MOTE Boat Stolen

WE NEED YOUR HELP! MOTE Research Vessel stolen. Please keep a look out for this Trans Cat Boat!This is an active Bradenton Police case, they think it involves experienced thieves or a network, since it was bought and sold and sold again on Craig’s List without the original title or registration, the dark paint they used on the hull (see attached pictures) covers the FL numbers and the many local businesses decals that helped with the boat (even see the yellow painters tape in the photo from their paint job). They did not realize the artwork on the tower is an original painted in acrylics by artist Paul McPhee.  Hopefully they have not wised up on that and covered it since it is a good give away, and there is a Blue Project Tampa Bay Redfish Stocking sticker is on the right side of the upper console. There are only a few of the Tran Cats boats from Palcious, TX around here and this one has custom work, when they sold it on Craig’s List they advertised it as a Sunbird.  The Detective said the seller did not know it was stolen??? I saw the add on Craig’s list after it had been up 19 days.  The Detectives suspect the current buyer may be in St. Pete. The new photos from Craig’s list help with the current ID of the boat with the new paint and removed blue shades. If you have any information about this stolen vessel, please contact Carol Neidig at the number below.

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Carole L. Neidig, M.S. 

Staff Scientist

Directorate for Fisheries and Aquaculture

Center for Fisheries Electronic Monitoring at Mote (CFEMM)

Mote Marine Laboratory

1600 Ken Thompson Parkway

Sarasota, FL 34236

Mobile: 941-704-7663

Fax: 941-388-4312

Email: cneidig@mote.org