Police want help to nab yacht club thieves
Local police have called on the community for help in their search for criminals who have been targeting the Knysna Yacht Club for several months. Police spokesperson Sergeant Chris Spies asked that anyone who can assist the police to bring the perpetrators to book is urged to contact Sergeant Mario Uithaler. "Knysna detectives are investigating three cases of burglary and two cases of theft following incidents in the surroundings of the Knysna Yacht Club in just the past month. Investigation into these incidents reveals that perpetrators targeted boats or yachts that were moored in and around the local harbour. They forced doors or windows open to gain entrance and stole clothing, tools, wheels as well as speakers. A Yamaha boat engine was also stolen from a boat."
The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made.
The Knysna Yacht Club premises and yachts moored in the estuary have been repeatedly and brazenly hit since the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown in March.
Six yachts that are moored at the club were ransacked in the last three months, with the biggest heist taking place on the night of Monday 20 July. Vice-commodore of the yacht club, Michael Jacobs, said the situation has worsened since the implementation of the night-time curfew from 21:00 to 04:00.
Clubhouse hit
"First, three spotlights around the clubhouse went. Then aluminium masts and booms started vanishing. A mast costs about R10 000 and is cut up for scrap, which probably only fetches a couple hundred rand, if that," said Jacobs, who has just installed two new spotlights to illuminate the car park where boats and trailers have also been pilfered. Eleven trailer wheels and brass rowlocks (the brace that attaches an oar to a boat) have also gone walkabout. Various incidents of petty crime have also been reported by club members. The catamaran Yrumoar, owned by a New Zealand couple, was the first to get cleaned out during the night at the beginning of the spree in the last month.
Alcohol, all supplies, a television set, tools and even soaps and toiletries were taken. Xanadu and then Golden Gain were plundered in a similar fashion, which Jacobs labels "organised crime rather than just plain theft by hungry people".
Ironically, a rubber duck belonging to local DJ Lew Vermaak was used as the vehicle for some of the crimes. His duck was stolen
More boats targeted
The next boats to be hit were Izimoya, Grace and most recently Lara Bella.
So rampant has the crime become that the yacht club has employed security company Allsound to guard the premises from 18:00 to 06:00 every night. "Members have had to club in and pay R16 000 for their basic safety, as this comes at a time when the club is closed and membership to the tune of hundreds of thousands has been lost, not to mention revenue from food or the bar," said Jacobs.
Owner of Lara Bella, Ocean Sailing Charters' Neil van Deventer, is devastated by what he calls a "double whammy". "Just when we have been so hard hit having lost our charters since March, this happens." Van Deventer said he took Lara Bella, which is the flagship of his company, out of the water on Sunday 19 July to work on it. "I was worried about leaving it, but went home to Plettenberg Bay. At midnight I got the phone call and half-an-hour later when I arrived, the thieves had already escaped," he said. The loot taken from his catamaran, parked near the slipway, included all his clothes, fishing equipment, sailing equipment to the value of R15 000 (which has probably been thrown away), a radio, speakers, lights, electrical fittings, expensive power tools, blankets and coffee. "I would say at least R70 000 worth of equipment," said Van Deventer.
Sergeant Mario Uithaler can be contacted on 044 302 6652 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111. All information will be treated confidentially.