MISSING BOAT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20199, 30 March 1931, Page 12

MISSING BOAT.

DISCOVERY ON BEACH AT AUCKLAND. * ■■■■■. % ' '*' ■ "SOPPOSED BOYS' ESCAPADE.

' [THE PEBSB Special Strrice.] AUCKLAND, March 29. "" Tho ' 26-foot' inullet boat Mahoe, which wa« . discovered to be missing Vffom her moorings in the,Tamaki river yesterday morning,' was found later in , the day high and, dry on the beach at Cheltenham. -iThe boat, which is •owned by Mr ; It; E. ! Fenton, was 'foot damaged, having been run ashore in the middle of the beach., ' When the Owner found that the boat was missing hp wont down the Tam&kj liver in a launch in search of it. Hei was informed at'Panmur© that a boat answer ing'the description of the ' irig Mahtoei had->been seen 1 Panmuro wharf on i Friday afternoon.: • There were two boys?aboard, and judg- . inp, by >thc»mnnner T in ; which the boat' .tfiejjr. 'were »ot ex J ; perienqed: yachtsmOn. . > - hater in' the afternoon. Mr Fenton! learned that the yacht had been found at Cheltenham, and'' he found the Mahoe on the beach. Two heavy anchors and, about .20 fathoms of rope were.missing, and Mr Fenton expressed tho opinion that tho two boys seen &n the yacht had evidently anchored somewhere on Friday night, and being unable to raise the anchors again had released the boat "by throwing the ropes overboard. A lock had been broken ,off the cockpit floor, and tho food locker had also been forced. Stores' 'consisting chiefly of tinned stuifs tad been taken, and blankets aboard the boat had' been liberally i goated: with honey from a tin in the looker..- r , ; Although the Mahoe was not' dum-* aged, the gear was badly ' , ; When Mfr Fenton went, aboard, he found a considerable number of. empty shells to fit}' a .'45 bore, pistol scattered about the' cockpit, . together, with live cartridges. There were no signs, of any weapon. The police' expressed the,opinion that, .it was ■ probably the work of two school-' boys , who .were., missing from -their homes. < • ■