ribs and dories robbed of gear and petrol

HUMBER P4VWL · 04 August 2009, 12:32

After finding our dinghy and a friends in a different spot to where we left them a week ago, we suspected people were "borrowing the dinghy" while we were away to save blowing inflatables up etc. That in itself is cheeky enough, but i suspect they were "borrowing" stuff from other moored boats while they used them, and then yes, those unscrupulous bas**rds went to our boat.

Not only did they take the fishing rod off the boat my dad has owned since he was 21, they took another one, our on board tool kit and reserve petrol. Then they tried to get the two 70 litre tanks out of the console..unsuccessfully thank god. Didnt touch the electrics, so probably kids. I blame Gordon brown, if petrol were cheaper they wouldnt do it!!

Then they moved on to a couple of dories nearby, cut the fuel lines and stole the tanks.

They even had the cheek (ironically they picked ours!) to use our dinghy off the beach to get out to the moored boats.

In 25 years of our boat being moored, nothing has ever been stolen while afloat. (other than the mooring tackle on spring tides!)

I'd love to just wait one weekend and shoot them with a 12 bore while they row out!!

chewy · 04 August 2009, 14:35

Sorry about that mate, I'm the same as you, just leave everything in open lockers.

willk · 04 August 2009, 15:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

I blame Gordon brown,

They even had the cheek (ironically they picked ours!) to use our dinghy off the beach to get out to the moored boats.

Why blame poor old Browner? It's not like he provided the Getaway craft!

I think if I had a dinghy tender on shore, I'd put one of those nice circular screwout access hatches in the transom, and take the centre piece home with me....

chewy · 04 August 2009, 20:25

I'm currently working in Norway and apparently they is still a drug problem here.
Thing is there is not alot of crime out here, people leave sat navs in cars, leave cars running whlst they go to the shops, bikes outside shops and house and nothing goes missing.
I'm not sure what the punishments are out here but you see lots of kids about and none give you cheek or make you feel threatened.
Even the bouncers are really friendly in all the pubs and clubs.

The UK in general is going down the pan.

HUMBER P4VWL · 04 August 2009, 21:02

it is amazing how much we all feel done over by scum of today. Just wish the policiticians of either party actually experienced it, rather than lining their pockets and living in gated mansions.

By the way, have just found out, 3 other boats got broken in to on the fri/sat and then another from beaumaris bay. nicked a dinghy from the pier, rowed out to a large fisher and unscrewed an on board generator!!!! Seems like they swept the straits before the weekend jumbles.

Quite ironic that there were boating jumble sales that week end on anglesey and in conwy!! Bet half the gear would have been found there!!

Have decided to take the bung out of the little plastic dinghy when not using it, now they will just sink about 50m from shore as it has an inner hull and they won't realise until too late. I hope to have the last laugh. With the tides in the straits they should hopefully flounder!

chewy · 04 August 2009, 21:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

Have decided to take the bung out of the little plastic dinghy when not using it, now they will just sink about 50m from shore as it has an inner hull and they won't realise until too late. I hope to have the last laugh. With the tides in the straits they should hopefully flounder!

My mate sealed a crack in his dinghy with silicone and a piece of duck tape, needless to say it leaked!

Have a look for a water tight henderson hatch, should do the job!

HUMBER P4VWL · 07 August 2009, 14:41

The olds (parents) just seen the old bill re the theft. Evidently "There have been around a dozen thefts per week over the last 3 months around anglesey and the straits" "we are seeing 3 other people this afternoon". "Oh that's ok then, as long as it isn't just us!!!"

Cue a codders rant!!!

adamdavi3s · 12 August 2009, 10:17

Quote:

Have decided to take the bung out of the little plastic dinghy when not using it, now they will just sink about 50m from shore as it has an inner hull and they won't realise until too late. I hope to have the last laugh. With the tides in the straits they should hopefully flounder!

Hate to be a cynic at my ripe old age of 26 but you want to watch out you don't end up getting sued if they hurt themselves while trying to 'borrow' your 'un-seaworthy' boat!!!

chewy · 12 August 2009, 10:25

Can't get sued if you leave a little note on it saying please don't steal, not sea worthy.

adamdavi3s · 12 August 2009, 10:49

Now that made me laugh!

HUMBER P4VWL · 02 October 2009, 13:24

Are the police inept. All the tools we replaced on the boat have been swagged again. The police know it is going on and they do diddly. In 30 years, nothing stolen, never even thought about the boat on the mooring, now it's constantly in my head.

i wish they had build the marina in beaumaris now, though the "rights" of the poxy mussel fisherman that werent there 10 years ago stopped it. Grrrrrrrrr.

Im going to wait on board, might be a long month or so living on the rib, but would be bloody worth it. I'll have to invest in a cabin redbay so i have some shelter.

JSP · 02 October 2009, 15:23

Sorry to hear about that Paul. Sounds like someone's regularly checking boats to see what's on them.

So the marina at beaumaris came to a halt did it?

HUMBER P4VWL · 03 October 2009, 10:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSP

Sorry to hear about that Paul. Sounds like someone's regularly checking boats to see what's on them.

