Water Rats Season 6 Episode 7 Mates Rates

Water Rats is an Australian television crime drama series that aired from 1996 to 2001. The show follows the daily activities of the police officers working at the Sydney Water Police Unit, as they struggle to maintain order in one of the busiest harbors in the world. In season 6 episode 7, titled "Mates Rates," the Water Rats are called in to investigate a string of robberies and thefts from various boats and yachts along the harbor.

As the episode begins, two workers from the harbor board are conducting a routine inspection of one of the marinas, when they notice that several of the boats have been broken into and stripped of valuable equipment. They immediately call the Water Police to report the thefts, and a team is dispatched to investigate the crime scene.

The Water Rats quickly determine that the culprit is a professional thief, who has been carefully planning and executing these thefts for weeks, if not months. The thief's modus operandi involves cutting through the hulls of the boats with a specialized saw, and then plundering the cabins for anything of value, from electronics to personal belongings. The police are at a loss as to how to catch the thief, as he seems to be always one step ahead of them.

Meanwhile, Frank Holloway (Colin Friels), the leader of the Water Police, is dealing with his own personal problems. His daughter, Rachel (Kerry Armstrong), has just returned to Sydney after living in the United States for several years, and Frank is struggling to reconnect with her. Rachel is an independent and successful businesswoman, and Frank feels that he has lost touch with her over the years. He is also worried about her safety, as she has been receiving anonymous threats ever since her return to Australia.

As the investigation into the boat thefts continues, the Water Rats team up with a group of local fishermen, who have been keeping a close eye on the harbor and may have seen something relevant to the case. One of the fishermen, Daryl (Gary Sweet), is an old friend of Frank's, and he offers to help out in any way he can.

Despite their best efforts, the Water Rats are unable to catch the thief, who continues to evade them at every turn. It is not until Daryl makes a breakthrough in his own investigation that the police finally get a lead on the culprit. The thief turns out to be a well-known marine mechanic, who has been offering his "mates rates" to boat owners in return for access to their vessels. He has been stealing their equipment, and then selling it on the black market for a hefty profit.

In the end, the Water Rats are able to track down the thief and bring him to justice, thanks to the help of their friends in the fishing community. Frank is also able to reconcile with his daughter, and he realizes that he needs to make more of an effort to stay in touch with her in the future.

Overall, "Mates Rates" is an engaging and suspenseful episode of Water Rats, which showcases the technical skills and procedural expertise of the Water Police officers, as well as the importance of friendship and community in solving crimes.