One night in May 2003, he tagged the side of the Thekla boat, moored in Bristol harbour. According to the artist, "the harbourmaster painted over, and the club threatened to sue. I went out and hit it again in the hope I could lure the harbourmaster out for a full custodial sentence. The result was this stencilled image of the Grim Reaper…” Stenciling creates powerful imagery swiftly, a medium allowing Banksy to stay ahead in the cat-and-mouse game with the authorities.

It was removed to protect it from damage and wear, and it is now on display in Bristol's M Shed Museum.