* FOUND * Stolen Boat - from Mercia Marina

[Tam & Di]

Yesterday around the Stoke Golding area, we saw a boat of what looked to be the same design. It looked brand new, and had the most wonderful paint job very shiny. and it was also named.

 

I thought it was established that there were only 6 boats built to this design, one of which (Dog and Duck? something like that) has been seen regularly in this area. Was that the one you've just seen? I doubt that the thief would be sophisticated enough to rename the missing boat with this same name nor, I suspect, a good enough sign writer to make it look tidy.

 

(p.s. I originally sent this reply at 0835, but as it never appeared I've copied it again. I apologise for the duplicate if my original does eventually turn up)

 

Tam

[Rickent]

...but it assumes that the thief was aware of the boat 'Dog And Duck', which is very unlikely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

He may have become aware if he reads this forum.

It may be the perfect smokescreen.

[alan_fincher]

Unless I am misunderstanding some of the suggestions here, why would a thief who had put any though into it clone the identity of any half way similar boat but then still be travelling on waterways less than 2 days full cruising distance from the marina the boat was taken from many weeks ago.

 

If they are to have greatest chance of success, they would surely be looking to put many many miles between where it was taken from, and where it is now.

 

A disguise would of course obviously greatly increase the chances of success, but why disguise, and then stay in the kind of area many people still seem to expect it to be.

 

If it is anywhere near where it was initially removed from, I would not credit a thief with the kind of ingenuity a lot of people seem to expect them to have shown. An truly ingenious thief will have the boat miles away, surely?

[Doodydaddy]

He may have become aware if he reads this forum.

It may be the perfect smokescreen.

 

This was exactly my thinking, could the fact that the forum has identified an almost identical NB given them the perfect cover, they may not have had a real plan and would absolutely not expected the response to the theft with half the country on the look out. It wouldn't take a good neat job, just the words "Dog and Duck" and the boat is free to carry on with impunity.

[Athy]

He may have become aware if he reads this forum.

 

...which, again, is highly unlikely. We who contribute to CWF sometimes think that all boaters know about it and/ or read it, but I'm sure that's far from the truth.

[RLWP]

He may have become aware if he reads this forum.

It may be the perfect smokescreen.

 

Maybe they are even cleverer than that. Perhaps regular contributions on this forum are making life difficult for them, so making suggestions that would reduce posts and suggestions here would be a good plan

 

Like suggesting they are getting helpful information from this forum

 

I can create conspiracy theories too!

 

Richard

[Richard Fairhurst]

It's not too far-fetched to imagine they're reading this. If you've stolen a boat from Mercia Marina and want to know if anyone's following you, you might well google "stolen boat mercia marina" and click the first result.

[Athy]

It's not too far-fetched to imagine they're reading this. If you've stolen a boat from Mercia Marina and want to know if anyone's following you, you might well google "stolen boat mercia marina" and click the first result.

O.K., just in case:

 

WE'RE GOING TO FIND YOU. THERE IS NO ESCAPE. GIVE YOURSELF UP NOW.

[Rickent]

Hardly a conspiracy theory Richard. Just a suggestion , who really knows anything, everybody is just guessing, some good and some bad but if it helps find this boat then fine.

[MtB]

O.K., just in case:

 

WE'RE GOING TO FIND YOU. THERE IS NO ESCAPE. GIVE YOURSELF UP NOW.

 

 

I reckon the thief IS reading this thread, and laughing at us as the boat matures under a tarp in a half-hidden backwater or hard standing somewhere, probably on The Thames.

[johnnie1uk]

It's not too far-fetched to imagine they're reading this. If you've stolen a boat from Mercia Marina and want to know if anyone's following you, you might well google "stolen boat mercia marina" and click the first result.

Hopefully they will shortly realise theres nowhere to run to, moor the boat and leave it.

[Athy]

 

 

I reckon the thief IS reading this thread, and laughing at us as the boat matures under a tarp in a half-hidden backwater or hard standing somewhere, probably on The Thames.

Well, if he is, the message is clear, and if he isn't, it doesn't matter.

Your theory has legs, except that I can't see any reason for someone to half-inch a boat and just leave it under a tarpaulin. He would wish either to use it as a home or derive financial benefit from it.

[johnnie1uk]

 

 

I reckon the thief IS reading this thread, and laughing at us as the boat matures under a tarp in a half-hidden backwater or hard standing somewhere, probably on The Thames.

 

I agree with you there, and unless we start poking around private property under tarps it probably wont get found.

Well, if he is, the message is clear, and if he isn't, it doesn't matter.

Your theory has legs, except that I can't see any reason for someone to half-inch a boat and just leave it under a tarpaulin. He would wish either to use it as a home or derive financial benefit from it.

 

Could still use it as a home and in a year or so time, it could come out of hiding

[MtB]

Well, if he is, the message is clear, and if he isn't, it doesn't matter.

Your theory has legs, except that I can't see any reason for someone to half-inch a boat and just leave it under a tarpaulin. He would wish either to use it as a home or derive financial benefit from it.

 

 

Well lets put ourselves in the position of the thief. I'd say it is perfectly feasible for him to continue living in his current home. He sounds well organised so I doubt he is currently homeless.

