There have been a couple of cases in the news lately – one in California and one in Canada. Not dinghy theft or outboard motors, but the entire vessel.
I have not heard any of the facts leading up to the thefts yet (still searching when I can for more information). Is this the new trend? Or just an anomaly?
Be careful with your vessel; consider investing in a monitoring/tracking system such as GOST Marine’s NT-Evolution (links here and here), or another system that fits your budget/needs.