Grand Theft Verado
Professional thieves target MercuryBoaters on Sydney’s northern beaches have been hit by thieves stripping dashes, stealing outboard-engine gauges, electronic control units (ECUs), fuel injectors, throttles and nav gear, from mainly high-end Mercury Verado-powered trailerboats.
As reported in the Manly Daily and Sydney Morning Herald, professional thieves appear to be behind some audacious night-time operations on Pittwater, perhaps working from other craft tied alongside.
One luckless boater had his Boston Whaler 24 Outrage stripped, another with a Hydra-Sports was hit twice at a collective cost of about $50,000 and, it was reported, an entire outboard engine weighing 350kg was stolen.
One boater had components pilfered from three engines in an operation that mechanics says would have taken two people about four hours to complete.
Newport Marine Services at Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay said they had repaired a dozen outboards that have been broken into, tampered with, and stripped.
Because Mercury only sells assembled blocks, there’s speculation that an engine rebirthing and repowering operation might be underway.
The thieves are stealing ECUs from high-horsepower engines, along with matching fuel injectors, which can be used to increase the horsepower on smaller outboards using the same block.
Given the knowledge, one could upgrade from 250hp to 300hp pretty easily.
Last Friday, a triple-rig Hydra-Sports 35 with 300hp Verados, just delivered after servicing, had all its management systems, dash gear and battery switch panels stolen.
They’re also steeling throttle and shift controls. Strange thing, these need to be reprogrammed with a special Mercury diagnostic tool when coupled with a new or different engine. Charts were also taken from Raymarine nav. gear.
We have it on good authority the thieves are wearing rubber gloves as there are no fingerprints whatsoever. And given the targeted nature of their operations, it’s obviously someone with intimate knowledge of Mercury outboards.
Broken Bay Water Police were investigating the matter and quizzing waterfront mechanics around Pittwater.
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