Jeanneau Merry Fisher 805 from Folkestone

The Unlucky End of a Stolen Jeanneau: Recovering a Merry Fisher 805 from Folkestone

At Boatbreakers, we’ve seen boats end up in some strange places, but the story of this Jeanneau Merry Fisher 805 is particularly heartbreaking. What started as a brazen theft in Dover ended in a destructive grounding on a beach in Folkestone, leaving a trail of damage and a total loss for the owner.

The Folkestone Grounding

The vessel was stolen from its moorings in Dover and driven down the coast to Folkestone. The journey ended abruptly when the thieves ran her hard aground on the beach, right next to some ongoing sea defence works.

Being stranded on a beach is a race against the clock. Fortunately, the contractors on-site at the sea defences were the heroes of the hour. They stepped in to help the owner salvage the boat, using their heavy machinery to move her to a safe position above the high-tide mark. Without their quick thinking, the incoming tide would have likely smashed the hull to pieces against the rocks.

For collection we sent our Hiab down to the large concrete shelf that the boat was sitting on. In collection terms it couldn’t really have been in a more perfect place. Plenty of hard ground and a secure yard that the public couldn’t access. Not to mention plenty of big machinery incase we needed extra lift.

The Damage Assessment

Once the Merry Fisher arrived at our yard, the full extent of the “joyride” became clear. As you’ll see in our latest YouTube video. The hull took a massive beating. The impact with the shoreline and the sea defences caused significant structural compromise, making a repair economically unviable.

It wasn’t just the fiberglass that suffered:

• The Engine: The Yanmar engine, a workhorse of the marine industry, unfortunately didn’t survive the ordeal intact. We’ve assessed it as being “good for spares only,” though we are hopeful the components can help keep other Merry Fishers running. We think that the exposure to the sea water as the hull was breached was her biggest issue.

• The Interior: Despite the exterior carnage, we worked hard to salvage every possible fixture, fitting, and electronic component to ensure as much of the boat as possible is recycled.

A Lesson in Marine Security

This recovery is a stark reminder of how quickly a prized possession can turn into a salvage job. While the hull’s journey ends here, our team is busy processing the remaining parts to ensure that even a stolen boat can provide some value back to the boating community.

Check out the full recovery footage on our YouTube channel to see the Boatbreakers team in action!