Police struggle as boat thefts rise in Russell, locals take action

Three tender runabout boats stolen from Russell were later recovered from mangroves in the Waitangi River. Photo / Nathalie LeBlanc

A spike in boat thefts during the past three or four months has Bay of Islands locals despairing about the ongoing problem.

Nathalie LeBlanc, who co-owns a charter yacht company in Russell, said she and her partner were “gutted” when two runabout tender dinghies they relied on to get clients to and from larger vessels were stolen over two successive nights this month.

The boats were valued at about $17,000 and $9000, respectively.

When they discovered the first tender missing from Russell Boating Club Wharf on March 12, it looked like the business would have to cancel all its bookings that day. Relatives loaned the couple a similar runabout but it was taken the same night despite LeBlanc having secured it with three padlocks and a chain in a well-lit part of the wharf near a CCTV camera.

Thieves with a battery-operated angle grinder simply cut through the metal fastenings, LeBlanc said.

The owners of a charter yacht business in Russell appealed for the public's help in finding two of their boats that were stolen one night after the other. Photo / Supplied

The public reported seeing suspicious activity on the water about 5am on March 13 but police didn’t respond, LeBlanc said. Neither Russell nor Paihia’s police officer was available.

She and her partner were told about the sighting nearly six hours later and decided to search for the missing boats themselves. They eventually found all three hidden in mangroves up the Waitangi River.

The couple’s outboard was hidden in a treehouse among the mangroves and their boat had been fitted with someone else’s stolen motor.

While out searching, they came across people they believed to be the suspects and gave chase but lost sight of them in a mooring field.

LeBlanc said she knew of numerous other recent boat thefts in the Bay of Islands, including thefts from Russell Wharf, Paihia Wharf, and Ōpua Wharf.

She was also aware of a recent theft from a private jetty of a boat worth about $200,000. Its owner offered a substantial reward in the hope of getting it back.

LeBlanc said while the situation had ended reasonably well for them, they still had items missing. Other boat owners were not so lucky – one of the recovered tenders was badly damaged and would likely need costly repairs.

The ongoing boat thefts were super-frustrating, LeBlanc said.

She believed the police seemed too understaffed to do anything about the missing boats.

LeBlanc claimed police told her the thefts were difficult to prosecute and that thieves jailed last year for similar offending were already out and at it again.

Mike Gorrie, the officer in charge of Russell police station, had noticed a definite spree of boat thefts over the past few months.

He said boat thefts were always a problem in Northland. In the past two years, several boats had been stolen and there were repeated petrol thefts from one of the region’s tour boats.

Gorrie agreed thieves appeared to be specifically keen to get their hands on outboard motors rather than the boats themselves, which were often abandoned. Motors were easy for thieves to sell and they sometimes also exchanged them for drugs.

Officer-in-charge of Russell police station Senior Constable Mike Gorrie.

Comments that people jailed for boat theft last year were now back in the community and at it again were purely speculative, Gorrie said.

Police wanted to help but getting sufficient evidence of the high standard needed for a court case was difficult.

Gorrie said CCTV footage was not enough in its own right and often problematic, especially where alleged offenders were masked and only captured at night or from a distance. Without supporting evidence such as fingerprints, DNA, or eyewitnesses, it was difficult to prove specific individuals were responsible.

There are 24-hour police postings in the North, and when local officers are on their days off, other police will respond to incidents, he said.

Boat owners needed to ensure their investment was adequately insured and equipped with appropriate security equipment such as GPS trackers, Gorrie said.

The public could also help.

“If you ring the police and report it, you’ve done your job. Let the police take it from there,” Gorrie said.

He emphasised the importance of people calling 111 for help.

Sarah Curtis is a general news reporter for the Northern Advocate. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference, especially those involving environmental issues.