From Alberta to the Atlantic - Man Pleads Guilty in Strange Sable Island Boat Theft Saga

Photo - Lennox Passage Yacht Club Facebook

An especially strange case involving a stolen boat appears to be coming to an end, but many of its biggest questions remain unanswered.

An Investigation in Reverse

In September 2025, authorities from nearly every Canadian maritime law enforcement agency -- the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), and the RCMP’s Marine Security Enforcement Teams (MSET) -- rescued a man adrift aboard a yacht near St. Pierre and Miquelon.

The remote French islands are south of Newfoundland, 350 kilometres east of the Cape Breton coast, and 425 kilometres northeast of Sable Island -- ominously known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. In other words, a dangerous and desolate section of ocean.

Authorities arrested 31-year-old Mohammad Yazed Saleh aboard the stolen yacht, who has been in custody since September 30th, 2025. They'd been searching for him for days, ever since surveillance footage showed a man stealing a yacht from a marina on Cape Breton Island. Then they began the task of tracing his steps. Each discovery yielded more questions than answers.

From Alberta to the Atlantic

Saleh stole the yacht from the Lennox Passage Yacht Club in D’Escousse, a small coastal community on the southwest corner of Cape Breton Island. In the parking lot they found the pick-up truck he'd used to get there -- a grey Ford F-150 with Ontario licence plates. Questions about Saleh's travels began to emerge when it was discovered the truck's VIN was registered in Alberta. Both the license plates and the truck were stolen.

There are two logical routes from Ontario to Cape Breton Island -- one requiring a detour through the United States, entering via New York, Vermont, or even Maine, all unlikely choices if driving a stolen truck -- or northeast through Quebec, into New Brunswick, then Nova Scotia, and finally to Cape Breton Island. Based on police reports, authorities believe Saleh spent months working his way from Alberta, to Ontario, and then to Cape Breton. It is unknown where he spent his time between the beginning of his trip in Alberta months earlier, and the finale to his escapade in Cape Breton. It is believed he has connections in Ontario and previously resided in both British Columbia and Alberta.

Photo - Lennox Passage Yacht Club

But how, and why, did Saleh embark on an astoundingly dangerous Atlantic crossing with no boating skills? What was his destination? Why did he travel from Alberta to Cape Breton?

The route to D'Escousse, let alone the Lennox Passage Yacht Club, is nowhere near any major thoroughfares. It is not a location one might incidentally stumble upon.

Authorities aren't sure where he was headed, despite the fact Saleh spoke up in court on several occasions, often against the wishes of his legal counsel.

Saleh pleaded guilty last week in a Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia provincial court to charges of theft and possession of stolen property connected to his adventure.

During proceedings, Saleh told the judge he travelled across the country and departed in the stolen boat because he was “in fear of my life.” According to CBC, Saleh said he feared returning to both Alberta and British Columbia, where he faced outstanding warrants and other alleged legal issues, including weapons-related charges dating back to 2023.

In one discussion with the judge before being cut off by his legal aid lawyer, Saleh said he “took a half-a-million-dollar loss out there. I had a big business and I left in fear of my life.”

Saleh claimed the decision to flee was ultimately driven by his concern for his safety, rather than a specific destination or maritime plan, and said the financial losses he experienced — including the “half-a-million-dollar loss” — contributed to his actions.

The Arrest and Multi-Agency Search

Five days after the theft from the Lennox Passage Yacht Club was reported, Canadian federal fisheries officers spotted the vessel during an aerial patrol near near St-Pierre &-Miquelon, a small French territory located near Newfoundland’s southern coast. Authorities then lost its track, but relocated it two days later near Sable Island -- several hundred kilometres to the southwest and closer to its original destination -- without power and seemingly adrift. Saleh was taken into custody without incident. It's likely the vessel ran out of fuel and Saleh would have succumbed to an unfortunate fate had he not been found by authorities.

Plea Deal and Sentencing

Saleh originally faced 17 charges related to the boat theft in Nova Scotia, as well as outstanding warrants for vehicle theft and weapons offences in Alberta and British Columbia, and charges for being at large and breaching release conditions.

According to CBC, Saleh has agreed to plead guilty with an expected sentence for time served. Both the Crown and defence lawyers told Judge Laurie Halfpenny-MacQuarrie they would be jointly recommending a sentence of eight months, which will amount to time served when Saleh has his next court appearance in March. Saleh could have chosen a trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court, but waived the option in favour of the negotiated plea.

As part of the deal, several charges against him were dropped, including an additional possession of stolen property charge relating to the boat and several alleged breaches of release conditions from other provinces. It is believed he will plead guilty to charges of theft and possession of stolen property.

A pre-sentence report was also ordered when the case returns to provincial court in Port Hawkesbury on March 9th, 2026. An agreed statement of facts will be read at sentencing, which should give insight into Saleh's motives. He will also be given an opportunity to address the court.

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