USVI´s Dinghy Thefts

Created by sue. Last modified on 2010-01-06 22:30:01
Topic: Piracy Reports 2010
Countries: US Virgin Islands

Received From: Paddy Barry
Subject: dinghy theft activity

Message:
Last night (Monday 4 January 2010) about midnight, thieves snuck around the Water Island USVI anchorage, stealing dinghys. It appears they first stole two dinghys at Crown Bay Marina and used those to steal three more. The dinghys were all 15 hp motors except one center consul 40 hp. They were using the 40 hp as their tow boat.

I was awakened by my neighbor whose dinghy had been nicked. He saw the perps drive away. He alerted the anchorage and four of us were in pursuit in four dinghys. I stumbled across the tow and yelled at the perps. As it was quite rough between the Island of Water and Hessel they were having a hard go. I approached and they turned one of the dinghys loose and fled towards Crum Bay not before they put a 2 foot slash in the forward tube. I took the dinghy in tow and another cruiser followed the perps and alerted the police.

The other cruisers met them at the dock about the time the police showed up. No arrests were made as no one actually saw these 19-20 year old French boys get out of the dinghys that were tied to the dock. One of the perps pulled a gun and was waving it around. Turns out it was a fake but made for a scary moment.

The perps were let go as no one could positively ID them.

The anchorages in Water Island and Long Bay are in uproar and it appears the police are going to pursue the matter further.

All dinghys were recovered but one had the expensive slash and the other was damaged after being stuffed under a dock.

Two of the dinghys were locked and cabled. The thieves cut the cables. One cable on a boat in the marina was a lifeline cable but the 40 hp boat had that very heavy plastic security cable like that found on a kryptonite lock.