$10,000 Reward for Stolen Catamaran

"Remember the Leopard 45 catamaran that was reported stolen from Marina Palmira in La Paz in early November?" writes Patsy ‘sailed the entire Ha-Ha’ Verhoeven of the Portland-based Gulfstar 50 Talion. "Well, on Friday’s net in La Paz, the boat Seascape reported that he’d talked to Manuel de Asis, the Guadalajara-based owner of the cat. He was told the cat’s name is Eslora, that she’s a Leopard 45 (the same as a Moorings 45), that was built in 2000, and that she has two Yanmar diesels. Anyway, the big news was that the owner is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who finds it. So keep your eyes peeled! Asis can be reached by email or phone at 52-333-642-8308."

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We spoke with the owner’s wife Maite, and she confirmed Verhoeven’s report, with one exception — the name of the cat is Tranquila. De Asis said that as the boat is uninsured, they are offering the $10,000 reward in hopes of recovering her in a good condition. She also told us that she and her husband know who stole the boat, saying he is a 35-year-old American of medium build. We’ve withheld his name as we’ve been unable to confirm he’s a suspect in the incident. Finally, de Asis told us they’ve reported Tranquila‘s theft to port captains and various law enforcement authorities and that the report number is LPZ/1684/TUR-2/2008.

The disappearance of this cat is a powerful mystery for several reasons. First, because she’s a sistership to a Moorings 45 charter cat, of which there are only a few in Mexico, she’d be easy to spot. And if you were a boat thief, where would you take her? Given that boating news is quickly and widely spread all over Mexico — and even Central America and French Polynesia — we can’t think of a safe port. As for the notion that she might have been stolen to be scuttled, if we are to believe advertising claims, this cat couldn’t sink even if all the thru-hulls were opened. Indeed, she could be burned to the waterline and still float.