Hit-and-run yacht damage on the River Hamble

Laura Hodgetts

Boat owner Chris Browne is appealing for information after a hit-and-run vessel caused £8,000-worth of damage to his Bavaria 38 yacht.

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Chris Browne and his wife were devastated to find that their Bavaria 38 yacht had been damaged by a hit-and-run boat, forcing them to cancel their sailing holiday plans.

They discovered the damage on Saturday 30 July, when they arrived at the yacht Mosquito moored at G28 pontoon on Hamble River, just past Hamble Yacht Services, to prepare to set sail.

Chris said: ‘I was gutted and my wife even more so because we had been about to go on holiday.
‘I’ve kept my boat on the River Hamble for 20-odd years and this is the first time anything like this has happened.

‘Somebody’s caused £8,000-worth of damage with a hit and run, they left a lot of their boat on my boat.

‘They’ve taken out all the stanchions and lines, push and pulpit, they’ve completely bungled the tow rail.

‘Whoever it was must have gone in really hard, the damage runs all the way from stem to stern.’

The hit and run could have happened between the last weekend in May and 30 July, although Chris says the gelcoat and fibreglass remains of the colliding boat haven’t been rained off, suggesting it was towards the latter end of that timescale.

Chris added: ‘I work abroad so we hadn’t been down to our yacht in that time, we went down to go on holiday last weekend and it was very upsetting to find it in such a state.’

The damage has been reported to the Harbour Master and to Hampshire Constabulary’s marine unit.

River Hamble Harbour Master Jason Scott said: ‘I am able to confirm that a collision took place involving Mr Browne’s Bavaria 38, Mosquito and an unknown craft, causing significant damage to her port side, guardrails and stanchions.

‘No report was made of the accident to the River Hamble Harbour Authority, which takes this reckless inconsiderate and illegal behaviour very seriously. No witnesses have to date come forward.

‘Evidence suggests that the offending vessel would have been travelling downstream at the time of impact and left an amount of fibreglass debris on the deck of the Bavaria.

‘Because of the nature of the damage, the Hampshire marine police unit have been informed.’

Anyone with information is urged to contact police by calling 101.