Stolen 1968 Hinckley sailboat found 200 miles away after four-day hunt ends in tragedy

A rare 1968 Hinckley Bermuda 40 stolen from a New Jersey marina has been recovered in Rhode Island. This comes after a four-day search involving police, the US Coast Guard and marinas and harbours along the US East Coast ended in a fatal confrontation.

The 40ft sailing yacht, Pathfinder, was reported stolen from Liberty Harbor Marina in Jersey City at around 11pm on 22 August.

James Bonomo – who’s owned Pathfinder for about 10 years – says he and his wife arrived at the marina on Sunday afternoon expecting to go sailing.

“I literally pulled up to the gate, and looked at my dock, and was like, ‘Where’s the boat?’,” Bonomo told NBC 10.

Four days later, Newport police and the city’s harbourmaster located a vessel matching its description in the North Anchorage of Newport Harbor.

The subsequent police operation left the alleged thief, 27-year-old Newport resident Brendan Norris, dead and a Newport police officer injured.

Pathfinder – a custom yawl – is a classic design with only around 200 examples believed to remain.

Stolen yacht triggers East Coast search

The theft was initially reported by New Jersey State Police, according to local media.

Surveillance footage shows a man entering the marina, spending several hours around the boat and eventually sailing it away at about 11pm. The Boston Globe reports that Bonomo felt the thief appeared to understand boats as he successfully operated the systems aboard the classic yacht, rather than simply starting its engine and leaving.

Suspect spent hours preparing boat for departure

Bonomo watched the surveillance footage of the theft.

“He [Norris] just seemed very comfortable in a marina setting,” Bonomo states. “I mean, he talked to a lot of people. He engaged other people in conversation.

“It was bizarre watching it, and then just watching him on the video on the boat, and then backing away, it was pretty sickening.”

AIS switched off as Pathfinder headed south

The circumstances of the departure also provided investigators with an early indication of the vessel’s route. Pathfinder was seen travelling towards the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, after which its tracking system was disabled.

A detailed missing-vessel alert was subsequently circulated by Boat Watch which specified its dark blue hull, two masts, sail number 4066, US Coast Guard number 515288 and AIS data. The alert estimated that the person aboard had around 25 hours of available motor time.

The search therefore moved beyond the immediate New York and New Jersey area, with the owners contacting New Jersey State Police, Jersey City Police and the coast guard and asking the wider boating community to look out for Pathfinder.

Bonomo told the Boston Globe that alerts were also sent to marinas and harbours along the East Coast. His wife circulated information about the missing boat, while the vessel’s details were distributed through boating networks. That network ultimately proved significant.

On the morning of 26 August, Newport’s harbourmaster identified a vessel in the city’s North Anchorage that matched the description of Pathfinder.

Police confrontation ends in fatal shooting

Newport police and harbourmaster personnel approached the yacht at about 9am. According to Newport Police chief Ryan Duffy, a man on the boat fled below deck after officers approached and ignored their commands. He then armed himself with a firearm and shots were exchanged.

In the ensuing melee, Norris was fatally wounded and a Newport police officer suffered a gunshot wound to the lower extremity. The officer was subsequently released from hospital.

Bonomo says he didn’t know Norris, and that he felt the incident ended tragically.

“I don’t understand why something like that would happen from just stealing a boat. It’s a tragic end. I’m really sorry that that’s how it ended.”

Rhode Island State Police and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office are involved in the investigation into the police shooting.

Boat tracking and identification prove critical

The incident illustrates how quickly information about a stolen vessel can move through the boating and harbour network when a vessel is distinctive and properly documented. The initial New Jersey report was followed by a broadcast alert, circulation of surveillance images and a BOLO through maritime networks.

Pathfinder’s AIS was reportedly disabled during the voyage, but the boat’s distinctive appearance, identifying numbers and photographs allowed authorities and members of the boating community to continue looking for it after electronic tracking was lost.

The investigation into the theft and the circumstances of the shooting remains ongoing.