We have been stopping at Nanaimo Port Authority on our way North and South cruising for the past nine years. This year, we added Rad Power electric bikes to the boat. These bikes broaden what we can do when are tied up in a marina, and allow us to adventure further, or easier, than on foot.
We learned a lesson the hard way, that we hope we can save you from learning the same way.
After a wonderful dinner at La Stella Trattoria, we decided to bike down to Port Place Mall to pick up a few items we had forgotten on our earlier shopping trip before heading back to the boat. It was 9pm.
While riding around, we have become used to receiving constant compliments and inquiries about our Rad Bikes, and will answer any questions you might have. So it did not set off a red flag when some people who looked like they had fallen on hard times said “nice bikes!” as we road by them in the parking lot to Port Place Mall bike rack. It did alert us to lock them up securely with our cable lock, and we went inside for twenty minutes.
Twenty minutes. We came outside and our hearts sank. There was no evidence of our bikes ever being locked to the bike rack. It was broad daylight.
Tessa noted there was a security camera that may have caught footage of the thieves who took our bikes. We talked to security, and sure enough they had good footage of one but the second was wearing a hoodie. And they recognized the first person.
The security guard suggested going on a couple closed Facebook Nanaimo crime watch groups, and posting about our bikes. Because they are so unique, they are easy to spot. And the more traditional route was also taken, we called the non-emergency RCMP phone number to report our stolen bikes.
This is where the Nanaimo community rallied around us. Tessa was accepted into two closed Facebook groups by 11pm, and a third the next morning. Across the three groups our post was shared over 800 times and seen by thousands. We had gone viral.
By 8am, a member of Thieving Nanaimo Facebook group had spotted one of our bikes hanging out the back of a trunk, chased the car down, and retrieved our bike. Let that sink in. Our bikes were stolen at 9pm, and the first one was found at 8am.
Our second was spotted being ridden midday, but the lead went cold. We could not speak to an investigator until 5:30pm, because only the investigator assigned to our case was allowed to give us information and he was on the night watch shift.
So the waiting began. Or the “round-to-it” boat projects. We fixed, again, the guest head. And also ran a new VHF antenna cable from the flybridge to the pilothouse. Easier said than done, as it involves crawling in cabinets to feed the wire through an already packed chase.
7pm. We made the long trek to the marina office to settle up for moorage, and learned about an extensive street fair in progress that happens every Thursday night. We decided to check it out, with the goal of walking the outskirts to see if we could spot our bike being ridden.
We have learned a lot about the underbelly of Nanaimo in 24 hours. There is a huge drug and homeless problem, with not a solution in sight. Petty theft is rampant. All looking to get their next fix. And once our eyes were open to this, it was easily spotted.
7:20pm. Our investigator finally had a chance to go to Port Place Mall and look at the video footage. He recognized the thief. A second phone call: we were asked if we’d like our bike back today, or prosecution. As we are here on holiday, we took the former. He gave us the intersection of where it was stashed, and we met him there.
The first bike was missing the front wheel (assuming they took it off to make it fit in their car). The second bike was missing a bolt to hold the front wheel on (they also disassembled it). A few scratches and dirt on both, but other than that after a scrub they were as good as new.
On our walk back to the marina, we were stopped by four police officers and multiple members of the community who have all been on watch for our second bike. Everyone we talked to was so elated that we were able to recover both bikes. So were we.
We asked a couple locals if it is like this in other cities on the island, say Campbell River or Pt McNeill. They could not confirm, but did say this problem is not unique to Nanaimo. It is everywhere on Vancouver Island.
So fellow boaters. Learn from our mistake. A cable lock will not protect your bike. Know how to lock your bike up correctly, as they will strip what parts they can from it. Be aware of your surroundings.
We cannot thank the community of Nanaimo, and the greater Canadian community, enough for rallying around us and making it possible to be reunited with not one, but both bikes.
