Outboard thefts IOW

[Jizm]

Taken from rib.net, apologies if it's been posted already. Must have had the hulk involved to lift them off!
Please bear this thread in mind if offered anything....

Posted by Jim of Bembridge outboards:

"30K of stolen engines

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Just thought I would let you all know we had 30K of engines stolen from our yard we think Sunday night, pair of F250 yam's from the big yellow white Scorpion with the open cabin and a 175 Suzuki from a ribcraft, no idea how they got them off as it wasn't possible to get any kind of lifting gear to the boats. We have three house boats opposite no one saw or heard a thing.They cut down the fence and cut away steering harnesses etc must have taken some hours, the lock bolt on the Susuki worked so they left the left hand engine bracket bolted to the boat and undid the pivot tube. All insured but I guess the owners will only get second hand value and as we all know finding good used is now impossible. We have the ser nos if any of you hear of anything suspicious. just be extra careful with your pride and joy.
May have to start to remove gearboxes in the winter months to make the engines unsellable."

[larby]

Jeez! My guess would be by hiab with a very long arm, they're probably a very organised outfit!
Over here a couple of guys come from malta with a trailer a few times a year and will buy absolutely anything boat related, no questions asked. A few things like outboards started going missing and it turned out someone was nicking them then selling them straight on to the malta guys.
Wouldn't mind betting this kinda stuff goes much the same way or just gets split for parts, in which case removing the boxes probably wouldn't stop them! In a way I'm surprised they don't just nick the whole boat and set the hull adrift!

James