Mark Puska is in disbelief after two large sailboat masts, a boat trailer and a canoe were stolen from his property on Cowichan Bay Road in the early-morning hours of Dec. 28.
Puska said the two masts, one 13 metres and the other almost 11 metres, were made of heavy aluminum and ordinarily require six men with a crane and a flatbed truck to move.
He said the boat trailer that was taken would have been totally insufficient for the job.
Puska said he noticed a lot of skid marks on the road when he dropped by the property on Dec. 28, but can’t understand how anyone could transport the masts, which are estimated to be worth more than $20,000, without anyone seeing something.
“It’s just beyond me how they did this,” he said.
“It’s obvious that the property was scoped out because the masts were far from the road and hidden away. I have no insurance on the masts, so it’s a total loss for me.”
Cpl. Krista Hobday, a spokeswoman for the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment, said there’s no doubt that a “concerted effort” was required to remove the masts and other equipment from the property.
“Our members observed a lot of damage on the ground from the dragging of the masts and other equipment that was taken,” she said.
“No witnesses to this crime have come forward at this time so we’re appealing to the public to get in contact with us if they have any information.”
Anyone with information on this crime can call the RCMP detachment at 250-748-5522.
