Very weird sight tonight!

[Whippy]

Near my home in East County Cork tonight I came along behind this truck and it's unusual and precarious load. Now... there was no lashings, no straps (that I saw), one thin rope line at the bow and this beauty of a rib was sitting on nothing other than a load of old tyres. It rocked from side to side on the tyres with road undulations. And potholes etc. It just didn't look right to me in our sleepy rural area where I'd know almost all the local boats and owners.... so much so that I've been on the ride on mower for the evening and it's been bothering me more and more as the night has drawn in. I dont want yo be a pain in the ass but I'm considering calling the police. This truck has a crane on the tractor unit and he could simply have just lifted it. I know it could obviously be absolutely innocent but... it's neither a safe or respectful (to your gorgeous fresh boat) way to transport your pride and joy. Plus... with lots of old bridges locally the top of that A frame just doesn't look like it's at a safe height.

Am I overthinking it?

Pretty sure it looks like an XS rib about 5 to 6 meters.

[willk]

Originally Posted by Whippy

...but I'm considering calling the police...

Informer.

[Whippy]

Ha ha! You'd never guess where that ^^^ guy was from, would ya.... [emoji23]


Anyway, been in touch with the Feds in Midleton for the last hour or so and sent them the videos. Like me they think it's strange and indeed dangerous but could, of course, be nothing. They have the reg and the haulage companies details now anyway so can follow it up in the morning if they wish - it's off my chest either way! [emoji1417]

Too many of our boats being stolen so.... rightly or wrongly, I didn't want to let it pass.

[jeffstevens763@g]

absolutely the right thing to do whippy and good on ya, if not stolen it could have easily have rolled off on a bend or roundabout
funny the boat has a trailer board on with no number plate

[Poly]

It's a little unconventional - but there is actually a ratchet strap on the transom eyes visible in one of the pics. In the UK there is no height limit on load - so the a frame would be legal - not sure about Ireland.

However my guess is he's just bought it (or his mate has) without trailer and needed a creative way to get it home. If you were going to nick boats this way presumably you wouldn't draw attention to yourself like this and would put fewer tires in the truck so it drops down out of sight? I think callling the police was reasonable, I think going home and cutting the grass first was odd... the risk to road users had probably gone.

[Whippy]

Maybe you're right Poly but... that's how it played out either way. We've had a lot of rain lately - the window for harvesting lawn was just perfect. [emoji12] by the way, very rarely would a boat sell here without a trailer being included - less than 1% of sales are minus a trailer I'd wager.

Jeff - one of the main reasons it bothered me over the period of the evening was the light board being present. Why?

Anyway. I'm sure it was probably innocent.

[jeffstevens763@g]

maybe cutting the grass was therapeutic and gave you time to consider before calling the police, at any rate it doesn't look right i would have done the same.

i was with the suzuki rep the other day he told me a client had fitted a 300hp to a new boat for a customer they put the boat on the mooring overnight because the tide wasn't right for the next day for sea trials, overnight someone took the boat laid slabs down to the water's edge to get a transit as near to the boat as possible stern in, chain sawed the engine off used a strop to the van and reversed the van back to load it.

so that boat stuck on top of a lorry full of tyers seems quite feasible if you're on the rob

[69cmw]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

funny the boat has a trailer board on with no number plate

So do my boats, never bothered me though [emoji848]

[breezeblock]

I doubt its stolen its not exactly an inconspicuous way to transport a boat why bother phoning plod it looks safe albeit unconventional

[treerat]

Originally Posted by breezeblock

why bother phoning plod

Because it raises enough question to ask - and one day it might be mine!

[jeffstevens763@g]

Driver in hospital after lorry overturns on village road - Lincolnshire Live

In our local paper today and it didn't have a tonne of boat stuck on top trying to tip it over

[samt]

Looks like its carrying some type of steel pontoons (look at the mooring posts) so guessing the RIB is their workboat/safety boat.

[Whippy]

Those posts are merely coincidental. Report back from the cops this evening by email are,and it gets weirder as... it is a glue truck... now... I'm a farmer son, we had the glue truck visit a few times a year. Would you put your rib up on the back of it on top of a shit load of dead carcasses?!? [emoji15]

They've no report of a stolen rib (yet) but plod are certainly cautiously interested....

[HDAV]

Originally Posted by samt

Looks like its carrying some type of steel pontoons (look at the mooring posts) so guessing the RIB is their workboat/safety boat.

THat was my thought, but if it is a "glue truck" (crane mounted on trailer or tractor?) then the boat is probably a bonus load for driver or haulier. A stolen boat is far less conspicuous in a curtain sider or even on trailer behind a white van with dodgy plates.......

[willk]

Originally Posted by Whippy

Ha ha! You'd never guess where that ^^^ guy was from, would ya.... [emoji23]

I'd no idea Corkmen were so law-abiding

Up here it's "Snitches get Stitches"

I can't see the peelers getting too worked up about an inflatable boat awash with foetid cow guts. They have suspects to beat up and false reports to write about their colleagues...

[Whippy]

Originally Posted by HDAV

THat was my thought, but if it is a "glue truck" (crane mounted on trailer or tractor?) then the boat is probably a bonus load for driver or haulier. A stolen boat is far less conspicuous in a curtain sider or even on trailer behind a white van with dodgy plates.......

Crane on tractor actually and I absolutely agree with you!

[Whippy]

Originally Posted by willk

I'd no idea Corkmen were so law-abiding

Up here it's "Snitches get Stitches"

I can't see the peelers getting too worked up about an inflatable boat awash with foetid cow guts. They have suspects to beat up and false reports to write about their colleagues...

Absolutely right..... When I get a few things tied up here over the next few days I fly back to our other home in Almaty City, Kazakhstan, Central Asia for a good dose of....... erm.... proper.... law, order and justice.............. [emoji15]

[Daibheid]

Better sure than sorry as it is very unusual in Ireland to sell a RIB without a trailer, there just aren't the marina facilities to live without a trailer. That said, the picture does indeed show it's sitting on marine pontoons so most likely a package for bridge or quay construction complete with workboat.

I've had at least one trailer breakdown - it happens to us all eventually. I would not leave the boat unattended because of that risk of an opportunist with a HIAB and a flat bed combined with the fact that RIBS are virtually untraceable when nicked.

[tonymac]

Looks dodgy to me