PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Multiple people who own boats docked at a downtown Portland marina said thieves have been targeting their vessels in recent days.
Boat owners said Wednesday that thousands of dollars worth of personal items have been stolen from the Riverplace Marina.
Max Orsini told KOIN 6 News his boat has been the target of 2 robberies carried out in a span of 4 days.
“Anyone who has a dingy or a boat can easily come here and jump on my boat or other boats,” said Orsini.
Orsini said his boat is named after his mother and that the thieves went too far in targeting it. He said they left almost nothing behind during their first nighttime raid.
“Speakers, cameras, down to the rope. Basically everything, they cleaned it out,” Orsini said.
The second time the thieves hopped aboard Orsini’s vessel, they got comfortable and made themselves dinner, complete with popcorn and alcohol. The bandits even tried to steal the boat and left the gas running in the attempt.
“It was drifting away,” said Orsini. “I only had the electrical cord that was holding the boat.”
Orsini worried the crime will escalate.
“It makes you feel vulnerable,” he said. “If they can do this, maybe this summer, I’m sleeping in there, what is going to happen?”
Orsini’s boat isn’t the only one that’s been hit in recent days. One boat disappeared entirely from the marina last week and several have been broken into.
Roger Alvey, who has a boat docked at the marina, hasn’t had any trouble but said the incidents have his guard up.
“It’s a bit concerning just because it is a small, tight-knit little marina here that we don’t have problems,” said Alvey. “We are going to become a little more vigilant, hopefully, we are going to catch these guys.”