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From: Matt Broze <mkayaks_at_oz.net>
subject: [Paddlewise] Stolen kayaks found
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 20:27:25 -0800
I wrote:
<SNIP>>>>Two Skin-on-frame Aluetian baidarka style kayaks were stolen last
Thursday
night or Friday morning in Anacortes WA. They may have been spotted later
that morning on a car at a shipping company that barges freight to AK, so it
is suspected they may be going to somewhere in AK.<<<<<SNIP>

The person who spotted the kayaks was Paddlewise member Tom Cromwell
(tomcat?). Tom was about to begin building a skin kayak this week with
Spiritline's Corey Freedman. When Corey told him about the kayaks that had
been stolen from him early (1 to 5AM) Friday morning, Tom said he had
followed two skin kayaks on top of a car for a bit on his way to work at
about 7:30 Friday morning down in Seattle. When the car he was following
pulled into a tug and barge company parking lot (why I originally suspected
the kayaks might be going to AK). Tom almost followed him in because he was
curious about the guy's experience building skin-on-frame kayaks and would
liked to have talked to him. Tom decided not to bother the guy and continued
on to work. Corey called me Saturday to report the thefts and told me that
Tom may have seen the kayak in Seattle. (Another coincidence, I had been
talking to Tom about what design features might make his skin kayak work
better in the surf just a day or two before.) I called Tom and got the
details of what he had seen. I called the Seattle Police to see if they
could check the barge company. They said they could only do so if they had
the report from the Skagit Co. sheriff (the report couldn't be completed yet
because Corey was out of town giving a class). Frustrated I told the officer
I'd do it myself. Next I left a messages to call me on the answering
machines of several freight companies (closed for the weekend) in the area
where Tom had spotted the two skin kayaks. Returning my call, Alaska Marine
Lines woke be up Monday morning at 8AM. They checked their records for me
and reported they hadn't gotten any kayaks in on Friday. Since I was now
awake, and reminded of my planned Monday's mission, I called the other
freight companies in that area (that I had found in the phone book). One
company, where Tom had last seen the kayaks, told me that they only took
full containers but they shared their parking lot with another freight
company (that I wasn't yet aware of). That office also told me they only
handled full containers but directed me to where they would send someone who
had less than a container load of freight to ship. Bingo! That freight
consolidator said they had taken in two kayaks Friday morning.  They
unstacked a few containers so they could open one to check if those kayaks
fit the description that was already on the stolen kayak database on our
website. I had told them about the website to lend credibility to my request
they check the kayaks. When they read the distinguishing features they could
tell there would be enough detail to identify the kayaks so they agreed to
unstuck the containers and take a look.. Before too long they e-mailed me
digital pictures of the kayaks. The kayaks fit the description very well. I
called Corey and he called the sheriff's office. I forwarded the pictures to
Corey by e-mail and after some transmission problems he got them and
confirmed the kayaks were his. He got back to the sheriff to let them know
that those kayaks in Seattle were indeed his kayaks. The suspect was
reportedly arrested Monday evening as he was about to board a flight to
Ketchikan.

Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com


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From: Kirk Olsen <kork4_at_cluemail.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Stolen kayaks found
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 04:24:23 -0800
On Wed, 26 Mar 2003 20:27:25 -0800, "Matt Broze" <mkayaks_at_oz.net> said:

Matt you deserve a huge public thank you from the paddling community.

We all greatly appreciate the effort you put into keeping the stolen 
boat registry along with being responsible for catching this thief.

Kirk

> I wrote:
> <SNIP>>>>Two Skin-on-frame Aluetian baidarka style kayaks were stolen
> last Thursday
> night or Friday morning in Anacortes WA. They may have been spotted later
> that morning on a car at a shipping company that barges freight to AK, so it
> is suspected they may be going to somewhere in AK.<<<<<SNIP>
> 
> The person who spotted the kayaks was Paddlewise member Tom Cromwell
> (tomcat?). 

