SAN FRANCISCO—On Tuesday, May 28, sailors who are part of the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors (BAADS) were stranded on the dock after it was discovered that several of the boats had been damaged and cut through in order to steal the outboard motor.
The organization takes those with disabilities out on boats and assists them with operating the boats on their own. With the thousands of dollars in damage done through this theft, it may be a while before they can get back out on the boats once again. One source says that because the thieves took so many of the motors, there simply aren’t enough boats to assure there are people following the disabled sailors and are there to assist them should anything happen.
The BAADS boats, which are docked on Pier 40, are the only boats that had there motors stolen. Those involved with the organization are confused and taken-aback by this theft and do not understand the motive behind it.
BAADS is a non-profit organization which functions with the help of volunteers. They are hoping that through volunteering and donations, they will be able to get their boats back on the water as soon as possible.
A racer from BAADS, Eric Roberts, posted on Facebook: “If anyone has a small outboard motor they’d like to donate to Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors, now’s a good time. They just had 5 stolen. Stealing from the disabled, how low can you get?”
If you have a motor you’d like to donate, you can contact this BAADS Board member: brianpeasen@yahoo.com.
By Nedda Alishahi
