Sick Minds - Boat Holed

[rwoofer]

I'm waiting in the rain in my car for the police to arrive as I've just discovered someone has fired a gun at my boat and holed it. First noticed inside when I saw fibreglass shreds inside and burn marks on bulkhead. The boat is ashore and they shot it from the far side as if they were deliberately trying to avoid anyone noticing.

All this just after a winter working on it and just before I was about to launch. Absolutely gutted and because nothing was taken I can only assume this was a sick joke of someone.

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Twats
Have you found the bullet?
The good news is that it should presumably be relatively easy to repair and that plod are likely to take it seriously

 

[colhel]

I know very little about guns but it seems to me as though it must have been a powerful peice of kit to hole a boat. Commiserations and hope the police catch them.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I'm waiting in the rain in my car for the police to arrive as I've just discovered someone has fired a gun at my boat and holed it. First noticed inside when I saw fibreglass shreds inside and burn marks on bulkhead. The boat is ashore and they shot it from the far side as if they were deliberately trying to avoid anyone noticing.

All this just after a winter working on it and just before I was about to launch. Absolutely gutted and because nothing was taken I can only assume this was a sick joke of someone.

Blimey. Someone letting off an outdated parachute flare?

 

[dancrane]

What a pain for you. Don't imagine you're alone feeling furious - I for one, share your anger. Let's hope the police aren't too busy defending the moral-imbecile shootist's rights.

Which boat was it that was holed? Whereabouts is the damage? Is there another, exit-hole for the projectile? Otherwise it must be inside somewhere. Any chance of pics?

 

[rwoofer]

Just doing police statement. Will post some pics when I get home.

 

[Burnham Bob]

no consolation but they didn't pick your boat for any other reason than that it was something to shoot at. burn marks suggest close contact (we all watch CSI!) if there is no exit hole then the bullet is inside the boat and the gun can be identified. sorry to hear about it. sometimes i really do think the birch would be a useful punishment and then my common sense reasserts itself

 

[Champagne Murphy]

no consolation but they didn't pick your boat for any other reason than that it was something to shoot at. burn marks suggest close contact (we all watch CSI!) if there is no exit hole then the bullet is inside the boat and the gun can be identified. sorry to hear about it. sometimes i really do think the birch would be a useful punishment and then my common sense reasserts itself

Not if it was a shotgun, it can't

 

[blueglass]

lucky there was nobody actually in the boat at the time! - something the gun toter would not have known. Proper gun too, no air rifle or shotgun would penetrate the hull like that. Police should be taking this very seriously.

 

[rwoofer]

OK back at home now. That damage was done to my Jeanneau Sun 2000. The police went through the boat and discovered more damage than I realised. The bullet entered the hull just above the waterline, went through one side of an aluminium table leg (at an angle), ricocheted off the other side of the leg( rupturing the side). The bullet/shrapnel then hit the bulkhead that is the cockput seat and either the bullet or one of the pieces of shrapnel went through the bulkhead. Unfortunately we couldn't find the bullet itself. Some pictures:

The bullet entrance:

Inside the hull:

The table leg (can't remember if this is the entrance hole or the rupture from the ricochet):

The bulkhead behind with most of the shrapnel damage (sorry about focus):

The outside of the bulkhead, with the exit hole circled in red:

Beggars belief that anyone would do this. Initially the police thought it was a powerful airgun, but now think it was a proper gun due to bullet passing through hull, aluminium and bulkhead. There are no burn marks on the hull, just from the shrapnel inside (probably melted aluminium), so was not done at close range. Of course I now have to cancel next weekend's launch plans, deal with the insurance and sort out a yard to fix it all. I sincerely hope I get it done this summer!

PS: Made photos visible

 

[VicS]

You used to be able to show pictures directly from Photobucket rather than a link. If someone can say how I will amend

You still can in the same old way using the IMG code but there is a setting you need to change.

Will post when I remember it.

meanwhile :

 

[VicS]

You still can in the same old way using the img code but there is a setting you need to change.

Will post when I remember it.

In your user settings go to the Albums tab and turn off the link back to albums option

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Good grief! There are some nasty people out there and they are made that way. You have't annoyed anyone who could be just nasty and trying to make you suffer. It does happen, even petty jealousy at your lifestyle choices, someone you know with a gun?

 

[rwoofer]

In your user settings go to the Albums tab and turn off the link back to albums option

Can't seem to find the Albums tab? I selected settings which is on the top right of a page and the nearest relevant thing I could find was general settings.

 

[VicS]

Can't seem to find the Albums tab? I selected settings which is on the top right of a page and the nearest relevant thing I could find was general settings.

IN PHOTOBUCKET:

Click on your user name in top RH corner

then user settings from the drop down list

Personal information should open

Albums is the second tab along the top

 

[dancrane]

It certainly seems an action by a person of deranged irresponsibility, if their target was something reasonable nearby, which they missed hopelessly...or downright psychotic, if they were intentionally aiming to damage valuable private property. The latter would be pretty uncommon I'd think - enough to get the law bustling in investigative pursuit of the loony.

Is it possible that the bullet came from a private firing range half a mile away?

 

[Vallich]

I hope the cops find and prosecute the villain also I hope that you get your boat repaired and into the water soon. In the mean time, other than vandalism, could there be another reason why the bullet struck your boat - perhaps the villain was trying to hit summat else, why shoot at a large object like the hull of a boat? Would it not be more 'sporting' to shoot at a more difficult target, or even shoot at a passing animal but they missed! It looks like a very large entry hole so perhaps it was a ricochet that struck your boat. Are you okay, it must have shaken you up?

 

[Mark-1]

Sorry to hear this. Where's the boat kept? Scary that there's a nutter about with gun.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

I'm waiting in the rain in my car for the police to arrive as I've just discovered someone has fired a gun at my boat and holed it. First noticed inside when I saw fibreglass shreds inside and burn marks on bulkhead. The boat is ashore and they shot it from the far side as if they were deliberately trying to avoid anyone noticing.

All this just after a winter working on it and just before I was about to launch. Absolutely gutted and because nothing was taken I can only assume this was a sick joke of someone.

Richard, that is appalling - very sorry to read that the start of your sailing season is to be delayed. Is there any CCTV in the area ?

 

[Iain C]

Bloody hell Rich, that's awful. Hope they get them...that's really worrying...