Mira Beau - Springer Narrow Boats

[richard.t]

Hi All,

We used to own a Springer boat called Mira Beau in 1989/1990, had it moored at Etruria then sold it and never saw or know of her since, has anyone got any info? She is 40ft long and it the time had a 2 pot lister and a wooden cabin.

 

Be great if anyone has any info

 

Thanks

Rich

[Tony Brooks]

Not any help at all, but a wooden top Springer, last known 25 years ago and probably far, far older than that makes me think that it has been scrapped or abandoned somewhere quiet so is now slowly rotting away.

[IanM]

Looked on the boat listing for it and it does come up but where normally it gives a date saying last updated there wasn't an update date alongside Mira Beau so I think I'd agree with Tony.  In any case, the boat listing is over 10 years out of date in itself.

[Tony Brooks]

Interesting, I copied and pasted the name from the post into the boat list, and it came back with no records - yes I did have all navigation authorities checked.

[IanM]

Just now, Tony Brooks said:

Interesting, I copied and pasted the name from the post into the boat list, and it came back with no records - yes I did have all navigation authorities checked.

 

Just did it again and get the same as you.

 

I did look yesterday so maybe I got it wrong.  I have been to sleep since then 😁

[Hudds Lad]

The same chap that produces those AI slop boat youtubes has a website that seems to pull data from somewhere for boat listings, different to the CanalPlan data, even shows insurance. Nothing for the OP's boat though.

[ditchcrawler]

Mira Beau Built by Springer UK Ltd - Length : 12.19 metres ( 40 feet ) - Beam : 1.98 metres ( 6 feet 6 inches ) - Draft : 0.76 metres ( 2 feet 6 inches ). Metal hull . Registered with Canal & River Trust number 69017 as a Powered Private Motor Boat

[IanM]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

Mira Beau Built by Springer UK Ltd - Length : 12.19 metres ( 40 feet ) - Beam : 1.98 metres ( 6 feet 6 inches ) - Draft : 0.76 metres ( 2 feet 6 inches ). Metal hull . Registered with Canal & River Trust number 69017 as a Powered Private Motor Boat

 

That's exactly what I found yesterday but when I looked this morning it came up with nothing as @Tony Brooks found.

 

I knew I hadn't imagined it!

[Phoenix_V]

20 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

The same chap that produces those AI slop boat youtubes has a website that seems to pull data from somewhere for boat listings, different to the CanalPlan data, even shows insurance. Nothing for the OP's boat though.

link please

 

[ditchcrawler]

Thats another recommendation from the report, A public register of boats but I can see that hitting the buffers on DPA 

[Hudds Lad]

2 hours ago, Phoenix_V said:

link please

 

https://www.canalboats.com/tag/boat-details/

 

layout has recently changed, use the search function to put boat name in.

I only noticed this as i got spammed with it on Facebook a week or two ago, gave it a go assuming it would use the same data as CanalPlan, but was then intrigued/worried as to how it had insurance details.

[IanM]

20 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

https://www.canalboats.com/tag/boat-details/

 

layout has recently changed, use the search function to put boat name in.

I only noticed this as i got spammed with it on Facebook a week or two ago, gave it a go assuming it would use the same data as CanalPlan, but was then intrigued/worried as to how it had insurance details.

 

That is interesting, especially as it lists where boats are 'based'.  Can't see that being a good thing in some circumstances.

[BilgePump]

1 hour ago, IanM said:

 

That is interesting, especially as it lists where boats are 'based'.  Can't see that being a good thing in some circumstances.

Not sure where they are getting the data from. Looked up a couple of our past boats, one showing insurance expiry 8 years ago and the other current along with mooring location. Present boat has been on CaRT waters for over 6 years since registration and isn't in their database.

[Tony Brooks]

I must be a jinx, I went onto the newly linked site and Mira Beau did not appear in the search results

[Hudds Lad]

38 minutes ago, BilgePump said:

Not sure where they are getting the data from. Looked up a couple of our past boats, one showing insurance expiry 8 years ago and the other current along with mooring location. Present boat has been on CaRT waters for over 6 years since registration and isn't in their database.

Are you with RCR? I'm just wondering if that's the database they have access to rather than CRT??

[BilgePump]

24 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

Are you with RCR? I'm just wondering if that's the database they have access to rather than CRT??

I'm not but just done a bit more searching on there. Typed in a word, part of the name of a boat moored near me. Didn't come up but a different neighbour's boat, sharing the same word as part of its name, did come up with current insurance details and correct location. He rarely goes very far and I doubt would have RCR cover. Do people have to keep RCR updated of their insurance like with CaRT? Have RAC cover on car and don't recall needing to give them insurance details.

 

It seems to be that boats that a) can be found on CanalPlan's CaRT data and b) have been insured at some point since CaRT's inception are there. Boats registered in the last half dozen or more years or those where licence/insurance lapsed prior to CaRT aren't. Whatever way, there's way more information on included boats than needs to be available for a public database.

