A R700 000 reward is currently being offered in connection with the theft of a Cape Town couple’s yacht in Croatia last month. The stolen vessel, named Mischief, is worth more than R13 million. An official report was filed on 15 July, but the yacht has yet to be found.
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The Weekend Argus reports that efforts to locate the yacht include a search by Croatian law enforcement, the promise of a reward equal to 5% of the yacht’s value, and involvement from Interpol.
While there were supposed sightings of Mischief in various locations within Greece shortly after its theft, authorities concluded that the provided information did not match the vessel’s features.
‘It’s now exactly a month since she disappeared. We are coming to terms with the fact that we may not get our yacht back. You don’t expect someone to steal a boat. But we are still hopeful,’ Ingrid Hale, co-owner of the yacht, told the Weekend Argus.
The Hales, who had only owned Mischief for a year, had enjoyed two vacation journeys aboard the vessel.
‘We bought her brand new during the COVID-19 pandemic. We chose Croatia because the country is beautiful and the people there are amazing. Our last vacation on the yacht was in June this year.’
A month after their last voyage, a couple chartered Mischief using fraudulent passports and enlisted the services of a Latvian skipper. In a peculiar turn of events, while the skipper was dining ashore, the clients disappeared with the yacht.
The circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Mischief have baffled those involved.
Ingrid Hale remarked, ‘The skipper shouldn’t have left the boat. We were told at some point that it could have been stolen in order to sell it or for high-end immigration.’
Raising suspicions, the clients paid 7 294 euros in cash for the yacht charter and an additional 3 000 euros for insurance.
In retrospect, this should have raised concerns.
‘But in Croatia, it’s easier to charter a boat than to hire a car,’ Hale explained.
The tracking device on the yacht was disassembled and placed in a waterproof container, which was left adrift.
Igor Karmelić, a sales adviser from Croatia Yachting, shed light on the ongoing investigation:
‘What we found out from them is that they held the Latvian skipper for questioning, as he was the one that had initially informed us that the boat was stolen while he was on shore. But they could not prove that he was involved in the theft and eventually let him go after intense questioning.’
Karmelić emphasised that the police had also notified authorities in Mediterranean countries and that search efforts include informing all marina associations in Greece and other relevant locations.
‘We have also used our social media and a large number of subscribers to our newsletters. We have also passed on to the investigators all tips received,’ he added.
Karmelić mentioned that the insurance company had enlisted Marine Claims Service to assist in the search, leveraging their extensive partner network. If Mischief is discovered in satisfactory condition, the insurance firm has pledged a reward equating to 5% of the yacht’s value.
Addressing the rarity of such incidents in Croatia, Karmelić noted, ‘It is the first time that it has happened to us in our 18 years in the charter. Croatia is the world’s biggest charter market, and with all the boats here, it is bound to happen on occasion. Sailing in Croatia and owning a yacht is very safe, and this should be considered an isolated incident.’
However, Ingrid Hale recalled being informed of a similar case where the owners had to wait around 10 months to reclaim their stolen boat.
Karmelić said that Mischief has distinctive features, including a black mast and boom, a fully battened mainsail, a second forestay and a T-shaped deep keel, which would be identifiable when the yacht is in dry dock.
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Picture: Ingrid Hale / Facebook