I recall the last successful theft of a sailboat in the Caribbean was a charter boat that wasn't returned and the credentials used to charter the boat were subsequently found to be fake. That gave the thieves 2-3 weeks to disappear the yacht. I'm more in MIDiver's camp in thinking of another reason for a missing boat - who is going to flee at speeds around 10 miles-per-hour maximum over a distance of at least 100 miles (assuming SXM - the USVI patrols the waters pretty aggressively for incoming boats). If it had been stolen yesterday it would just be arriving here in St. Martin about now