TOPIC: STOLEN Lonestar El Dorado

I live in Midlothian Virginia and have owned a 1963 El Dorado since I was 15, and have been restoring it for the past 6 years. It was recently stolen from where it was kept with other boats near a lake where I live; someone cut the trailer lock, backed up a truck to my boat and hauled it away. I have invested countless hours in restoring the boat and it has incredible sentimental value to me; I always wanted to get it totally restored so that I may have given it to my future children one day. I currently have no information or leads as to there whereabouts of my boat.

The boat is a 1963 Lonestar El Dorado. I never took any pictures of the entire boat itself, but the original brochure has a picture of it that is pretty spot on to mine. The original paint on my boat was red but the body is heavily sanded and mostly appears gray with a faded red bow. The license number on the bow is 1609B, though I dont know if the people that stole the boat scraped this off. The boat had a 100hp 1969 Kiekhaefer Mercury 100 hp six cylinder outboard, black. What is very recognizable about this boat that distincts it from others of the same model is that a custom railing was built that completely surrounds the bow of the boat made out of alluminum. On the center of the roof is a silver hole for the anchor light to plug in. It has a metallic horn on the passenger side of the roof, mounted. If the inside has not been gutted, it had two white side panels with mounted white speakers, four seats, a wooden dash board, a custom built wooden box covered in carpet at the stern with built in rod holders that was used to house the fuel tanks for the engine with hinging doors to open it. Windshield is fiberglass and is free if cracks.

The trailer is custom built and is gray iron, with a simple crank winch on the front and rollers down the middle to support the hull.

The link to the brochure is below, the boat looks exactly like the one pictured but the stripes down the side are absent as they have been sanded:
www.fiberglassics.com/library/File:Lonestarb59010.jpg

If you have ANY information AT ALL about the whereabouts of my boat or how to get it back and/or if you need more information, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE to email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call me directly at 8046874372. My name is Brandon. A REWARD IS OFFERED FOR ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN HELP MY FIND MY BOAT.

Thank you for any help you can provide, I hope members of the community can help my find my boat.

Brandon
I sincerely hope you get your boat back.
There is nothing worse than a thief.
The penalties are not swift and stiff enough in my opinion.
Neil

I'm so sorry Brandon, I'm sure all the members will be keeping an eye out. It was a good idea to post it here. I hope someone sees it and the thief gets what's coming to him.

Check all the scrap yards in your area. It has probably already been sold for the price of the aluminum - but you might catch it before it gets crushed.

How sad.

brandon,im sorry about your boat,but maybe keep an eye on craigslist and newspaper ads,i might even put in ads to cl and newspapers looking to buy an old cabin cruiser,most crooks are dumb,they might answer your ad,john

Sorry to hear about the loss of your boat. Contact every scrap yard, boat dealer in your state and surrounding states.Don't give up on it.It took 2yrs but my buddy got his back. It was only about 5 blocks from his house. Just keep digging, your bound to find something. Skip.

I would put a "WANTED" ad in the local news paper and Craigs list! SO very sorry to hear about your loss I have had things stolen and it feels terrable. My ad would say: Wanted old aluminum hard top boat. Just my 2 cents. Good luck and we will all keep looking for you.

That is terrible Brandon, so sorry to hear about your mis-fortune. The gang has given some good advise above, and we'll all be keeping our eyes open for your El Dorado!

Brandon, I am in the Baltimore area and I check CL daily. I like DelRays idea. They might take the bait. I'm sure we'll all keep an eye out for you. Good luck. Shipster.

Brandon,
Very sorry to hear this disturbing news. I live in the southern Maryland area and I will keep an eye out also.

Bob

as i in n.j...i'll also mention it at the acbs shows i attend. too bad you don't have a pic. ron

Might be good advice to everyone else to get some pics of your boats now. Specifically parts that make it unique so it can be identified if the numbers are changed.

Hope you find your boat.

Brandon, You should contact DNR to see if anyone has applied for a duplicate title.

Most states make it very hard to re-title/license a boat if not title/license is in hand. Definatly talk to the people that license boats in your state and the DNR. I bet they will keep a note of it. Here in iowa the DNR has to come out and inspect the boat your re-titleing. So if they know what has been stolen befoehand they might catch them. And your boat is very unique not many around.

