Reward offered for stolen yacht

PHUKET: A reward of US$4,000 (180,000 baht) has been offered for information leading to the recovery of the yacht “Dreamtime”, reported missing from its mooring in Ao Chalong on Thursday. The five-million-baht yacht belongs to a British man who returned from working offshore to find it gone. Dreamtime is the third yacht in 10 years to disappear in similar circumstances, said Jan Jacobs, Director of Thai Marine Leisure, which handles the yacht’s insurance. “Apparently, there is a group of people who watch boats. When they spot one that has had nobody aboard it for a while, they load it up with drugs, deliver the drugs to another vessel in international waters, and then dump the yacht somewhere else. “The last boat they stole like this was called ‘Satisfaction’. It was found on the East Coast of Thailand. The one before that was found in the Philippines. “We have been in touch with all the marinas in the region and have tried to contact all the marine authorities to ask them to look out for the boat. We have told them that we suspect it’s being used for drug-running – this may interest the authorities a little bit more, and we hope we will get some news soon. “There is a reward of US$4,000 dollars for anybody who can help us get the boat back. “We know now that the boat was stolen about 14 days ago because someone told us he had seen it 10 to 12 days ago. He was not quite sure where, but he thought it was in Langkawi,” said Mr Jacobs. Pol Maj Prasert Srikunnarat, of Phuket Marine Police, told the Gazette, “We have done our utmost to find the yacht in the area that we are responsible for, but have found no trace of it. “We assume that it has now left Thai waters. If it is found in another country, we will have to co-ordinate with that country’s marine police to bring it back.” Dreamtime is a Cape North ketch, 43′ 2″ l.o.a., with a white hull above reddish-brown antifouling. It has a black boot top and tow rail, and a one-inch-thick black hull stripe. The Bimini and sail covers are navy blue. The boat also has an eight-man life raft, clearly visible atop the aft cabin.