Another stolen boat on Facebook

[ditchcrawler]

[Balloon]

I’ve just moored up nearby close to a poor guy with a very similar Springer, not this one as different windows, whos been accosted as a boat thief all day! Just north of Watford.  

[MtB]

8 minutes ago, Balloon said:

I’ve just moored up nearby close to a poor guy with a very similar Springer, not this one as different windows, whos been accosted as a boat thief all day! Just north of Watford.  

 

That's a shame, but the stolen boat looks nothing like a Springer, to my eye anyway! 

[Balloon]

3 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

That's a shame, but the stolen boat looks nothing like a Springer, to my eye anyway! 

On another Facebook group the stolen boat was described as a springer - although you’re right, from that photo it doesn’t look like one. 

[MtB]

Granted the handrails look right for a Springer but I've never seen one with that elaborate curly shape to the forward ends of the cabin sides.

 

Bow/ forward swim shape looks far too long and elegant for a Springer too! 

 

but anyway, if the owner says its a Springer then it probably is - I'd expect them to know for sure. 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by MtB

[wandering snail]

Found by owner.

[Tracy D'arth]

2 minutes ago, wandering snail said:

Found by owner.

Lost down the back of the settee?

Or did it Springer to life?

Edited April 10, 2022 by Tracy D'arth

[frangar]

Apparently while we were away from the marina last week there was much excitement with several police cars arriving as a boat was being unloaded from a truck into the water…with truck & boat impounded and people arrested…not sure of full story but seems there might be a fairly organised gang lifting boats and selling them to unsuspecting people…seems slightly more effort than just polling it down the cut but I guess if you target a £80k plus boat the rewards can be worth it. 

[Athy]

24 minutes ago, wandering snail said:

Found by owner.

"Oh, THAT'S where I put it".

[mrsmelly]

Why is it that these nicked boats never seem to have a name thats visible? A vinyl sticker costs very little in the scheme of things.

[Alan de Enfield]

18 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Why is it that these nicked boats never seem to have a name thats visible? A vinyl sticker costs very little in the scheme of things.

 

But then C&RT 'enforcers' would know they are not licenced.

[mrsmelly]

6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

But then C&RT 'enforcers' would know they are not licenced.

Well. I wasnt going to say, but is that not just a cynical view 

[Tracy D'arth]

13 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Well. I wasnt going to say, but is that not just a cynical view 

No, the number of boats I see with no name, no licence and no number visible is worrying. I have reported several but C&RT shrug and say what can they do if they cannot identify the boat and subsequently the owner.

[TheBiscuits]

14 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

No, the number of boats I see with no name, no licence and no number visible is worrying. I have reported several but C&RT shrug and say what can they do if they cannot identify the boat and subsequently the owner.

 

Tow it away under their own byelaws ...

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, Tracy D'arth said:

No, the number of boats I see with no name, no licence and no number visible is worrying. I have reported several but C&RT shrug and say what can they do if they cannot identify the boat and subsequently the owner.

I did wonder about that when I saw it on Facebook. First post said taken from a marina, but another indicated it was sold from being virtually decrepit on the towpath.

[MtB]

2 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Tow it away under their own byelaws ...

 

 

CRT's failure/refusal to do this is the next rod they are making for their own back, IMO.

 

Stealth boats seem to be getting slowly more and more common as scallies notice that CRT ignore the unidentified boats, rather than impound and lift them out. Going 'stealth' certainly helps make boats cheaper to live on as no license or BSS is necessary.

 

Combined with CRT being a 9-5 Mon-Fri organisation now, I suspect all a stealth boater needs to do is be away from the boat during normal working hours to avoid contact with CRT staff. 

 

 

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

 

CRT's failure/refusal to do this is the next rod they are making for their own back, IMO.

 

Stealth boats seem to be getting slowly more and more common as scallies notice that CRT ignore the unidentified boats, rather than impound and lift them out. Going 'stealth' certainly helps make boats cheaper to live on as no license or BSS is necessary.

 

Combined with CRT being a 9-5 Mon-Fri organisation now, I suspect all a stealth boater needs to do is be away from the boat during normal working hours to avoid contact with CRT staff. 

 

 

Started when they made license display optional. It was obvious then that with no name or number displayed you were untraceable.

CRT thought it would work as it did with road tax, forgetting that cars have number plates, enforced by lots of jolly coppers.

[Ex Brummie]

2 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Started when they made license display optional. It was obvious then that with no name or number displayed you were untraceable.

CRT thought it would work as it did with road tax, forgetting that cars have number plates, enforced by lots of jolly coppers.

And despite that, DVLA is still very much down on revenue compared to when we had licence discs.

[MtB]

17 minutes ago, Ex Brummie said:

And despite that, DVLA is still very much down on revenue compared to when we had licence discs.

 

That's as may be but they are substantially down on expenditure too, not having to print and post out 40m tax discs every year. 

 

I think the plan was the cost saving from this would exceed the reduction in revenue.

 

Dunno if it worked out that way though.

[Ex Brummie]

According to reports in the press and tax payers alliance, in the first year, the loss of revenue was £400m. The most recent reports from DVLA itself alleges £93m, but other reports are nearer to £400m. If there had been any savings shown from the discontinuance of discs then economy could have been a valid reason, but this hasn't been the case as employee costs are rising exponentially according to their own reports.

Any commercial enterprise has to earn its living, but all the government agencies do not have to worry about such trivialities.

[Heartland]

Perhaps the CRT needs to recruit more enforcers. The job desciption must include a sense of humour.

 

Here is one putting on safety footwear for the towpath.

 

 

[David Mack]

I may have seen a more serious enforcer 4 years ago:

 

 

[Stilllearning]

19 hours ago, Ex Brummie said:

According to reports in the press and tax payers alliance, in the first year, the loss of revenue was £400m. The most recent reports from DVLA itself alleges £93m, but other reports are nearer to £400m. If there had been any savings shown from the discontinuance of discs then economy could have been a valid reason, but this hasn't been the case as employee costs are rising exponentially according to their own reports.

Any commercial enterprise has to earn its living, but all the government agencies do not have to worry about such trivialities.

I had not heard about this drop in revenue, and on reflection it’s hardly surprising.

Why the UK has changed to the no visible proof system is beyond me. Here, when you buy a car and change the ownership details you pay a one-off road tax based on the horse power.

We also have to show mot and insurance stickers on the windscreen. It still doesn’t stop tax avoidance, no doubt.

Oh, and if you sell a second hand car it must have at least 6 months mot left.

[Arthur Marshall]

20 hours ago, Ex Brummie said:

According to reports in the press and tax payers alliance, in the first year, the loss of revenue was £400m....

...

Any commercial enterprise has to earn its living, but all the government agencies do not have to worry about such trivialities.

It's nothing to do with efficiency or economics, government agencies are run on political lines and the important thing was to cut the number of direct employees so it could be announced that the civil service (with their much envied gold plated pensions*) had been slimmed down.

 

*I'm lucky enough to have one - couldn't afford the boat otherwise. After 25 years in the CS it's a bit over four grand a year. 

[Stilllearning]

8 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

It's nothing to do with efficiency or economics, government agencies are run on political lines and the important thing was to cut the number of direct employees so it could be announced that the civil service (with their much envied gold plated pensions*) had been slimmed down.

 

*I'm lucky enough to have one - couldn't afford the boat otherwise. After 25 years in the CS it's a bit over four grand a year. 

That pension is good Arthur, but Mrs S would say that her TFL pension is better, or will be when she decides to take it.