Also check scrap yards in your area, take a picture of that brochure to them and give it to them with your phone number.

Because once the crooks find out that they will have a hard time getting it in there name they will most likely try to sell it as scrap.
Conrad

Not to diminish any of the good ideas here - but the more I thought about it the more I'm certain it was theft for scrap. Around here scrap yards aren't picky about registrations for scrap boats - and in states where they are it's not a problem to cut them up and scrap them in pieces.

Hit the scrap yards fast and hard.

I sold an aluminum 14' Jon that was bent in 2 by Ike for $160 scrap just the other day....just the boat...no motor .

Knowing that my boat is not going in the water anytime soon nor am I planning on moving her, I think I may take the tires off the trailer. At any rate I believe its better for the tires.

Brandon, There are not printable words for what I think should be done to the thief. I am SO SORRY.

ACBS has a facebook page. Maybe post there.
Big Fins Boats & IBoats have forums. Mabe post there.
Even the Chris Craft forum.

Maybe keep an eye out on Ebay and Craigs list.

I will keep my eyes open down here in Georgia.

What a slime bucket.

I am so sorry to hear of your loss and equally sad to say this (and it's not what you need to hear right now) but Peter Crowl is correct. Someone is probably going to cut the boat with a sawzall and try to get money for the aluminum. The price for aluminum is at a high point of .55 per pound right now. Most of the legitimate scrap dealers require a drivers license to allow someone to drop off and redeem metal. Therein lies your hope in catching these most despicable thieves. So you need to inform the local detectives this and investigate all scrap metal dealers within a 20 mile radius. Also, the post that someone found a boat just 5 blocks away is interesting. Someone has definitely seen your boat and had their eye on it for some time. Look close around as well. Also...the motor is another thing. Let's hope they are as stupid as they are ignorant and try to sell it on Craigslist, and I therefore will be looking out from the Northern Virginia area for anything resembling your boat and motor.

My 16 ft flatbed gets left on job sites many times...we take the lug nuts off the two tires on one side and then slide some nuts that are too large on the bolts...We chain it and lock the ball hitch

On night I got a call from the city police that my trailer was in the middle of the Rd with the tires on one side missing

Some one cut the locks and went to make off with the trailer....they made it to the turn out the drive and the wheels fell off. It cost me $75 to have a wrecker lift it and put it back on the job site...however I still have the trailer

They caught the guys later that week for someone got the tag # as they were working to get the trailer off the truck

Yes I paid the person with the information $100 and the two guys served 90 days and (weekends)had to pay me all that I was out...time fuel wrecker the $100 ... all came to $660 and they could not get off probation till I signed off that I was paid...


The reason for the slide on nuts is so that they will not replace the nuts with some of their own or from the other side ....

Call the Police and hit the scrap yards!!! Show them a picture of the boat. Call the department of motor vehicle registration. Damn thieves.

I've got an aluminum 18 footer. I think I'll get a trailer hitch lock for mine this weekend. They steal air conditioners out of backyards here in Detroit. They take the siding off houses and cut your catalytic converter off your vehicles.

thats why i carry insurance.

Insurance is always smart but how many of us insure the rough projects we have parked in the weeds? What value would it insure for? My guess the El Dorado - as described - would have an insurance value of nil.

Brandon, I'm in your neck of the woods, over in Westover Hills. I'll keep an eye out and I agree: post on as many of the local craigslists. The Richmond, Fredericksburg, Hampton, even some in NC.

I suspect they wanted the engine: you may want to call Coopers Marine in Glen Allen and see if anyone has brought it in or ordered parts for a '69 merc 1000.

Brandon,

An anonymous person sent me this link that they thought could be related:

boats.smartcarguide.com/listing/40793821

Brandon, sorry to here that, if caught they need to walk the plank.alot of good advice here. good luck in finding your baby!!

well i hate it bud i own a locksmith business and i see this all the time .people calling about locking stuff up where a neighbor has gotten broken into. stuff stolen. i would go around to the scrap yards and talk to the guys bringing the stuff in. make friends with them give a few bucks to keep their eyes open. there are alot of guys that will work harder than the police if you give them an incentive too. they tell their friends and it might cost you a few hundred dollars but if the money is right you will find out who took it. sit in the yards and talk to the scrapers.. they know something.

billy

sorry i didnt know this was posted three years ago... hahahaha