RECOVERED: Tornado 5.1 - Yamaha 80 2-str - Lymington - Sep/Oct 06

[robineff]

RIB stolen from Lymington Sea Scout HQ [adjacent to Yacht Haven] end September/early October (researching exact date).
Tornado 5.1, ca 14 years old, with A-frame.
Hull/Interior: Orange
Tubes: Dark blue with lifelines
Bottom: Faded blue antifouling
Motor: Yamaha 80 2-str.

Distinguishing features: Jockey seat extension in S/S tubing, light blue seat.
Small 'ding' top rear of engine cover. Newish white prop and black steering wheel. Maker's plate transom R. side. Trailer aged with faded galv. but conspic. new white wheels. Towbar strut only with slightly bent top, no jockey wheel.

[Nos4r2]

Sounds distinctive-have you got a picture?

[robineff]

Sorry, never took any pics of the old girl. Planty FROM it but none OF it!

[robineff]

Well, miracles do happen. Police raided a shed in New Milton and recovered 3 boats and much gear - including my RIB.
Sadly not found as stolen - the motor's gone and the tubes have been removed, how sympathetically I don't yet know as the boat is still in Police storage. There's still a lot of recovered smaller gear at Lymington Police Station and it seems that most victims were between Lymington & Christchurch. Stuff unclaimed when I left last night included several of the biggest combination spanners I've ever seen, up to about 60mm and nearly 2' long - can't imagine what they cost.
The public viewing was yesterday only but if anyone's missing anything, post here and I can steer you the the Officers on the case.

Robin

[Nos4r2]

Was that the same scum from this thread?

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=16833

[robineff]

Yes, that's the same haul. I still haven't got it back yet - something to do with evidence, so I haven't yet seen the full horrors of what the little £%!&* have done. Why on earth would you cut the tubes off a stolen RIB when this will reduce the value to not much at all. I'd love to see my old Yammy 80 back as I had it rebuilt last winter and it pulls like a train now.

Robin

[ADS]

Apparently they know who the guy is but he has done one to spain, they are waiting for his return. £100k worth of marine equipment was found. Sorry to hear about your RIB, not sure what they are going to be able to do with a second hand set of tubes, im afraid the Yammie would have been gold dust.

[robineff]

Finally the police have tracked down and arrested the mastermind behind these thefts. Of all the unlikely places he was arrested on a stolen yacht in Preston, Lancs, having done his best to cover his tracks by frequent changes of boat names, mobile numbers, etc.

His trial finished this week and he was sent down for 4 years.

Predictably, he had no recoverable assets to pay for what he's done.

Robin