OK, let's deal with a few questions and comments that have been made...
The RIB and outboard did not blow away thank-you, I'd nailed it firmly to the pontoon!
And it didn't get where we found it by chance either, it was four foot up a vertical concrete wall topped by a steep grass bank. It had to have been dragged there
Right, the full story...
I'd been tipped off by a message while we were away that there'd been some shenanigans with a pair of low life's nicking stuff off boats on the moorings upriver from us at Brandy Hole and Hullbridge
A further tip off this morning suggested that our RIB may have been involved
It appears that having had our RIB away a fortnight ago, the oiks were using it to raid the moored boats for anything of value. The law caught up with them and they were arrested last week
(Whether the police are / were aware of the whereabouts of our RIB I know not cos I wasn't sitting in a long queue on the phone to talk to them)
Jane and I decided to drive round to Hullbridge and take a walk down the river bank with the binoculars on the off chance we might spot something.
Having walked all the way to Brandy Hole and seen nowt, we were astonished to find the RIB and outboard, muddy but intact, in the long grass on a headland on the way back. We been looking out on the moorings and scouring the foreshore, not looking at places that must have been quite a challenge to drag a boat onto...
Just as we found her, no attempt at concealment. And...
The headland is what she was sat atop of. The edges are all bits of broken down piles and concrete, there's no easy access (we had to climb over a gate to get on there) and it beats me why they went to so much effort only to then leave the thing in full view of the adjacent public footpath and caravan park
Having found it, the next problem was getting it out of there! A phone call to Wiggy at the marina led to an immediate offer of help (much appreciated) and arrangements were made
Jane and I returned to the yacht station to get the dinghy keys and then headed back to the scene of the crime by car
Removing the outboard, there was no sign of any attempt to remove the outboard lock and there was even a pint or so of fuel in the tank!
We staggered back to the car and put the outboard in the boot before returning to await the Fambridge International RIB Rescue team
OK, confession time, we had an hour or so to wait until high water and there was a pub handy so we had a pint en passant!
The lads duly arrived in the FYH dory...
... and nosing the dory bows first to the one solid bit of concrete edge, we were able to slide the RIB straight on board without any difficult
By the time we got back to Fambridge by car the RIB was alongside Erbas looking none the worse, apart from a coating of mud, for her adventures
I think we might have a drink later to celebrate, we can afford it now!
The RIB and outboard did not blow away thank-you, I'd nailed it firmly to the pontoon!
And it didn't get where we found it by chance either, it was four foot up a vertical concrete wall topped by a steep grass bank. It had to have been dragged there
Right, the full story...
I'd been tipped off by a message while we were away that there'd been some shenanigans with a pair of low life's nicking stuff off boats on the moorings upriver from us at Brandy Hole and Hullbridge
A further tip off this morning suggested that our RIB may have been involved
It appears that having had our RIB away a fortnight ago, the oiks were using it to raid the moored boats for anything of value. The law caught up with them and they were arrested last week
(Whether the police are / were aware of the whereabouts of our RIB I know not cos I wasn't sitting in a long queue on the phone to talk to them)
Jane and I decided to drive round to Hullbridge and take a walk down the river bank with the binoculars on the off chance we might spot something.
Having walked all the way to Brandy Hole and seen nowt, we were astonished to find the RIB and outboard, muddy but intact, in the long grass on a headland on the way back. We been looking out on the moorings and scouring the foreshore, not looking at places that must have been quite a challenge to drag a boat onto...
Just as we found her, no attempt at concealment. And...
The headland is what she was sat atop of. The edges are all bits of broken down piles and concrete, there's no easy access (we had to climb over a gate to get on there) and it beats me why they went to so much effort only to then leave the thing in full view of the adjacent public footpath and caravan park
Having found it, the next problem was getting it out of there! A phone call to Wiggy at the marina led to an immediate offer of help (much appreciated) and arrangements were made
Jane and I returned to the yacht station to get the dinghy keys and then headed back to the scene of the crime by car
Removing the outboard, there was no sign of any attempt to remove the outboard lock and there was even a pint or so of fuel in the tank!
We staggered back to the car and put the outboard in the boot before returning to await the Fambridge International RIB Rescue team
OK, confession time, we had an hour or so to wait until high water and there was a pub handy so we had a pint en passant!
The lads duly arrived in the FYH dory...
... and nosing the dory bows first to the one solid bit of concrete edge, we were able to slide the RIB straight on board without any difficult
By the time we got back to Fambridge by car the RIB was alongside Erbas looking none the worse, apart from a coating of mud, for her adventures
I think we might have a drink later to celebrate, we can afford it now!
Excellent - the yin and the yang in action - for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.... whatever.... (slightly) crappy time on your trip back equals good things when you are back... serendipity!
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