20 Boats at Fenced Dock Are Burglarized

At least 20 boats were vandalized and burglarized this weekend at a dry dock operated by the Ventura Port District, harbor officials said Sunday.

“They waylaid most every boat in the boatyard,” said Don Scott of Ventura, who estimated that he lost $1,000 in electronics and fishing gear from his 25-foot power boat.

Port District officials said the thieves entered the fenced dry dock, which houses boats up to 35 feet in length at Ventura Harbor, sometime between Friday night and 10 a.m. Sunday.

The robbers broke through cabin doors on the vessels and stole items such as binoculars and radios, said Patrol Officer Bob Crane of the harbor master’s office.

A full accounting of the damage and the amount of merchandise taken from the yard, in the 1500 block of Anchors Way, will not be available until port officials have contacted all owners of the vandalized boats, Crane said.

Ventura police also were called to the scene Sunday, but they, too, will not be able to launch a full investigation until they talk to the affected owners, said Police Lt. Brad Talbot.