Burglaries targeting yachts and houseboats in the Oakland-Alameda Estuary have surged, prompting comparisons to the pirate movie "Captain Phillips."
The thieves not only steal valuable items but also sink the ships or discard the remnants of the plundered boats in the Oakland Harbor or along its shorelines. Dan Hill, a resident of the 800-foot waterway, estimates that each attack costs owners thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.