 

Now being a forward planner he reads this forum so realises eventually there will be a thread about this stolen boat. So he plans to park it somewhere, disguise it and wait for the fuss to die down. Easiest, simplest way to stop people spotting a stolen boat is sling an old tarp over it. Now only a really invasive nosey parker will lift a tarp to check window layouts etc.

 

Once the insurance has paid out and a few months slip by, he can re-registering it on, say the Thames and flog it for perhaps £40k. Quite a low risk way of making a big wedge of money I reckon, and it all started with sitting by a lock, chatting with passing boaters and choosing a boat to target and nick.

 

Hopefully I'm wrong and the thief is a muppet just cruising about in it like the other thief and will be found soon. But this looks increasingly unlikely to me now.

I'd also suggest the absence of a sign-written name on the side made this boat a particularly attractive target, if it was planned out in advance as I've imagined.

[RLWP]

 

 

Well lets put ourselves in the position of the thief. I'd say it is perfectly feasible for him to continue living in his current home. He sounds well organised so I doubt he is currently homeless.

 

Now being a forward planner he reads this forum so realises eventually there will be a thread about this stolen boat. So he plans to park it somewhere, disguise it and wait for the fuss to die down. Easiest, simplest way to stop people spotting a stolen boat is sling an old tarp over it. Now only a really invasive nosey parker will lift a tarp to check window layouts etc.

 

Once the insurance has paid out and a few months slip by, he can re-registering it on, say the Thames and flog it for perhaps £40k. Quite a low risk way of making a big wedge of money I reckon, and it all started with sitting by a lock, chatting with passing boaters and choosing a boat to target and nick.

 

Hopefully I'm wrong and the thief is a muppet just cruising about in it like the other thief and will be found soon. But this looks increasingly unlikely to me now.

I'd also suggest the absence of a sign-written name on the side made this boat a particularly attractive target, if it was planned out in advance as I've imagined.

 

Are most thieves as calculating as that?

 

Richard

[romarni123]

MTB your not being very helpful are you.Iam sure the owners are upset enough already with out people posting hypothetical situations

[Guest]

 

Are most thieves as calculating as that?

 

Richard

 

Lots are.

[magnetman]

.

Edited August 2, 2016 by magnetman

[MtB]

MTB your not being very helpful are you.Iam sure the owners are upset enough already with out people posting hypothetical situations

 

 

From their postings so far, I think the owners are open minded enough and free-thinking to consider all posibilities. Even the upsetting ones.

 

If my post leads people to start noticing tarped-up boats in particular, and one of them turns out to by the missing boat, then a bit of possible upset will be well worth it in my opinion.

 

If Chris and Graham would prefer me to stop thinking of alternative scenarios that fit the facts, then if they ask me to, I'll stop.

 

 

(Edit to add my last para.)

Edited August 2, 2016 by Mike the Boilerman

[magnetman]

Nicking a narrow boat is not what 'most thieves' do its a bit unusual.

[romarni123]

Has yank on the cut got the footage yet of the bloke ? At least the police would have an idea who it is and if it's the same bloke from the Chilton theft

[barroca grande]

If he is a 'local' boy he might not want to stray too far from somewhere he is familiar with in case he does have to do a runner. If his friends are 'local to the midlands' another reason to stay nearby. Especially if he unloading the contents onto his mate's boat.

[UseleSS Enterprise]

Did the police ever find John Walsh ?

If not, he seems to hide as effectively as the missing boat.

[Chris and Graham]

Thank you for the kind concerns expressed from one of you about making things worse for us. Things cannot be worse and all the various theories are helpful it leads us to explore other ways and people to get in touch with. But a huge thanks to you for thinking of us. I must admit the worse post was the possibly sinking it, but even we can see that with all the damage to cupboards, flooring, wooden, battens,panelling etc., this would not be profit effective.

To our knowledge John Walsh has not been found as yet. The Police have not taken statements from any one at the marina who saw the man take our boat.

The CRT are actively looking at their logs and will be in touch.

The boat very similar to our boat signed Dog and Duck, is red white and blue, not maroon, cream and blue, but it is painted in the same way. The couple on board are certainly very friendly and understanding and in their 60s I think, apologies if you read this and are younger!

If you do have a sighting please if it is definite call the police straight away, if you are not sure please phone us on 0794 107 8231 and we can use your eyes to identify our boat or not.

We are checking emails virtually all the time, but there could be a delay in a response from us if you do use the forum as an urgent contact.

We are feeling more than ever that the boat is hidden up now and waiting for all this to die down, as there has been a lack of several sightings since Ashby and the Coventry last week when it proved the spotters were all correct in spotting a Stenson boat like ours. alas again not ours.

 

I know we keep thanking you all and this might be becoming a bit samey, but we are totally overwhelmed with you all, your help and support has surpassed anything we could have imagined.

Edited August 2, 2016 by Chris and Graham

[romarni123]

The post was put on yesterday about a boat with the same back.It had a younger woman on it heading towards Fazeley Kawaton posted it .man in 30s with younger blond woman

Edited August 2, 2016 by romarni123