As captain of S/V Sirena, a Tayana 55 monohull, I would like to report the theft of an Achilles 11′ RIB and Yamaha outboard from our boat on August 17, 2016.

The theft occurred in Golfito Bay, Costa Rica while at anchor in front of Banana Bay Marina.

At the time of the theft (approx. 7 pm), there were four people on board, my wife and I along with another cruising couple who are also at anchor here. We were below deck having dinner and watching a movie with the generator and air conditioner running – so nothing was heard.

There were two dinghies tied alongside the boat, but only the one with the outboard was stolen.

The outboard was locked to the dinghy, but the dinghy was not locked to the boat because it had rained hard and we intended to lift and drain it prior to locking it up for the night.

The theft was discovered within 30 minutes of the incident and the local officials were notified via VHF and phone immediately. A call was put out on Ch16 as well to notify all local cruisers. The local officials refused to assist us to look for the dinghy and instructed us to fill out a written complaint. A security camera on board our boat caught photos of the thief and we are working with local officials.

Cruisers in Golfito, Costa Rica should be aware that extra security is necessary even during daylight hours and while on board their boats.

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