My yacht is impounded

[Asmolian]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I'm guessing that English isn't your first language...I'm not following any of that.

"nick here.
gibson-ih, owner of this boat is Jan Hju Norval Gibson aka Ian Hugh location suburban of Johannesburg old address is forbidden to disposal. But again i know Spain return his boat only he must land on EU soil."

Nick has found some information on the vessel owner. Here is my "translation" of what Nick wrote.

He found it under: Gibson IH.

The individual is Jan Hju Norval Gibson. He is also known as Ian Hugh Gibson (Jan -Johannes- is Dutch for John and Ian is Scottish for John).

Nick found an old Johannesburg, South Africa, address for Gibson, but this information may not be disseminated.

He can claim his boat back from Spain, but he must do so from within the EU.

Hopes this helps.

[NPCampbell]

This should eliminate confusion about whether the previously linked article is associated with the OP. It is.


This Google translated article links the boat seized, Majic, to the owner of the boat "Gibson":

Boat seizure in the Canary Islands

[more]

Originally Posted by gibsonih

In 2020 I gave my mechanic permission to use our yacht so that he could accompany a charter fleet across the Atlantic. Or so he said.
Our yacht was boarded west of the Canaries and a large consignment of drugs were found on board.
He was arrested, and as far as we know our yacht is still impounded in the Canaries.
Quotes to engage a Spanish lawyer were about the same value as the yacht, so we didn't pursue the legal route.
No one has contacted us.
Can anyone offer advice as to how to reclaim our yacht?
Yacht is registered in Croatia. We live in South Africa.

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I'm guessing that English isn't your first language...I'm not following any of that.

member gibsonIH yacht impounded, owner of impounded boat Everbody talk is Jan Hju Norval Gibson aka Ian Hugh he live on location suburban of Johannesburg,sud africa .His old address from his passport is forbidden to dispose.



Do you now know or need more information.like he doesn't keep his yacht on the marina or legal moorings. (xx guy from Australia) in Croatia registered boat , put the anchor close house from this guy (mechanic) on the open sea illegally and leave boat unsecured.

[fstbttms]

The OP has been a member of this forum for seven years and has posted all of four times, including the post that started this thread. Now we're seven pages and almost 100 posts into this thread and the OP hasn't replied once. Something tells me we're not going to be hearing from him again.

[StuM]

From the article linked above:

also contains information that the yacht was previously registered under the same name in Great Britain and Northern Ireland

That explains the confusion in these posts:
> Yacht first register in the UK then 3 times sail over the ocean, later register in North Ireland

> There of course no such thing as a Northern Ireland yacht registration it’s simply a U.K. one

> sorry Ireland


Someone read the article and didn't realise that "Great Britain and Northern Ireland" refers to one state or country, not two.
It was only registered once - in "the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" to give it its full name.

[telltale]

How strange, gibsonih does not participate in this discussion, it seems as if he was only interested in publishing the original post as if he wanted to make a virginity on the matter. Or he is running like hell, or he is already, guest of the country's prisons.
I don't believe in naive adults ...

[Mithril Bham]

Normally the boat is seized along with the drugs. I hope that you can use a good tax write off.

[RaymondR]

I don't believe in naive adults ...

I do, you'd be amazed at the number of "naive adults" I've run into during my life. For instance, in any electoral enterprise a high percentage of voters actually believe the promises made by the politicians seeking their votes.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

I don't believe in naive adults ...

I do, you'd be amazed at the number of "naive adults" I've run into during my life. For instance, in any electoral enterprise a high percentage of voters actually believe the promises made by the politicians seeking their votes.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, telltale.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

Hi Stu,

It's ambiguous because it's poorly structured. Had he said "The mechanic wrongfully claimed I had given him permission to accompany a charter fleet across the Atlantic." there would be no doubt.

However, why add the "or so he said" unless the owner disputes it.

There is insufficient information to draw any conclusions regarding the true circumstances the owner may have innocently left the vessel in the care of the mechanic during these mobility restricted times.

