Yank on the Cut

Sorry folks but I have little to add, except that yes, as Mickp confirmed on here a couple days ago, Graham and Chris have their boat back and it is thanks to you lot, the boating community. I have no idea where it is but also no reason to think it is not at Great Haywood. You are everything people say you are and much more. I have no doubt that Graham and Chris have a terrific story to tell which I for one very much look forward to hearing but they cannot do so yet. Also as there will have to be a court case they may not be able to talk any time soon. But this was a very well-executed robbery which very nearly worked, on a very distinctive boat in a very busy marina on a busy stretch of canal, with hundreds of people searching. So this thread or a new one should focus on security. Please do not think about chaining your boat to the pontoon as that is a huge risk in a fire. At Mercia we would not have it. Well done all. I am really proud of being part of this community.

I did not understand the question. In 1201 the stolen boat is on the left and new sighting Rare Bear on right Sorry this is meant to be in response to GoodGurl.

I have had a mind-numbingly boring night creating copies of cctv for police. No they have not wanted it until a couple days ago and then only for evidence just in case it is found.

you are right stupid me. saved the pics in the same file.

aurora will not erase. it is the bottom one so ignore it please

I am sure I can find out tomorrow

Ones I know are genuine: Dog & Duck Aurora Piggin Barnpots (70') any more folks? Surely someone on here knows Rare Bear?

Has anybody verified Rare Bear as a registered boat? I can only find a GRP one of that name.

Graham and Chris have been extremely active, not only in physically chasing down leads on the cut but also distributing information to the many marinas, boat clubs, etc that could help. I suspect some despair has crept in, as it has with all of us, but they will not give up and I hope the forum will not either. It could be you next time and it should not be happening.

Stern of a similar boat on the T & M which is not the stolen one. Let us hope the siting reported in 1023 makes all this irrelevant!

Today another Stenson/MCC boat from Mercia will be out cruising the T & M and we wanted to let you know it is out with permission of the owners. Her name is Aurora. She will be cruised from her to Rugeley and back, leaving today and returning on Monday 8th August. The crew are described by the owners as two mixed wrinkly couples! From the pics below, you can see the foredeck steelwork is much simpler than the stolen boat and the paintwork is good quality. If the stolen boat has been repainted it is unlikely to be of such a standard! I will not post many pics to avoid confusion.

Please be aware that a crane belonging to the crane company mentioned yesterday went by the marina again this morning so probably doing some work nearby. The loss adjuster is going to follow up the fact one of their cranes went by on the same day in the same time frame as the boat was stolen, The road is quite a minor one and so cranes are a rarity.

Some more pics:

Here are a couple pics to accompany the terrific summary

I got the name. I will follow up what may just be a coincidence.

anybody recognise this crane company from the livery? It is not one we use nor did it come in here.

Going through CCTV, I can see a boat that I am 90% sure is the one in question, being manouevred as the thieving skipper attempts to find the way out. He went the wrong way initially so he does not know the marina layout which is compatible with his having to ask the location of the pontoon. However, he is skilled at handling a boat. The timing is in keeping with the CRT logging of the licence number at 1130 at Bridge 32 on the T & M (Horninglow) on the same day. Working back from the time the boat was being cruised out, 9:40am on 11/7/16, I have checked the other cctv and there is no suspicious activity. I will try to get a better picture of the skipper but I am not sure what the cctv is capable of as the boat was about 200m away from the camera.

Glynn of New & Used kindly posted search details on The Sales Pontoon and the following response was received: Hi, I may have seen this boat last Thursday 28th July on the Ashby canal. My work colleagues and I cruised between Stoke Golding marina and Cheney Wharf & return between the hours of 18:30 and 20:15. My partner and I will be cruising the Leicestershire Ring from this Friday for 2 weeks so will keep out eyes peeled. Good luck. Best regards, Martin b

Here are a couple more pics. Given how distinctive the stern is, not only the skirt but also the two lockers either side of the door, it is hard to imagine easily disguising it. The logo is on the blue on the back of the skirt. Even more distinctive upside down!

Graham and Chris have sent through another helpful picture, showing the large back deck, the unusual lockers each side of the door on such a cruiser stern, the position of the instrument panel/ignition and the curved hand rails over the lockers. A very distinctive hybrid between semi-trad and cruiser.

The owners have just provided a couple new pics to show the window layout.

Last night after work I continued my walk and talk along the Erewash from bridge 32 to Hallam Fields Lock so including Barkers, Potters, Greens, Gallows Locks but no joy. Every time I go around a bend I hope the stolen boat will be there and for someone at some point it will be. This is the boaters version of Pokemon Go but with only one thing to catch. Well two really, the thief and the boat. It is still surprising the number of boaters that do not know about this, despite the long reach of CWDF and all the work done by members and other groups since the theft. Keep talking everybody and thanks.

There is gossip that the thief picked up a considerably younger lady with shoulder length blond hair as he joined the T & M on exiting the marina. This makes for a 50-60 year stocky man of medium height with grey hair/balding with this younger woman. But just gossip. And I have checked the CCTV for the times the people providing the gossip mentioned but no boats spotted.

No, it looks like loose talk, normal talk, at a lock when out on a cruise. The questioner knows what he wants but the boater is, as usual, happy to talk to all about everything.