Thieves are hitting boats at Maalaea Harbor on Maui, and the losses are big enough to knock fishing and tour operators out of work.

• One fishing boat, the Rod Bender, lost about $15,000 in rods, reels and tools in a Monday night break-in.
• Captain Tim Putnam's boat, the Musubi, was cleaned out of roughly $20,000 in gear and cannot run charters until he replaces it.
• Captains pay harbor and slip fees but say there are no guards and no cameras at night.
• One crew has spent over $10,000 on locking aluminum dock boxes just to protect their own equipment.
• Boaters want the state to fund overnight security, even a single guard from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., or install cameras.

Outlook: The state Department of Land and Natural Resources says it knows about the problem and is working on it, but no security plan has been announced.