<snip> Frustrated I told the officer
> I'd do it myself. Next I left a messages to call me on the answering
> machines of several freight companies (closed for the weekend) in the
> area
> where Tom had spotted the two skin kayaks. Returning my call, Alaska
> Marine
> Lines woke be up Monday morning at 8AM. They checked their records for me
> and reported they hadn't gotten any kayaks in on Friday. Since I was now
> awake, and reminded of my planned Monday's mission, I called the other
> freight companies in that area (that I had found in the phone book). One
> company, where Tom had last seen the kayaks, told me that they only took
> full containers but they shared their parking lot with another freight
> company (that I wasn't yet aware of). That office also told me they only
> handled full containers but directed me to where they would send someone
> who
> had less than a container load of freight to ship. Bingo! That freight
> consolidator said they had taken in two kayaks Friday morning.  They
> unstacked a few containers so they could open one to check if those
> kayaks
> fit the description that was already on the stolen kayak database on our
> website. I had told them about the website to lend credibility to my
> request
> they check the kayaks. When they read the distinguishing features they
> could
> tell there would be enough detail to identify the kayaks so they agreed
> to
> unstuck the containers and take a look.. Before too long they e-mailed me
> digital pictures of the kayaks. The kayaks fit the description very well.
> I
> called Corey and he called the sheriff's office. I forwarded the pictures
> to
> Corey by e-mail and after some transmission problems he got them and
> confirmed the kayaks were his. He got back to the sheriff to let them
> know
> that those kayaks in Seattle were indeed his kayaks. The suspect was
> reportedly arrested Monday evening as he was about to board a flight to
> Ketchikan.
> 
> Matt Broze
> http://www.marinerkayaks.com
-- 
  Kirk Olsen
  kork4_at_cluemail.com
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From: Nick Schade <nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Stolen kayaks found
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 08:52:29 -0500
Well done Matt.
On Wednesday, March 26, 2003, at 11:27 PM, Matt Broze wrote:

> I wrote:
> <SNIP>>>>Two Skin-on-frame Aluetian baidarka style kayaks were stolen 
> last
> Thursday
> night or Friday morning in Anacortes WA. They may have been spotted 
> later
> that morning on a car at a shipping company that barges freight to AK, 
> so it
> is suspected they may be going to somewhere in AK.<<<<<SNIP>
>

> <snip> The suspect was
> reportedly arrested Monday evening as he was about to board a flight to
> Ketchikan.
>
> Matt Broze
> http://www.marinerkayaks
Nick Schade

Guillemot Kayaks
824 Thompson St
Glastonbury, CT 06033
USA
Ph/Fx: (860) 659-8847
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/

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From: <Kevin50110_at_aol.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Stolen kayaks found
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 10:43:33 EST
I built my first SOF with Corey and remember him telling me no one steals SOF 
Baidarkas. Well, I guess they do. He was right about the fact that they are 
of too high a visibility to be worth it, though. The community is watchful, 
if out of pure interest if nothing else, let alone when they know the boat is 
stolen.

All of us owe Tom Cromwell, and Matt a collective thanks.

Kevin

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From: Shawn Baker <shawnkayak_at_yahoo.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Stolen kayaks found
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 12:03:27 -0800 (PST)
Well done, Matt!!!

If you hadn't caught the freight company before the containers were
loaded, the kayaks may never have been found.

Good job in spotting them, too, Tom.

shawn

As a side note to everyone, a few digital photos of you and your kayak
(especially showing any distinguishing features) could be invaluable in
recovering a stolen kayak.  And as another side note...adding a few
distinguishing features wouldn't be a bad idea, especially if you have
a commercial boat that looks like "everyone else's"

Shawn

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From: wsmith16 <wsmith16_at_snet.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Stolen kayaks found
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 19:53:40 -0500
> As a side note to everyone, a few digital photos of you and your kayak
> (especially showing any distinguishing features) could be invaluable in
> recovering a stolen kayak.  And as another side note...adding a few
> distinguishing features wouldn't be a bad idea, especially if you have
> a commercial boat that looks like "everyone else's"
>
>Shawn

Precisely the reason I never totally "finished" the repair to the stern of
my Caribou after a particular stupid human trick about 5 years ago ---
nobody's going to mistake my boat for anyone else's. Besides, it's a great
conversation piece......

Wayne
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
------

Wayne Smith
wsmith16_at_snet.net

Check out my sea kayaking & homebrewing page:
http://pages.cthome.net/wsmith16/home.html


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From: Joan Spinner <jspinner_at_peoplepc.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Stolen kayaks found
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 19:08:45 -0500
YES! I love a happy ending. I knew there was some reason I check those
listings. Matt, thanks for all the effort.





Joan


   The suspect was


  reportedly arrested Monday evening as he was about to board a flight to


  Ketchikan.





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From: Steve Dent <fics_peteacher_at_hotmail.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Stolen kayaks found
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 08:58:12 -0300
errrm....all that needs to be said is well done!!!  If you need a job in the
Falkland Isladns Police, give me a call, we could use people like you!!!
LOL

But seriously well done!

SD

> I wrote:
> <SNIP>>>>Two Skin-on-frame Aluetian baidarka style kayaks were stolen last
> Thursday
> night or Friday morning in Anacortes WA. They may have been spotted later
> that morning on a car at a shipping company that barges freight to AK, so
it
> is suspected they may be going to somewhere in AK.<<<<<SNIP>
>
> The person who spotted the kayaks was Paddlewise member Tom Cromwell
<snip>
> I contacted Corey by e-mail and after some transmission problems he got them and
> confirmed the kayaks were his. He got back to the sheriff to let them know
> that those kayaks in Seattle were indeed his kayaks. The suspect was
> reportedly arrested Monday evening as he was about to board a flight to
> Ketchikan.
>
> Matt Broze
> http://www.marinerkayaks.com
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