Yacht Stolen

[hdavies]

My Bavaria 44 'Direct Ferry' has been stolen from the Ipswich Haven Marina on 15th October at 6 am. The thief got through the lock which was manned by acting as if he could not speak english. The marina just let him leave.

I am looking for any information or advice you may offer in finding my yacht.

Ipswich Police have been notified as well as the coastguard, I am also contacting all the marinas along the French,Belgian and Dutch coasts.

If you have any information please email me at hd@directferry.com

Thankyou

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by hdavies on 16/10/2004 12:13 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Beagle]

That's horrible! Never thought it was attractive to steal a yacht... oh well.... Will keep an eye open at Stellendam and Oosterschelde (Holland), just in case.

You hapen to have a recent picture?

Rene.

<hr width=100% size=1>Never attempt to teach a pig to sing.
It is a waste of time and it annoys the pig.

 

[hdavies]

thanks, i dont have a photo on computer, it looks the same as other Bavaria 44's but distinguished by twin steering wheels with a specially constructed pod in the middle in between for the radar and instruments ,also light grey dinghy fixed to the stern with special fold down brackets.

hj

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[samuel]

Really sorry to hear this.
Makes one wonder if one could personalise one's yacht someway to make it easily identifiable. Just saying it is just another Bavaria is a bit weak. (wish I could afford one though)
I don't wish to rub salt in the wound but did I not read somewhere that the " thief" could get off the charge of theft if he just dumped the boat somewhere. I seem to remember an article about an ancient law that defined the difference between theft & "borrowing". Is it still in force or am I just dreaming? Any comments?

<hr width=100% size=1>Justisla

 

[tom52]

You may be right, technically I believe for it to be theft there has to be an intention to permanently deprive.
Hence the charge of TWOCing ( taking without the owners consent) for car 'joyriders'

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[hdavies]

Thanks it is British registered number 906925 which is clearly displayed inside the cabin.Other distinguishing marks are liferaft in cradle on bows,with the label 'Suffolk Liferafts'. A white Glomax television arial on top of mast shaped like a plate or disc. The name is in large letters either side of the bows as well as on stern,also on stern the name 'Harwich' as registered port.

Has blue sprayhood and dodgers and is much higher spec. than standard Bavaria

It was purchased new by me last year.

There cannot be that many Bavaria 44's moving around at the moment, the thief was let out by Ipswich lock control early yesterday morning, the report from the lock keeper said that the man did not speak any English, (why did they let him go??)

HJ

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[webcraft]

Maybe the thief read the boat's name and took it literally?

Have you contacted Interpol? French, Dutch and Belgian police? I would also contact any Bavaria owners associations - just spread the word as far and wide as you can. The thief surely can't get far without putting ashore for provisions. (I am assuming you weren't on the eve of a circumnavigation or anything?)

What are your insurance company doing? And what do Ipswich Haven have to say for themselves?

Hope you find your boat,

- Nick

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluemoment.com>http://www.bluemoment.com</A></font size=1>

 

[Trevor_swfyc]

ETA in Holland if they left at 06.00 hrs would be about now! You would be looking for a yacht without Dodgers as they are obviously going to remove anything that displays the name.
Did they not have to call the lock keeper to get a lock out? or did they just follow someone else out.
PS very sorry to hear of this theft as the Bavaria 44 is a beautiful yacht.

Trevor

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[oilyrag]

Very sorry to read of the theft of your yacht although I fail to see why you seem to think that the Ipsiwch lock keeper has anything to do with it. The lock operators have no more responsibility to check that the crew of a vessel own their boat, or are authorised to use it, any more than the toll booth staff at Dartford have to check the ownership of every car they allow to use the crossing?
Sign of the times I suppose, must always be somone else's fault!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Piere]

so sorry to hear or your dilema
I can't believe anyone can hope to get away with this stunt,after all Bav' 44's are a bit big to hide . Have you allerted the Scandinavian authorities as a north sea passage would be a breeze for a boat of your size . best of luck
Piere

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Sybarite]

In France to steal the use of a boat would also constitute theft. Laws often tend in the same direction and so I would check this point.

The first thing though is to get the boat. In the first 24 hours you are looking at places in a radius of say 100 miles. Is there a possibility that it could have been craned out of the water and into a shed?

Really sorry too hear about it. I hope you get him and get the boat back.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[RocquaineBay]

DUTY OF CARE

Assuming your theft from a marina berth I believe it would be worth considering that you should be having a quiet word with the marina operators who failed you in this respect.

Sorry about your news and best of luck.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[jimi]

FWIW ..really sorry to hear about this .. but if someone nicks sumfink its theft no matter how the thief disposes of the stolen property.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Trevor_swfyc]

In which case "He did not speak any English" it was not the yacht I suspect they were after but the means of transport. Maybe a person or persons needed to leave the country in a hurry. I also hope the port of London river police are on the look out for this yacht for obvious reasons.
They took a risk that the lock keeper while not responsible for the loss in any way may well have known you and your yacht after a year, enough to have thought this is clearly suspicious at 6 am, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
A Bavaria 40 called Trotter was taken from I think Holland last year I wonder if that was ever found.

Trevor

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[jonjo]

Re: Posted on the Bavaria forum

I cross posted your message onto the UK Bavaria owners forum, hope this was OK?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[hdavies]

I AM POSTING A REWARD OF 10,000 EUROS FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE RECOVERY OF THE YACHT.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[hdavies]

Re: Posted on the Bavaria forum

many thanks, I have also posted a reward of 10,000 euros for information leading to recovery

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[hdavies]

Thanks

Ipswich Haven are supposed to have 24 hr security, the procedure for going through the lock is that you must call up the lock keeper over the radio and ask permission, the thief didnt do this, but took the boat to the waiting pontoon just by the entrance where he stayed for about half an hour, the lock keeper came out and the thief said he didnt speak english but obviously indicated that he wanted to go through the lock, so they let him go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hj


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[hdavies]

IPSWICH HAVEN BOAST OF 24HR SECURITY,CCTV ETC ETC, THEIR IS A SET PROCEDURE FOR LEAVING THE MARINA AND ENTERING THE LOCK, THIS PROCEDURE WAS NOT FOLLOWED BY THE THIEF, WHICH SHOULD HAVE ALERTED THE LOCK KEEPERS (2 OF THEM) THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG.

HJ

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[boatless]

Interesting point - would hope that the anti-terrorist bunch are involved too.

<hr width=100% size=1>