It would appear so, but the police can't see it. Give me a decent cabin rib, funded by the council, minimum wage while i'm on the water and I'll catch the buggers. They have a rib to patrol for idiot jet skiers and speeders by Port Dinorwic. Give it me at night and i'll do it.

So the marina at beaumaris came to a halt did it?

Unfortunately it did. It went on over the last 5 years, they got the grant to build it, but then it went to court because the mussell fisherman said it would infringe their rights to income, fishing etc. They wouldnt accept compensation or anything. Bloody idiots.

The town would have thrived, it would have been a 24hr, fully tidal marina, next to a historic town, with in an hour of chester and liverpool. Conwy is good facility wise, but crap as you can only get in and out for a few hours. Beaumaris has come on leaps and bounds recently s a result of the proposal, with wine bars, delhis, decent restaurants etc but it went all the way to the Welsh assembly in Cardiff and was turned down. What a waste of potential income and jobs for the locals.

My brother in law worked as an external management accountant for North Wales to go and see what spending had occurred on the grants and what income had arisen. He found they had built telesales buildings for millions. On asking why they had spent it on that, as there were no tenants or local businesses to use it, they said they had the money that year and if they hadn't spent it they wouldn't have got any more the next year. It was quickest project they could come up with to utilise the funds. I hate the way Wales is supported in such an uneconomic fashion. Support them fine, but use it wisely and make the most of such a beautiful country. Help the kid's schools or something, not build a bloody telesales complex that isn't used (Cue codders).

JSP · 03 October 2009, 13:15

I know there was talk about it being built when my dad bought his Princess from Conway (but through dickies).
Most council departments have to spend what budget they have before the end of their economic year. If they don't then the year after they are given what they spent the previous year. So they will throw money at something willy nilly just to make sure it's all gone.

Poly · 03 October 2009, 14:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

Are the police inept. All the tools we replaced on the boat have been swagged again. The police know it is going on and they do diddly. In 30 years, nothing stolen, never even thought about the boat on the mooring, now it's constantly in my head.

i wish they had build the marina in beaumaris now, though the "rights" of the poxy mussel fisherman that werent there 10 years ago stopped it. Grrrrrrrrr.

Im going to wait on board, might be a long month or so living on the rib, but would be bloody worth it. I'll have to invest in a cabin redbay so i have some shelter.

I realise it must really grate getting stuff nicked - especially when it keeps happening. But do you really think the police would/could/should make this a priority?

Look at it from the point of view of the police management: you left reasonably valuable gear unattended presumbably either unlocked or with minimal security, other than the fact that you needed a boat to get to it. It gets nicked. You replace gear, it gets nicked again (speak to any policeman and he'll tell you that thieves often go back to get the "replacement gear" so this is no surprise). But we are talking a few hundred pounds from each boat. He can't predict exactly when it will get nicked next, so to catch someone he has to sit and watch and wait... perhaps for several days/nights, then to actually aprehend a thief he'll quite possibly need a boat and several officers. Meanwhile those officers are not free for other duties - like dealing with assaults etc which innevitably have to be bigger/more urgent priorities.

The sad reality is if you live in any area thats become a crime hotspot then you, not the police, need to take the steps to prevent being the victim again. So remove valuables from the boat or at least lock them away so that other peoples are easier to nick. If you are leaving a very valuable asset (like your boat) relatively insecure (such as a mooring) it would make sense to invest in the means to reduce the risk to it. Trackers would obviously tell you if the whole boat got nicked - but recently there was someone promoting (on here) a system that had "locker" alarm switches on it too. I guess if you really wanted to catch them (and I would suggest you leave the apprehension bit to Mr Policeman) then you could hide a tracker inside a tool box or fuel tank (probably best not to but fuel in it!) and see where it ends up. I guess you could also have some fun by leaving a fuel tank on the boat that didn't contain petrol... or which was contaminated so their engine would conk out if they used it...

Nos4r2 · 03 October 2009, 17:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

which was contaminated so their engine would conk out if they used it...

Some of the iboats forum members have done this-favourite being petrol with added brake fluid. If they're putting the fuel in cars the car doesn't last long at all...

JSP · 03 October 2009, 17:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Some of the iboats forum members have done this-favourite being petrol with added brake fluid. If they're putting the fuel in cars the car doesn't last long at all...

I really like that idea. Those with in board tanks could leave a 25l tank on deck. Take the boat out for the day with all your mates and have the deck tank half full of old fuel. Use it as a toilet for the day and then top up water

Nos4r2 · 03 October 2009, 18:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSP

I really like that idea. Those with in board tanks could leave a 25l tank on deck. Take the boat out for the day with all your mates and have the deck tank half full of old fuel. Use it as a toilet for the day and then top up water

Nah, do it properly.Water won't do much damage...
Incidentally, sugar won't do permanent damage either.

JSP · 03 October 2009, 18:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Nah, do it properly.Water won't do much damage...
Incidentally, sugar won't do permanent damage either.

SO brake fluid it is then? I'm off to Halfords!

Halfords, sponsors of destroying thieving tw@ts cars on RIBnet.

chewy · 03 October 2009, 18:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSP

SO brake fluid it is then? I'm off to Halfords!

Halfords, sponsors of destroying thieving tw@ts cars on RIBnet.

I can just see the thread, JSP wondering why his engine won't run after using that spare tank of fuel he had on deck!