So Much Excitement!
Ok, folks… All we know right now is what we read in the Portsmouth UK newspaper The News.
It seems that one Mr. Andy Scott, a millionaire “property speculator” (already I don’t like the guy), had a refit done on his sailing yacht at a boatworks in Trinidad, but was dissatisfied with the quality of workmanship. Instead of contesting it in court – perhaps posting a bond or something – he and his compatriots (conspirators?) snuck into the marina and made off with the vessel in the middle of the night.
One little detail – he “forgot” to pay the 26,000 pounds owing to the boatworks.
He made the mistake of stopping in Barbados for a gin and tonic – and our Coast Guard ‘stormed’ the sailing vessel Whitbread and arrested happless Captain Andy. We have conflicting stories coming in as to whether it happened at sea or at anchor. We don’t even know exactly when it happened.
All we know is that some foreigner thought “To hell with the rule of law. To hell with the Trinidad courts – I’ll show them” and made off in like a thief in the night.
Stupse Captain Andy could be right – the chaps at the Trini boatyard could have overcharged him and done bad work. He could be in the right here.
… But now that he did what he did, it doesn’t matter. He disrespected the sovereignty and laws of Trinidad & Tobago.
From The News Portsmouth…
Night raid as tycoon claims back his boat
A MILLIONAIRE sneaked into a pontoon late at night to seize back his yacht after boatyard owners refused to hand it over.
Under cover of darkness businessman Andy Scott and friends untied the Whitbread and sailed off into the night. The dramatic night-time raid followed a row with boatyard owners in Trinidad, which he claims bodged repair work to his yacht.
Mr Scott, from Old Portsmouth, forked out £48,431 for a refit, but the yard then asked for a further £26,233 which he refused to pay.
The boatyard said if he didn’t pay he wouldn’t get his boat back. After making off in his yacht he was stopped by gun-wielding coastguards who raided his boat.
He said: ‘In the dead of night and feeling like a criminal or spy – despite being the boat’s owner – eight friends and myself left the yard on the yacht and headed to Barbados.
‘When I got there I contacted my lawyer and asked him to get in touch with the yard to let them know I wasn’t making a break for it, but I needed the yacht for a charter.
‘In the meantime they had already been in contact with the authorities. ‘A night after getting there the yacht was stormed by big, burly coastguards with guns, and issued me with a writ, arrested me and impounded the boat for non-payment of the final invoice – which was quite an interesting time.’
… read the rest of this article (link here)
Here is the millionaire’s website: Ascott Group Of Companies
Barbados Free Press 
As my granny would say, there are always four sides to every story.
This could be more complex than it seems. When a person is likely to skip a jurisdiction without paying a debt, application is made for a “fugi warrant,” which is served at the time of flight. It does not seem that was done in this case.
The other aspect is that a contractor would have a lien on the boat until payment for work done was made. If however the GBP48,000 was paid up front, it could be maintained that a lien was not applicable.
It seems possible the contractor was taking advantage of his position to overcharge. That will not be known until after a lengthy arbitration. Meantime the owner is denied possession of his vessel losing charter revenue.
Quite complex. But the interesting part is that Barbados police jumped to the conclusion it was a criminal flight, involving wrongful possession of the boat, which might not be the case. He could hardly be charged with stealing his own boat, only for disregarding a (possible) lien on it. It is amazing how quickly the authorities can cut through the red tape when they want to.
Contesting a debt is a civil matter normally, and it could take the lawyers a while to establish that seizing the boat in another jurisdiction (Barbados) without a judgment and arresting its owner, was legal.
This is just idle conjecture, but I would not be surprised if local charges were dropped after the lawyers have gnawed on this bone. The Trinidad contractors may have to pursue the normal route of serving judgment on Capt. Scott and pursuing it through the courts.
Try taking your car without paying all when a mechanic fix up your car at Simpson Motors and see where it get you!
akabozik-
True nuff, but if you managed to ship it to Port of Spain would you expect Trini police to arrest you? Plenty formalities registering judgment in separate jurisdiction. With CSME fully in force it would be different.
Bush Lawyer, having read what you have written, it seems that you are precisely named. Is the boat he “took” the same boat he handed over to the boatworks? Could the boat not be arrested in Barbados? Are u familiar with admiralty law?
If he took the vessel, and it is a motor vessel, in the middle of the night, from a private boatyard, while there was a dispute about charges, it is theft. He should have gone to the police to have his boat released, until the dispute was settled in court. If he is as rich as is made out, or a businessman as is made out, then he could have posted a bond in good faith.
Those blokes, just like Fearless, leave England and come to the Caribbean and behave as though the natives are brainless and they are still the slave masters. There will be more of the same. Just wait for CWC to let them loose.
No offence Pat, but I consider ourselves citizens of these fair lands NOT ‘ natives ‘
Let me tell you how I feel about this and what I think are questions that beg to be asked that has nothing to do with legality and such complex matters most of us are not qualified to talk about.
Why would a millionaire Brit send a yacht to a Trinidad Boatworks in the first place for such extensive and not cheap work when some of the finest and world class boatworks are right in England, Scotland and other countries. Something seems strange about that.
My next concern is this why would a British millionaire who should have class, professionalism, respect for law and order etc act like a “yard fowl” and in the dead of night go into the Trini boatworks and “teef” because that is what he did no matter how you cut it his boat?
There use to be a saying “when in Rome do as the Romans do” but when you hear of the horror stories printed in the Bajan press about Foreigners coming to Barbados and brekkin laws like building walls to prevent people accessing beaches, public roads etc among other things and do it with impunity one wonders what breeding these people have.
First and foremost no one asked or invited them to come to Barbados and no one cares if they have money coming out of their yang yang all of this is irrelevant. But after coming to any Nation why are they so adamant that they can and do break the laws of that Nation as though they are privileged people? this is not only showing contempt but is downright borish and shows money can’t buy class, decency, respect etc. But the Government of Barbados and some in the Society are equally traitorous to Barbados because they encourage and defend this Foreign human garbage!
Dave Allamby says “But the Government of Barbados and some in the Society are equally traitorous to Barbados because they encourage and defend this Foreign human garbage!”
This is what is causing the problems. The country is lawless and if the Government refuses to implement laws, breaks the ones which supposedly exist and encourages foreigners to do the same why shouldn’t everyone else? What recourse is there? Just look at the “judicial system”.
Barbados is in a state of anarchy, this fact cannot remain hidden for much longer and it cannot be cured from the inside.
Justice-
“Admiralty law”? Whas’da? You right, an area of ignorance for me. Twenty laches on my bottomry. High Court of Admiralty sounds like something from Gilbert and Sullivan but it sure seems to work great in making Brit scamps settle their accounts when they flit between the islands. Good part of colonial heritage, perhaps.?
Yes, indeed, BL old chap. All our law is in good part colonial heritage, fortunately….or unfortunately.
No offence Mr. Jerome Hinds, but I consider myself a “native” Barbadian. Bred, born, raised and educated. Speak fluent Bajan with strong accent. All natives are citizens, not all citizens are natives. Comprendo? Comprenez? Yuh unnerstan?
Yes Pat, I understand you are a Bajan to the CORE. One love…..
Fraudulent claims by contractors in the Trinidad marinas are rampant. No real recourse is available to respond to what is really extortion.
There are no happy customers that have done really major refit work. The only value of the place is for storage during hurricane season. If all you do is store and a quick bottom paint it is a reasonable stop.
He doesnt like paying his bills hear either!!! i know quite a few contractors he has not paid in the past few years ,