Earlier this week a family of four had their 2024 Highfield tender and Yamaha 15hp outboard stolen off the transom arch of their yacht, moored between two poles along Wentworth River (aka Whangamata Harbour).
The thief used the dark of the night to skulk 20-metres from the edge of the sand bank, which becomes exposed at low-tide, to the boat. They either swam or took their own dinghy. Then they clambered up on the yacht’s transom, and sawed through the chain and padlock that had been securing the tender to the davits on the transom arch, lowered the tender and silently took the Highfield away.
This was no small effort, and the thief held some chance of being caught. Other boats are tied to mooring poles or lie at anchor close-by, including ours. We live (BNZ web editor) aboard our boat at Whangamata a stones throw from where this was stolen, I can confirm that there were no loud noises to alert us to this impending threat.
The owners of the tender told us “It’s heartbreaking for us to loose our brand new dinghy this way after having spent the last 12 months on Flying Cloud sailing around NZ and Fiji with our two young sons. We are settled in [a house] now but were so looking forward to weekend getaways to remote beaches around here.”
If anyone knows anything about this, please message us here at Boating New Zealand magazine so we can contact the yacht owners, or call the New Zealand Police. Thank you BNZ Community!
In the meantime Boating New Zealand has reached out to the New Zealand Police for data on thefts of boats and marine equipment over the past year. Unfortunately, the information is not publicly available and although the New Zealand Police are happy to provide it, we have had to request this information via an OIA. So keep your eyes peeled for our follow-up article.
In 2023, Mariner Insurance reported that “[a]ccording to provisional police data, thieves are stealing a boat a day across NZ. Many of these boats are never recovered, and when they are, it is normally only by chance.”
The Highfield tender in this story that was stolen from Whangamata is quite unique in its colour. Whether the outboard has remained with the tender, we’re not sure.
In the article mentioned above by Mariner Insurance suggested the use of a GPS-enabled tracker device, to automatically alert you of your boat’s exact location. You should also clearly mark your dinghy with your contact information, registration number, and unique identification details to help with recovery if found.
