ICW "Pirates". Have you Seen?

[Irish rambler]

Hi you guys.
I came across this thread on CF and I know the French couple Pascal & Monique.
They had a small 26' sailboat which they moored at Vias in the Languedoc Roussillon region on the Canal Du Midi in the South of France.
They were known as 'clochards' (vagrant tramps) and rigged up a dodgy wire to the marina electric supply and were selling the electric to the passing hire boats for 10 euro's a night. he claimed he had an old claim pay out and left for Martinique. Monique stayed for around 2 months and then just upped and left to join him in Martinique.
No one here gave them the time of day as they were unclean, heavy drinkers and smoking pot all day.
The sailboat is lying abandoned and is subject to a notice of removal.
If I hear more I will post it on site here.

[Blue Crab]

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

I sat next to Ronnie Van Zant on an airplane once (not that airplane). He asked if i wanted to have a drink with him and of course I said yes. We drank 8 of those little bottles of Jack Black each on a 45 minute flight to Jax. Fla.

I did inhale.


Now back to crab poop.................................

Daddy always told me ... Crabs were the coolest cats....

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

There seems to be a lot of confusion on this thread about the role of Pat, the victim and what went on. First of all Pat is not the store owner, he is an employee. I don't know what he gets paid but I bet it isn't much. The check in question was not accepted for a purchase from the store. The crew of the Primadonna ostesibly sold something from their boat on the internet to raise money. The story they told is that they accepted this check in payment for that item. The local banks would not cash the check because the owner of Primadonna did not have an account at the banks. Pat had been befriended by the crew of Primadonna agreed to co-sign the check for them so they could get it cashed. When the check proved bad the next day the bank took the money out of Pat's account. This is not a case of a business being bilked out of the money, it is a personal issue. After this incident Pat could not get the time of day out of the Primadonna crew after speaking to them on almost a daily basis for several months. This is not just a story of the theft of the money, but of personal betreyal. The scum that was the crew of Primadonna does not deserve sympathy from anyone. I find it sad they were turned over to the French embassy, I would rather have heard that they got to spend a few months in Fox Hill prison.

It was a rather typical scam. They're run all the time. Never ever ever deposit a check written to someone else and give them cash. Especially today. There are check cashing stores all around. Send them there. The daytime court shows are filled with this scam.

But then you knew they were scammers before. Always check on the way from France. As soon as this is fixed I'll leave. Poor Pat was kind and naive. I wonder how many people said "no" to their request before he said, "yes."

Unfortunately, the local authorities did not feel they had a criminal case. It would have required a lot of work to prove ultimately that the Primadonna crew knew the check wasn't good. Then it would have been a crime that one could have prosecuted. As it was, it was a civil case. Ultimately a judgement could have been obtained over time and their boat attached, but they knew they could just move on and be clear.

As to prison in the Bahamas, just failing to legally clear in isn't going to rise to that. Forget what they did in NC or other places as those aren't relevant to the Bahamian officials. The crew is not wanted for anything, hasn't been to our knowledge convicted of any crime and certainly not one that would get them imprisoned and expedited. Also, the Bahamian government has no desire to incur the cost of keeping them up in prison. They just want them gone ultimately. Just as most in Oriental did.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Irish rambler

Hi you guys.
I came across this thread on CF and I know the French couple Pascal & Monique.
They had a small 26' sailboat which they moored at Vias in the Languedoc Roussillon region on the Canal Du Midi in the South of France.
They were known as 'clochards' (vagrant tramps) and rigged up a dodgy wire to the marina electric supply and were selling the electric to the passing hire boats for 10 euro's a night. he claimed he had an old claim pay out and left for Martinique. Monique stayed for around 2 months and then just upped and left to join him in Martinique.
No one here gave them the time of day as they were unclean, heavy drinkers and smoking pot all day.
The sailboat is lying abandoned and is subject to a notice of removal.
If I hear more I will post it on site here.

As always I think it was obvious that Oriental wasn't their first trip around the block. Scammers, crooks, and those who live off of and take advantage of the kindness of others just go from place to place. The story and people change but they don't. When the come to our attention isn't their first time but just one more. Once released and on their way, they'll start looking for the next place to target.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

We're all tired of reading about the ********.

I think this is what you met as I'm sure we have French people here who feel pretty insulted (Go Freedom Fries) ...

Perhaps. But I think most folks recognized the nationality as simply an adjective modifying that ugly noun, ********. Yep, I played an English teacher on TV; still get confused about them dang semicolons, tho. I figure I get it right about half the time. Yeah, I could Google it but few will spot the mistake; fewer still will bother to call me on it.

