Boat Theft, and "Living the Dream"

[Jim H]

I picked up a copy of Yachting Monthly at the Southampton Boat show yesterday, and it had an interesting article about boat theft in the UK.

The vast majority of theft is of out-board motors, or dinghies, or shore power lines, etc.

However, the article also talked about actual thefts of yachts. The new research is that people who steal yachts are dreamers who have had bad career experiences who think they can "live the dream" by just stealing a yacht. The downside is that they are typically inexperienced at running a yacht, and their lack of resources means that they end up living hand to mouth on a stolen yacht.

Two examples given referred to the "theft crews" literally dying on the stolen yachts in the open ocean, victims of their inability to manage the boats and a lack of provisions.

Funny thing to think about-- "living the dream" attracts many, but it can have a pretty brutal outcome.

[ericread]

So in the article, would you define the deaths of the thieving sailors "tragic" or just a case or karma? I thought I saw that article about six months ago, and if we're talking about the same article, the "sailors" that stole the boat were found dead in the boat a fair distance south of where the boat was stolen. They had very little sailing experience, but were pretty good at running scams at the docks.

[Valiente]

Sounds like "I played three-card monte with Darwin".

I have no sympathy with boat thieves and only hope the stains of their witless, decomposing bodies can be scrubbed out of the teak and holly soles when the yacht is finally recovered.

[Omatako]

IMHO yacht theft has it's roots in under-usage of the vessel by the owner.

How many boats lie on marinas for months without the owner even seeing it? That's an easy target.

And I reckon the thieves that die out there for lack of provisions are dying because they can't provision the boat in its slip for fear of being spotted.

But if they just moved the boat to another centre overnight, provisioned the boat in the morning and left for foreign shores, the chances of them being caught are remote. It may be months before anyone even starts looking for the vessel. The owner will even have the pleasure of paying for a slip he's no longer using.

As for my boat? I go on board at least once a week so I'll hopefully not be a target. But there is actually no guarantee.

[WheresTheBrakes]

I personally think it's hilarious !!
Stealing a boat and headed for the "good life" across an ocean... when being homeless on land would be a much better life (and death) than running out of water and food in the middle of an ocean..

These idiots get what they deserve..
it's just a shame the owner has to deal with the "dead thief" smell after the boat has been vacuumed

Omatako- sounds like you have the beginnings of a plan.. just make sure there is a watermaker and all the necessary parts as well as provisions aboard

[ehmanta]

So the moral of the story is that if you are going to steal a sailboat and sail away...steal one already fully provisioned!!!

I couldn't imagine going down to my marina expecting to go out for a sail and seeing my baby not there......talk about anguish, heartbreak and a total pit in your stomach

By the way, I believe they sell air fresheners specifically for the "dead thief smell"

[MarioG]

I wonder if some that just had to have a boat and could aford it fell under the same fate just because they didn't have the experiance? I've seen yacht owners that couldn't dock their own boats.

Chrysler C-22
Southern Wind

[wind_magic]

I think it is important to remember that some people don't have as much money as other people, they start out disadvantaged, and remain so their whole lives. The government doesn't help them, big companies make it hard to find jobs, and all the work they might do is outsourced to China. So I think it is completely understandable that poor underprivileged people might squat on a boat and take it out on the water to live especially when it is from a rich person who makes so much money and obviously doesn't use the boat or it wouldn't be borrowed in the first place. Sorry, I tried, but I can't finish this post with a straight face ..

[tager]

Wow you guys are so cruel! I can't believe that nobody has any sympathy for the poor people who died doing something stupid. I am pretty sure we have all done stupid things in our lives, like driving drunk. In my opinion, driving drunk is less forgivable than stealing a boat. It seems forgivable to let your friend drive home drunk late at night, but really, it is so negligent and dangerous to do so... what I am trying to say is that most of you need to take a step back and examine your viewpoint on how 'funny' dead theives are.

[wind_magic]

Tager, were you finishing my joke post or were you actually serious, I can't tell.