Keeping Gear On/In Car in NYC (Crazy?)

[pthorner]

I just moved to NYC (Park Slope) from the SF Bay. Many thanks to locals like Chip, Zeco and Andrei who have been generous with advice, information, and even a wetsuit when I was about to sail in my underwear (not boxers!) after driving through heavy traffic to the beach without my wetsuit.

I have previously had the luxury of keeping my boards on top of my car 365 days a year and my sails in the box. From my talks with the locals, it sounds like it is ill advised to keep the gear on the car (or anything in or on), but then again, my time windows for sailing are often small and I have to walk a few blocks to find my car before I can even think about loading up from storage. I'm stubborn and not quite ready to write off the convenience of having the gear on board.

Do many NYC sailors have roof top boxes and do people break into them just to see what they might find or do they pretty much leave them alone? I figure a slightly longer box could take the masts as well.

Has anyone devised a locking system for boards on top that deters thieves? I know any system can be defeated, but I'm focused on making it clearly not worth the effort. I usually stack two boards with the bottom one right side up (tail forward) and the upper one upside down (nose forward). I was figuring on a mag lock type lock through the front straps of each board and then maybe a third mag lock to link the two boards together along with cables to the rack. I know that a bolt cutter will take out the cable, but then they have to work on cutting the foot straps and they are either reaching up really high or sitting on the sidewalk with two boards stuck together in a really awkward way. An alternate thought for boards was to keep them inside and lock them to the seat rails.

I guess one question is whether the thieves are pros, teens, or desperate types. In the SF area the thieves are usually desperate types who don't know the difference between a surf board and a windsurf board. More than once the thief has been arrested at the windsurf shop trying to sell a stolen board that they couldn't describe beyond the color and maybe brand name if it is printed in large letters.

Peter

[outcast]

all i know is that when i lived in NYC, i had a bike kryptonited to a parking meter, and "they" cut the base of the meter, took the meter post bike and lock.

[outcast]

oh yeah, i forgot.....my dad stopped to put water in his radiator once, and while he was doing that, a guy walked up and started working on the car.....my dad looked at him and asked " what are you doing?"....guy said "hey.....all i want is the battery....you can have the rest!"

[isobars]

A NYC resident once told me that car insurance for glass breakage would cost more each year than the Blue Book value of his car. That should give you some idea of what you've stepped into.

Mike \m/

[geohaye]

It seems like recently whenever windsurfers move to NYC, they always arrive at the beach the first time to windsurf with nothing but their shorts (or their Fruit-of-the-Looms, as the case may be)! Something about that place...

I remember when the famous Raydel <http://www.iwindsurf.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14611> said he went to go windsurfing early last May before his wetsuit had arrived yet.. "Cold, but NEED WIND, so who cares..." Makes sense.

Peter, do not be discouraged, you will figure it out. Worst case scenario you know that with 1 piece of plywood and a few 2x4s & 4x4s you can build a little board / sail / mast rack system and hide all of your gear in a minivan below window level. The noses of the boards may stick out a little between the front seats, but get something industrial-looking to cover them and you'll be invisible. Yes, it leaves you with just a 2-seater, so it won't be a family van, so you may need to get a minivan to dedicate to just windsurfing.

The Toyota vans from the late 90's were huge, but even better the Honda Odysseys from the early 2000's (now they are much smaller) were also huge with a major bonus wetsuit, harness, and gear storage area (the size of about 3 medium-sized cardboard moving boxes) in the very back, below floor level, if you removed the "magic seat". That would be my pick.

We'll miss you around here Peter! Good luck with the new adventure!

[mewindsurf]

I wouldn't give it much more than a week before all your stuff is gone. You might as well just leave it on the sidewalk with a sign that says free gear. I know a guy that went into a deli in the city to get a sandwich for the beach and when he came out 2 boards, his entire quiver, masts, booms and all was gone. His car was only there about 10 minutes. I know guys that have had there stuff stolen off their roof out here on the island too. As for the types of thieves you listed. I would say all of the above. None of which know what a windsurfer is. Also don't trick yourself into thinking your gear is any safer with a lock. Another guy I know had his gear stolen off his roof at Plumb years ago, so he went out and bought a locking system. The next year they took his entire roof rack system too! Don't even think about keeping it on your roof. Not even one night! If you keep it in your car, keep it well hidden.

Welcome to NY by the way.

See you at the Beach,

Mike

[gkl7]

I live 5min from Plumb Beach and keep my sails, masts and booms in the car most of the season. They are covered up, but still visible. I would never leave anything on the roof. I keep the boards in the house.
My experience with theft in Brooklyn:
- Car stolen from Plumb Beach
- GPS stolen from car. At night, in front of the house, they broke the window
- Computer stolen from car, while I turned my back for 3 minutes. They broke the window.
After all this, my hope is that thieves don’t find sails/masts an attractive target. They are bulky, hard to sell and they have no use for them.

[Wind-NC.com]

You guys are -so- -dramatic-

Hey, at least you have an viable excuse to update your gear when the old stuff gets jacked!

[raytracer]

I have been cleaned out of 3 boards and many many sails in Manhattan and brooklyn over two decades., many times I just left the car unattended for 5 minutes and all was gone. Locking it don't help much.
You need a one inch diameter carbon steel cage for your gear!!
Kurt Veith(NYC resident for 20 years)

[isobars]

My windsurfing and 4-wheeling gear sat in and on a topless Chevy Blazer 24/7 at home and work and various lakes for years, untouched. Cities, schmities!

Mike \m/