachts estimate over 60K in damage.

I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir, but theft just makes me sick – it’s a personal violation and I hate it. Along with being infuriated, I’m also a little scared. We don't have anything these thieves would want, but do they know that? Hopefully they're smart enough to realize the exterior of our boat is a good representation of the interior. But suddenly, living behind the locked gate of the marina doesn’t seem so safe. The thieves come by water, which is especially creepy (and also makes me wonder what exactly caused our boat to rock and roll that one night). I try to reassure myself that we’re not a good target because we liveaboard full-time, but that just makes me more creeped out: if they know we're full-time liveaboards, it's because they've been watching us.

On the plus side, last night we heard a motor outside, and when Tom got up to check he saw exactly what we were hoping for: a police boat cruising the area.

-Jessi