Hi: I’ve never launched in a remote location, even though I’ve had isolation on the water. I’ve found that the boat ramp at Washington Park on Anacortes has been very safe for my rig over the last three years leaving it there for six days. Granted, it is patrolled by park staff daily who make sure you paid your fees. I even forgot my mandolin in the car when I launched and no one broke into it. I think it depends on the boat ramp. I will gladly pay daily parking fees at marinas or parks for the safety factor. Pete Winter Sky (Zimowsky) outdoors writer and photographer www.getoutdoorsnorthwest.com <http://www.getoutdoorsnorthwest.com/> Twitter: @zimosoutdoors "Be with Tahlequah" Tahlequah, you did this. From the day you lost your baby in the summer of 2018, then your 17-day tour of grief, you've brought the KEY crucial issues to the world to help us save your Orca family.
On Aug 13, 2019, at 1:01 PM, Rusty Knorr via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> wrote:
Hello Thomas and all,
I have worried about the same thing at trailheads, while backpacking remote locations, and seeing broken glass in the parking lot. My car was severely vandalized only once during an overnight backpacking trip, and pushed backwards into the Little Spokane River! That was when parked near a major city though, not in a remote location. I think, given common sense like keeping nothing visible anywhere inside your vehicle, that your rig is probably safer at a launch ramp than parked overnight on the street in front of your house, where our cars were broken into multiple times, and stolen once!
Living in fear can be paralyzing, and can keep you from enjoying anything. At a certain point you have accept that bad things can happen and may, take steps to minimize as much risk as you can, and then get on with living life and enjoy yourself. If something feels bad it probably is, listen to your gut. But it’s risky going out your front door, not to mention sailing a small boat! If you are routinely solo sailing (or doing any adventuring) out of cell service, get a Delorme Inreach. Satellite reception for lifesaving emergencies, and simple texting for non emergency communication. Not cheap, but what’s your piece of mind worth?
Get out there and enjoy yourself, don’t look back.
Rusty
https://explore.garmin.com/en-US/inreach/
Dave, Pete, others, I read about sailing solo in out of the way places around the country for peace and quiet. There is a launch ramp but no one else around, no stores, nothing. When you sail away, your vehicle and trailer are just left there, in the middle of nowhere. How do you deal with the idea that if someone showed up and vandalized or stole your rig there would be no way to stop them?? No way to get yourself, much less your boat to safety. Most of those remote areas do not have cell service. I live in Texas and have traveled all over the state by car and no matter where I travel, no matter how far away from civilization I am I will find bullet holes in road signs. That tells me there ARE people out here that think nothing about destroying public property and have nothing else to do but that or perhaps, loot, some luckless boater's vehicle and trailer. I do not think Texas has a monopoly on such people. Tom B, Monty 17, AS-IS