How to go about salvaging an abandoned canal boat?

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

It was the odour.

 

I hate dentists.

 

Stop struggling. You won't feel a THING....

 

 

[Tracy D'arth]

14 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Stop struggling. You won't feel a THING....

 

 

Never heard it called a THING, Certainly won't feel it. Get a grip of yourself, stop shouting, its late.

[MtB]

26 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Never heard it called a THING, Certainly won't feel it. Get a grip of yourself, stop shouting, its late.

 

Shhhh, I'm squabbling on DIY-dentistry.com about anaesthesia, and why shouting at the victim is a good alternative...

 

[Bee]

I would imagine that it belongs to the owner of the land on which it sits. If it was in a field belonging to me it would be mine in much the same way as if someone dumped a pile of old tyres in my theoretical field it would be my responsibility to get rid of them. That really is the first thing to do. Realistically the fine details of the law are unlikely to ever be a problem.

[ditchcrawler]

A friend of mine lived on a boat on the River Yare, one day a rowing boat came floating by so he pulled it out. He then informed the police that he had found it as lost property. The police didn't want it but said they would log it as found and that he should look after it. If no one claimed it after a given time it would be his. Needless to say it was never claimed but several months later he was accused by its original owner of stealing it. It took quite a while to sort out but the original owner got his boat back 

[WotEver]

2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

A friend of mine lived on a boat on the River Yare, one day a rowing boat came floating by so he pulled it out. He then informed the police that he had found it as lost property. The police didn't want it but said they would log it as found and that he should look after it. If no one claimed it after a given time it would be his. Needless to say it was never claimed but several months later he was accused by its original owner of stealing it. It took quite a while to sort out but the original owner got his boat back 

I had a PA speaker nicked from my car many years ago. A year or so later I saw it in the corner of a shoe shop (!) blaring out local radio. It was distinctive as it was a custom build and I still had its mate. I told the shop owner it was mine and he argued and threw me out of the shop. I walked to the local cop shop and told them but because I hadn’t reported it stolen at the time they weren’t interested. By removing the bass driver to look inside at the crossover and comparing it to mine, or by seeing that the serial numbers of the drivers were consecutive, or simply by comparing the external construction it would be obvious to a blind man that it was the missing one of the pair, but the police weren’t going to budge. 

[TheBiscuits]

4 minutes ago, WotEver said:

I had a PA speaker nicked from my car many years ago. A year or so later I saw it in the corner of a shoe shop (!) blaring out local radio. It was distinctive as it was a custom build and I still had its mate. I told the shop owner it was mine and he argued and threw me out of the shop. I walked to the local cop shop and told them but because I hadn’t reported it stolen at the time they weren’t interested. By removing the bass driver to look inside at the crossover and comparing it to mine, or by seeing that the serial numbers of the drivers were consecutive, or simply by comparing the external construction it would be obvious to a blind man that it was the missing one of the pair, but the police weren’t going to budge. 

How could you prove you hadn't nicked one of the pair from the shoe shop?

[WotEver]

1 minute ago, TheBiscuits said:

How could you prove you hadn't nicked one of the pair from the shoe shop?

Cos I still had the receipt

[SamanthaHickson]

Ok, I thought I made it clear in my first post but to confirm to those who seem confused. This boat is not on tidal waters. The laws are quite clear about salvaging a boat on tidal water, where I'm lost is on a canal.

 

I know I can refloat/reclaim it at my own cost but at the the risk of the owner reclaiming it. Surely there's a process where I can do it without so much risk!?

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, SamanthaHickson said:

Ok, I thought I made it clear in my first post but to confirm to those who seem confused. This boat is not on tidal waters. The laws are quite clear about salvaging a boat on tidal water, where I'm lost is on a canal.

 

I know I can refloat/reclaim it at my own cost but at the the risk of the owner reclaiming it. Surely there's a process where I can do it without so much risk!?

Did posts #4 and #5 not help you?

 

Ideally you would buy it from the current owner for a quid, as is where is, then it's your boat so no issues with salvage.  You might struggle insuring for wreck recovery if it's already sunk though!

 

You can also count your blessings that nobody else who knows how to refloat boats (or has rose tinted specs!) has ever thought about salvaging this particular boat.

 

Speak to the navigation authority about it, probably CRT but that depends on which canal it's on.

[howardang]

19 minutes ago, SamanthaHickson said:

Ok, I thought I made it clear in my first post but to confirm to those who seem confused. This boat is not on tidal waters. The laws are quite clear about salvaging a boat on tidal water, where I'm lost is on a canal.

 

I know I can refloat/reclaim it at my own cost but at the the risk of the owner reclaiming it. Surely there's a process where I can do it without so much risk!?

Actually you didn't make it clear where the boat was located "There is a canal boat near me that is half sunk, half beached " so you have been given scenarios for both tidal and non-tidal. There may well be a process but I think we have suggested that it might not be straightforward, so the first step would be to either locate the owner, or alternatively discuss with the navigation authority. Just be prepared for the possibility of a convoluted process, although you may be fortunate.

 

Good luck

 

Howard

[MtB]

1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

Did posts #4 and #5 not help you?

 

 

These were clearly wrong answers, not the answers the the OP wanted, so have been dismissed. 

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

7 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

These were clearly wrong answers, not the answers the the OP wanted, so have been dismissed. 

 

 

Unfortunately we cant say stick a notice on it, float it,  take it away and its legally yours because it isnt.

[Paddle]

Provided you don't keep it anywhere near the place you found it then who would ever know. Same rules apply to all thefts.

 

You'd be better off buying this, though. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/523005505298984/?ref=feed_rhc It's only a grand...