Boat engines stolen from Banagher Marina

Gardai in Banagher are encouraging boat owners to take their boats out of the water for the winter, in the wake of the theft of two outboard engines together worth something in the region of €14,000 from Banagher Marina.

The thefts of the outboard engines, which were bolted onto the back of boats, were discovered last week.

Sergeant Ollie Duggan of Banagher Garda Station said this week that while taking outboard engines off boats or boats out of the water might be difficult, it could be worth it in the long run.

“We’d advise people not to leave their outboards unattended, certainly over the winter months,” Sgt Duggan said.

“They are vulnerable. There have been a number of such thefts over the last twelve months, both in Banagher and Shannon Harbour.”

Sgt Duggan said he thinks the most recent thefts occurred under cover of darkness at the marina.

One outboard engine taken is a 40 horse power Yamaha engine, worth something in the region of €8,000.

“It would be a very heavy engine,” he said. “Two people would hardly lift it.”

The latest thefts come after sporadic thefts over the past twelve months, including a Yamaha engine stolen from the marina at Esker, Banagher, in July, and a number of heavy duty batteries last December and January.

Sgt Duggan has advised boat owners to now consider taking boats out of the water for the winter if possible.

“They’re not going to be using the boats between now and next March or April,” he said.

If that’s not possible, Sgt Duggan has suggested that owners remove outboard engines.

“There might be a little hardship taking it off, but it’d be time well spent,” he said.