Poor grammar doesn't stop the court from considering written evidence.

If it was the only evidence and he had reported the boat stolen months ago with an insurance claim and other actions to get it back, maybe he could avoid getting pulled in on charges (the boat is a lost cause).

But with an odd story of a known acquaintance having the boat for months and not pursuing it as a theft during that time, the court is likely to presume he meant that it was loaned to the mechanic and therefore likely was a participant in some form to the smuggling.

[goboatingnow]

Id agree with that assessment

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

But with an odd story of a known acquaintance having the boat for months and not pursuing it as a theft during that time, the court is likely to presume he meant that it was loaned to the mechanic and therefore likely was a participant in some form to the smuggling.

I fall on the view of his being a trusting soul who was screwed by making the mistake of trusting someone during Covid.

Like Fastbottoms, I went back and read the OP's old threads and posts, which seem to reflect a person who was a tentative, new boat owner.

I've been trying to put myself in his shoes and wonder if I'd heard the person (reputed mechanic-guy) had been arrested for drug-smuggling with my boat, what steps I would have taken?

I mean, he says he DID contact a lawyer and said to us that "it would have cost as much as the boat was worth". So there are budgetary concerns about hiring a lawyer, as well as there (probably) were budgetary concerns for allowing the mechanic to do the delivery in the first place.

About a year ago on this Forum, I recounted my own story of being aboard a delivery where we two crew (both attractive women) discovered en route that the captain had a significant amount of coke onboard. We were terrified (and completely innocent and naieve, I might add), since we were coming into Ft. Lauderdale, of all places! This was in the 90's before the days of drug-sniffing dogs (well, no drug-sniffing dogs searching pleasure craft at that time). When the Customs and Border Control Agent came aboard to check us in, he was very pleasant, chatted animatedly with Wendy and I about the trip, then conducted a perfunctory search and stamped us through.

Wendy and I then collected our gear, got away from that boat and captain as fast as possible, and warned everyone back in the BVIs (especially women) NOT to do any deliveries with that guy! In retrospect, we had been used as carefully chosen distractions.

ANYWAY, long story.

I guess what I'm saying is that we shouldn't be flaying this guy alive for trusting someone he thought he had an honest relationship with. He must be devastated. His trust has left him open to unanticipated legal fees, the loss of his boat and (as you've all stated) association with drug smuggling.

Nobody should have to find this out the hard way. And potential loss of one's boat is too high a price to pay. (It also sounds like the authorities would have stripped out the inside pretty thoroughly, so now if he ever gets the boat back, he'll be faced with refit costs...)

Not fair!
LittleWing77

[JC Reefer]

Op let’s have an honest conversation amongst us fellow pirates. [emoji57] come on…

All joking aside, this smells like trolling. Allowing someone to guide others across the Atlantic is silly enough but to not go and retrieve the vessel after over a year is not reality.

If this is a true story then you deserve to be seen as part of it. Get a lawyer because it will eventually track you down.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

I fall on the view of his being a trusting soul who was screwed by making the mistake of trusting someone during Covid.

........

I guess what I'm saying is that we shouldn't be flaying this guy alive for trusting someone he thought he had an honest relationship with. He must be devastated. His trust has left him open to unanticipated legal fees, the loss of his boat and (as you've all stated) association with drug smuggling.

Nobody should have to find this out the hard way. And potential loss of one's boat is too high a price to pay. (It also sounds like the authorities would have stripped out the inside pretty thoroughly, so now if he ever gets the boat back, he'll be faced with refit costs...)

Not fair!
LittleWing77

I seriously doubt the prosecutor (or whatever the Spanish equivalent is called) will take such a naïve approach. This is so out of the ordinary, that unless there is a lot more that hasn't been shared (possible), they are going to proceed on the assumption that the OP is at least somewhat involved until evidence to the contrary is brought forward.

If the OP really is innocent, he rightly has stopped posting since nothing good could come of it.