I had a rough night sleeping as I misspelled ecstatic on a post yesterday, and realized it too late to edit. You can't guess the misery. Some worry about getting by on low budgets. Fer me, it's English. It really is the little things in life, eh? Had to work in that Canadian reference. The French can't take all the hits. Lest any French folk were offended let me assuage feelings by pointing out that this US citizen/voter/veteran thinks our own government SUCKS bigtime, all the time.

That oughta do it.

I missed my true calling. Shoulda been a writer for Seinfeld, the show about nothing.

[Jimmy Jazz]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Perhaps. But I think most folks recognized the nationality as simply an adjective modifying that ugly noun, ********. Yep, I played an English teacher on TV; still get confused about them dang semicolons, tho. I figure I get it right about half the time. Yeah, I could Google it but few will spot the mistake; fewer still will bother to call me on it.

I had a rough night sleeping as I misspelled ecstatic on a post yesterday, and realized it too late to edit. You can't guess the misery. Some worry about getting by on low budgets. Fer me, it's English. It really is the little things in life, eh? Had to work in that Canadian reference. The French can't take all the hits. Lest any French folk were offended let me assuage feelings by pointing out that this US citizen/voter/veteran thinks our own government SUCKS bigtime, all the time.

That oughta do it.

I missed my true calling. Shoulda been a writer for Seinfeld, the show about nothing.

wow, some folks just cant own up to an ignorant remark with out passing the blame on. Watch, its easy. "Im sorry, I meant no disrespect to the French people by my remarks and I further apologize to the Canadians and my American government for involving them." See, its simple

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Jazz

wow, some folks just cant own up to an ignorant remark with out passing the blame on. Watch, its easy. "Im sorry, I meant no disrespect to the French people by my remarks and I further apologize to the Canadians and my American government for involving them." See, its simple

Yeah. What you said! Well done. Thanky.

Really though, if I tried to apologize for every ignorant remark ... sheesh.

[Jimmy Jazz]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Yeah. What you said! Well done. Thanky.

Really though, if I tried to apologize for every ignorant remark ... sheesh.

lol, up here we are not even aloud to say "the French"

[sailorboy1]

and yet probably only a few know, and I probably can not say more

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Jazz

lol, up here we are not even aloud to say "the French"

Gotcha. All this political correctness is bs, n'est-ce pas? I try to call em like I see em cuz life isn't a popularity contest.

Plus the whole concept of sailors taking advantage of situations drives me nuts. From these kooks to transients stealing toilet paper to hanging poolside in a hotel where you are not staying, the bums of the world hurt all the rest of us.

We have about a dozen liveaboard bums in these parts. Only a couple are thieves but all are drunken sots. And I say that with a merlot in hand. If they'd stay on their boats as hermits, who'd care? But no, they're always right downtown scaring the tourists.

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Jazz

wow, some folks just cant own up to an ignorant remark with out passing the blame on. Watch, its easy. "Im sorry, I meant no disrespect to the French people by my remarks and I further apologize to the Canadians and my American government for involving them." See, its simple

The French reference was wrong, but he owes no apology for the US Government one.

[frank_f]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Gotcha. All this political correctness is bs, n'est-ce pas? I try to call em like I see em cuz life isn't a popularity contest.

Plus the whole concept of sailors taking advantage of situations drives me nuts. From these kooks to transients stealing toilet paper to hanging poolside in a hotel where you are not staying, the bums of the world hurt all the rest of us.

We have about a dozen liveaboard bums in these parts. Only a couple are thieves but all are drunken sots. And I say that with a merlot in hand. If they'd stay on their boats as hermits, who'd care? But no, they're always right downtown scaring the tourists.

No hope of sending them off to Roanoke I take it. Who knows, lightning might strike twice.

[Coops]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Jazz

lol, up here we are not even aloud to say "the French"

Do you have to whisper it?

Coops.

[Irish rambler]

Hello guys, in reference the French couple, some of us have long memories and you only have to look at the shenanigans of their President to get the idea. I spend a good bit of time in France and married a French girl. The beaurocracy is a socialist nightmare and many will smile sweetly as they slide the knife in. There you go I've probably started World War 3.
Attached are some photo's of the boat Pascal and Monique abandoned in VIAS, France before they headed your way. Maybe, just maybe, the boat is registered in Sete,France which will give a bit of info to track them down and get some money returned to Pat, the victim of these parasites.