Problems in 'Paradise' :-(

[Highland Fling]

We had our 12 foot AB RIB with 15 HP Mercury outboard stolen the other day at around 03:00 - (we were woken up by something) while at anchor in Grand Case St Martin. Then we heard on the Cruiser Net Ch 14 that another one was stolen the day before from Grand Case. We had just crossed over from the VI's so had not listened to the cruiser net and taken the precaution of lifted our RIB out of the water. Also heard post our RIB/Outboard being stolen from Mike at Shrimpys Laundry (The St Martin Oracle and Net Controller) that there were 30 stolen in the last month. He lost three (he does a bit of buying and selling) two of his RIB's were recovered but no engines and five went missing from Port Royal Marina........SO BE CAREFUL. Chaining and padlocking them up seems to be the minimum BUT that did not stop ours or the ones in Port Royal Marina from being stolen - lifting out of the water and locking up seems to be now required IF you want to keep your Dinghy and Outboard in St Martin.

[Navicula]

just wondering..................where do 30 stolen dingys go in st marteen....
someone has to talk...........put out a 5000 dollar reward on it, and someone will roll over..........

by the way..........I feel your pain.......sorry

[misty]

I hope you reported this incident to the noonsite web site!

[sarafina]

Get a dog?

[Highland Fling]

Originally Posted by misty

I hope you reported this incident to the noonsite web site!

DONE thanks for the memory prod

[Highland Fling]

Originally Posted by sarafina

Get a dog?

ONLY if YOU will come and take it walkies every day and train it to do its businees on a bit of astro-turf on the swimming platform when we are on passage. Even in the caribbean we can sail for 18 hours or so on passage.

[sarafina]

Sorry, the crew here would object if I packed up and headed to warmer waters without them, other wise Cara the Wonderdog and I would be HAPPY to accommodate your need for a security system.

Trick is to train them for swimmies for exercise, and to go where it's easy to sluice off!

I suspect Cara would even like sleeping in the dinghy. now THAT would be a surprise for the crooks!

[bobconnie]

We have 2 small wire hair terriers that love to sleep in our dingy, and they think there pit bulls when ya wake em up sudden like ! LOL Never thought about lettin them sleep there at anchor? we always bring our dingy aboard at night, but just maybe the little shitehounds will get a new job !!!

[Blue Stocking]

A few years back, a story made the rounds here in BERMUDA of a French man selling small RIBs and motors. These apparently had been stolen at this time of year from the mass of North travelling boats. He, apparently, intended to cash in on the time/distance difference and scoot East with the cash.
Someone from another boat is said to have recognised a RIB, stolen from a friend.
St Georges harbour is full right now, stay vigilant folks.
I have no confirmation of these reports.

[Highland Fling]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

A few years back, a story made the rounds here in BERMUDA of a French man selling small RIBs and motors. These apparently had been stolen at this time of year from the mass of North travelling boats. He, apparently, intended to cash in on the time/distance difference and scoot East with the cash.
Someone from another boat is said to have recognised a RIB, stolen from a friend.
St Georges harbour is full right now, stay vigilant folks.
I have no confirmation of these reports.

Well for any Hercule Poirot's out there here is the INFO

Theft of AB Navigo 12VS RIB and 15HP Mercury Outboard and other items from off the transom of Highland Fling anchored at Grand Case St Martin 12/05/2012 app 03:00 Hrs.

Items stolen

AB Navigo RIB 12VS Model Grey Tubes White GRP hull with Red/Maroon Anti Foul Paint on hull below waterline. Starboard aft tube was not holding air 100% and went soft(ish) after a few days


Items in dinghy

Two collapsible paddles Yellow in Colour
Two LifeJackets / Buoyancy Aids Marked Highland Fling
Dinghy anchor (Mini Danforth) chain and warp
Grey Plastic tool box with missing catches (removed last week as they were corroding)
5 Gallon Yamaha Gas Tank Red
Mercury Gas Hose Silver with new connector at engine side fixed with a S/S Jubilee Clip

Padlock (Yellow) on engine (I have spare keys should you need them to identify padlocks)
Padlock (Yellow) on end of plastic covered security wire app 15 feet long (I imagine the padlocks are long gone of course)


Dinghy Identification features

Two repairs to the tubes and one to the GRP Hull
Professional Oval Patch on front tube
DIY double layered patch on bottom inside of Starboard front tube just above GRP floor level
DIY GRP epoxy repair inside the back of the front locker (looks messy)


The front strip with the grommets (on the Front tube) for fixing a spray cover had lost/worn away the top layer of Hypalon due to the constant rubbing of the securiity line so it was a black/dark grey colour now.


The ///AB flashes on the side were not complete any more the coloured /// inserts in front of AB had fallen out


Navigation Light mount on inner side of the port side of the transom - this is a metal bracket with a centre eye bolt to hold the alloy pole for the portable (internal batteries) all round white navigation light.

Four GRP Blobs filling in four holes where a rectangular ID plate was - these are on the inner side of the starboard side of the transom.
A white rippled GRP coating for about 6 inches on the top of the Starboard side of the transom………underneath this is Highland Fling drilled into the GRP transom using a small twist drill (this GRP coating hiding our boat name was placed on the dinghy by someone who stole it from us before when Highland Fling was stored in a boatyard last hurricane season. Obviously we traced the dinghy and had it returned.

The Mercury 15HP outboard S/N 18524937 had a black DAVIS Lifting Sling round the engine top cover. It also had White DAVIS Doel-Fins on the cavitation plate so if they have been removed the cavitation plate will have four fixing holes visible two on either side of the centreline.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

We have 2 small wire hair terriers that love to sleep in our dingy, and they think there pit bulls when ya wake em up sudden like ! LOL Never thought about lettin them sleep there at anchor? we always bring our dingy aboard at night, but just maybe the little shitehounds will get a new job !!!

Ha ha,,,I have a Jack Rascal terror. Little dog with a Baaaaaad attitude. No need for astrow turf as she uses the head and flushes most of the time...

[SkiprJohn]

Sorry about the dinghy theft.

St. Martin used to be more crime free when I was there in the mid 80s. Each year I went back there was more crime. As with all the islands, including here in the Hawaiian Islands, there are hundreds of teenage kids graduating from high school (or not) with no work to get who are looking for a way to make money. Each year they become more bold and enterprising.

Sorry for the social commentary and bit of thread drift. I truly am sorry you experienced this.

kind regards,

[Nemo55]

I have heard that Weasels are very protective,,i have also heard that a weasel going up ones pant leg is quite an eye opener....sounds like a good alarm system to me,,*just sayin*

[Nemo55]

I saw that same scene in Alien II ,,very Scuuurrry.....

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Ha ha,,,I have a Jack Rascal terror. Little dog with a Baaaaaad attitude. No need for astrow turf as she uses the head and flushes most of the time...

[simonmd]

Sorry to hear of your loss but thanks for reminding us that such things happen. I'm off cruising soon and i don't have a decent lock for my Zodiac, it's now on my 'to do' list tomorrow!

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Ha ha,,,I have a Jack Rascal terror. Little dog with a Baaaaaad attitude. No need for astrow turf as she uses the head and flushes most of the time...

I'm afraid this is what any robbers would be greeted with on my boat, maybe the noise of them saying "awwww, how cute.." would wake me....