PLEASE READ - Bad News and Good News from Florida Drags

[Sam Baker]

I talked to My Dad and he said everybody seemed to have a good time in Florida at the kick off of the Fast Boats, Inc. outboard drags in Crescent City. They had 17 boats - would have been more, but there were some casualties in testing the last few days. Racing was close and he said there were some really great boats there. I'll have photos, points/standings, etc. up on the site hopefully next week. - http://www.fastboatsinc.com

The bad news.....while my dad was setting up the course and moving stuff to the site on Friday night, somebody stole a 150 Ficht and 175 Ficht from his back yard as well as his Snap-On tool chest and tools. The real kicker is they used HIS tools to take apart the engine stand to get at the engines! So, if anybody hears of somebody suddenly having a 150 and 175 Ficht for sale (or powerheads, etc.) that sound a little fishy, please post here or let my dad (Ron Baker) know at 386-698-3938. The tools will be virtually impossible to get except that they think the tool box was dropped or fell over when they rolled it out of the back garage as there was a few tools laying on the ground right where the garage meets the grass.

If you didn't get a chance to go to the race, give it a shot - it sounds like it was a good time.

Sam

[jim brinkley]

Hate to hear about your bad luck. I hate Thieves. Hope you find out who did this and get your stuff back.

Jim

[barr151]

I hope they are found and hung up by their nuts! I can not stand a thief.
I had a buddy of mine run his first race this weekend there. He said it was a great time even though he got put on the trailer (i think) on the third run. i hope i can go to the next one.

[Scream And Fly]

Man, that's terrible. I'm very sorry to hear that. We're here to help if there is anything we can do...

Greg

[Laker]

NOT good
Sorry to hear about this Sam.
I wish nothing but the best luck for everyone in the Baker Marine family!
Chris

[steve]

Sorry to hear about your loss of property. My folks are in Clermont and they had someone using a chain saw and cutting complete motors and transoms off a few years back ! But using a guys own tools, man that bites!!!
Hope you are enjoying the sunshine and citrus though. Lots of people up here miss you guys. Best wishes . :cool:

[Sharkey-Images]

I'm sorry to hear this Sam.

I will keep on eye out up here in the North East....:( :( :(

[Tango]

I hate to read about such things and think it would be justified to drag those thieves a few miles down the river!! I had a toolbox stolen once. Its loss was compounded by the lost time I had at work having to use cheapo tools instead of my years of collecting or making special tools to do a job faster and with better quality work.

I will offer a donation to offset your loss. Your info posted on this site has been a big help and inspiration in my project.

Maybe others will also step up and help offset your loss.

[Travis Fulton]

sorry to hear about the loss!!! hope they get caught and your stuff is returned asap

[Sam Baker]

I appreciate the offer Tango. Don't worry about the donation. That's why we all pay high premiums to the insurance companies.

Just wanted to post why my Dad was late to the race he's helping promote last Saturday.

I haven't got all the names, but my Mom and Dad REALLY want to thank all the people who pitched in to help and to all the drivers who showed up to race. There could be a lot more boats, but they have the average night at Blarney beat with the 17 or 18 that showed up. On a great night, we'll have 40 boats, but on most nights, there'll be a total of about 25 boats with 15 being outboards.

Great job everybody. Just have to find time to get down there before you guys get too fast :D

Sam

[C/E]

Engines and Snap-On theft is grand Larcony. That's a shootin offence. Pretty low to steal a mans tools of his trade and his toys all in one move.

[Forkin' Crazy]

I hate thieves!!!!

I have had my tools stolen too. Like some one else said, it sucks when they steal things that you make a living with......

Why aren't booby traps leagal?:confused:

[C/E]

I make my living with my tools also. Many years ago I was running an outboatd shop that was robbed. I lost my entire Snap-On roll away and the shop owner refused to cover it with his insurance. I never replaced it. I ended up with a lot cheaper tools.

[C/E]

I used to have a sign in the shape of a headstone that said " Here lies the last SOB that f----d with my tools". Any time my roll away was open, this sign sat on top.

[mendo]

I got my tools stolen about 15 years ago, all the ones that I had been collecting since I was a kid.

Decided to suck up and replace them with Snap-On and now am much more careful about where they are.

Sorry to hear about your loss,

[beko21]

Sears sells a engraver that's cheap, take the time and put your initials on them, I learned that trick the hard way in auto shop in highschool, it may not stop a theif if he is intent on stealing something but he sure will have a hard time selling tools with someone elses name on them.

[Forkin' Crazy]

Originally posted by beko21
Sears sells a engraver that's cheap, take the time and put your initials on them, I learned that trick the hard way in auto shop in highschool, it may not stop a theif if he is intent on stealing something but he sure will have a hard time selling tools with someone elses name on them.

Sorry, dude. That's just not true. You think the low lives or pawn shops care if they are stolen or not? Hell no!!!!

I know. When my stuff was stolen, my tools were marked. I visited every pawn shop in a 20 mile radius. You think they gave a damn. No. Would they let me go and look (in the back where they keep the most recent stolen items) to see if I could identify anything? Hell no.

Pawn shops = a license to steal.:mad:

[Firestarter]

My Snap-ons were all engraved, they got 40k worth!. The worst part was that at that time I made my living with them, and it took the insurance company 6mths to pay me. I had to buy a lot of it back out of my own pocket. The sad part of it is, I still ( 8 years later ) go to my box looking for a tool and it isn't there, I am still buying stuff to get to where I once was and it is now out of my pocket.

Stealing a persons lively hood is the lowest of the low!

RT

[beko21]

A scumbag is a scumbag! period, if he's gonna steal something you're not going to stop him unless you have your tools in your pocket, engraving slows the thief that might have a brain cell or two...if there is a such thing.

[C/E]

If they are working in the dark, they might not even notice the engraving until the next day.

[beko21]

Firewalker, maybe loping a thief's hand off like they do in foreign countries is not such a bad idea after all.

[1BadAction]

The pawn shop that my buddy owns here in clewiston will not take tools that are tagged. even if the initials match the person pawning them. he says that it is too big of a PITA to sell marked tools. selling marked stuff also has alot to do with the integrity of the pawn shop owner. most of them are scumbags...

[Hot Shot Merc]

I hered something about the start boat that was supposed to be used was stolen but not anything like this.That sux.I hope you find the duche bag.

[jimmy johnston]

Hey Sam,

Good to see u on the board. I bet you dad is hot enuf to f#!%^.
I would love to take a wire brush to their ass, and then some turpentine.
My snap-on stuff is only exceeded by my boat!! FYI I am racing this year with the ODBA, and DSRA guys.

Call me when u can......

JImmy