Edited November 21, 2025 by BilgePump
to correct spelling of 'licence' as a noun, unlike our left-pondian friends.

[Hudds Lad]

10 minutes ago, BilgePump said:

I'm not but just done a bit more searching on there. Typed in a word, part of the name of a boat moored near me. Didn't come up but a different neighbour's boat, sharing the same word as part of its name, did come up with current insurance details and correct location. He rarely goes very far and I doubt would have RCR cover. Do people have to keep RCR updated of their insurance like with CaRT? Have RAC cover on car and don't recall needing to give them insurance details.

 

It seems to be that boats that a) can be found on CanalPlan's CaRT data and b) have been insured at some point since CaRT's inception are there. Boats registered in the last half dozen or more years or those where license/insurance lapsed prior to CaRT aren't. Whatever way, there's way more information on included boats than needs to be available for a public database.

I only wondered because i renewed our RCR cover this week and some of the new form had that info pre-filled apart from insurance expiry date (which i didn't complete as i don't want bombarding with insurance spam near the date, despite opting out of details being shared). Was just trying to think who else besides CRT would hold a database with all that info in it.

[IanM]

23 minutes ago, BilgePump said:

Whatever way, there's way more information on included boats than needs to be available for a public database.

 

That was my thinking too.  With all the AI generated images the site has I imagine that the guy running it is a fan of AI and is creating scripts and other things to populate his site with whether good or bad.

[Hudds Lad]

Agreed. Not worried for ourselves in particular, but it does feel like too much info is being shared by somebody with access.

I've contacted CRT to see if it's coming from them, will advise if i get a response.

[BilgePump]

50 minutes ago, BilgePump said:

It seems to be that boats that a) can be found on CanalPlan's CaRT data and b) have been insured at some point since CaRT's inception are there. Boats registered in the last half dozen or more years or those where licence/insurance lapsed prior to CaRT aren't. Whatever way, there's way more information on included boats than needs to be available for a public database.

Scrub that thought. Just looked up a recently built boat from one of the members here. It's listed on there.  @Hudds Lad may be on the right track with RCR suggestion.

Edited November 21, 2025 by BilgePump

[Hudds Lad]

I got a nice automated reply from CRT, basically it could be a month until i hear anything back.

 

It also suggested "For new reports, if you have not already done so, please complete a data breach form, which you can find here."

 

As you can see, there is no link  

(i don't think my mail client stripped it out, as there are several other links existing in their reply)

[cuthound]

3 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

https://www.canalboats.com/tag/boat-details/

 

layout has recently changed, use the search function to put boat name in.

I only noticed this as i got spammed with it on Facebook a week or two ago, gave it a go assuming it would use the same data as CanalPlan, but was then intrigued/worried as to how it had insurance details.

 

I'm surprised that it gives actual addresses of boats moored on End of Garden Moorings.

 

There doesn't seem to be a way to contact the site either, other than by signing up and giving them your email address.

Edited November 21, 2025 by cuthound
Clarification

[Hudds Lad]

2 hours ago, cuthound said:

There doesn't seem to be a way to contact the site either, other than by signing up and giving them your email address.

That has become the stumbling block, as i've had a reply from CRT;

 

"Thank you for your email, which has concerned me greatly.

 

I confirm that there is no reason why the Trust would share information externally. Information such as insurance and mooring location is personal data belonging to boaters and should not be shared without good reason. Even then, sharing must be compliant with the UK GDPR. We see no reason why anyone at the Trust would disclose this information or otherwise allow a third party access to it.

 

We have undertaken a random check and established that the database at canalboats.com is incomplete (i.e. does not contain all boats) and in some cases the information is wrong or out of date. It is also interesting that some mooring locations are included, and others are not.

 

We cannot see how the information has come from the Trust and do not understand how this website has obtained access to it.

 

However, to be sure and to ensure the best approach to dealing with this, we would like work with you to gain a more detailed understanding of how this situation has arisen. I believe the best way forward would be for you - as the data subject – to make a Data Subject Access Request under your GDPR rights. You are entitled to be made aware of how your data came into the possession of the website and, in fact, have the data removed. You are also entitled to know what other data they hold belonging to you. Under the law, they should provide a response within one calendar month.

 

If you are prepared to take this action and let us know any response you receive, it will inform us of the next steps and help us determine the best way forward.

 

Please let me know if this is something you are able to assist with."

[IanM]

Just the guys name is the closest you can get to finding out who runs the site.  

 

https://www.canalboats.com/author/stephen/

 

[alan_fincher]

A bit late to the game, but just to confirm that wooden topped Springers were very much the exception case.

 

I'm aware there were a few, but equally they were building far more steel topped ones more or less from the outset.

 

Undoubtedly some wooden topped ones eventually got remodelled with a steel top.

Our first ever canal bot holiday was on a brand new all steel Springer.  It would probably have been fine had they not tried to power it with a pair of 6HP Evinrude or Johnson outboards!