Anybody lost a boat?

[Big John]

 

You can see the thing on the webcam HERE

Gary,

 

The images were excellent- worth entering in the gallery & competition.

 

The idea of putting the boat on the webcam was inspired and fascinating. Thanks.

 

Finally well done for bring the boat to safety.

[Bones]

Good on you! I was dreading what you would find!!!!! I was glued to the webcam!

[Mrs. Mole]

Good on you! I was dreading what you would find!!!!! I was glued to the webcam!

Me too!! My day off work, meant to be doing the ironing

 

Must get on with things now!

 

sorry

[Liam]

Definately beats Eastenders, Coronation Street etc!! lol.

 

:: Drags Gary into the VP for a drink on me! ::

[Gary Peacock]

BW found the owner for us. The boat had been broken into and the contents ransacked then cut loose.

 

Anyway it's gone now hopefully he can find a bit more secure mooring than the riverbank for it in the future.

[Liam]

B*stards aren't they!

 

Even if it's been turned over and things have been stolen from it, at least he got the boat back and it wasn't torched or anything.

 

There was a boat on our moorings (36ft boat which was about 3 months old) that was stolen. They came down one day during the week and it'd gone. After passing news backwards and forwards along the canal, someone managed to locate it on the Leeds & Liverpool somewhere, by which time, they'd ruined the £4k paintwork by sloshing green gloss paint all over it and they'd also no experience and the whole boat at the bottom was scratched to hell.

 

They eventually got it back, but the guys who stole it were never caught. They were seen cruising around Castlefields a few weekends later on a small cruiser and although some narrowboats tried, and did block the boat down Potato Wharf, the w*nk*rs jumped off and legged it.

[Supermalc]

Great to hear of people looking after people......well done Gary.

 

I had 'the dreaded phone call' the other week. Not from BW, but a fellow boater. This is ????? sorry to say but it's bad news. You boat has been ..... sunk??? caught fire??? no broken into. Sorry if you've already read about it. Sustrans are in the process of building a walking and cycle track from Lincoln to Boston. They have just finished the section that goes past the Lock. We all knew this would mean the end of the 'lost marina', and of course all the security issues it would bring.

 

It didn't take long, 4 days after the tarmac was laid. Anyway they looked into all the boats, broke into a few, drank some wine and whisky, took few tools to break open doors etc, an electric lead and fan heater to keep warm and sleep it off. They tried to start a few boats, and 2 were pushed out, but thankfully no rampage of destruction.

 

Mine in fact had not been broken into. They opened the while outer doors, that now just rest over the metal screen door I made. Looked at my mucky cusions inside, gave the door a good kick, which I hope hurt their feet, and cleared off to the next boat, for easier pickings......this is just what I intended.

 

Sustrans have now completed the fence and gate, but it would only really stop old ladies, and cripples (Me at the moment, after my slip last week) All quiet since, but there will be a next time of course.

[Pat]

Great to hear of people looking after people......well done Gary.

 

I had 'the dreaded phone call' the other week. Not from BW, but a fellow boater. This is ????? sorry to say but it's bad news. You boat has been ..... sunk??? caught fire??? no broken into. Sorry if you've already read about it. Sustrans are in the process of building a walking and cycle track from Lincoln to Boston. They have just finished the section that goes past the Lock. We all knew this would mean the end of the 'lost marina', and of course all the security issues it would bring.

 

It didn't take long, 4 days after the tarmac was laid. Anyway they looked into all the boats, broke into a few, drank some wine and whisky, took few tools to break open doors etc, an electric lead and fan heater to keep warm and sleep it off. They tried to start a few boats, and 2 were pushed out, but thankfully no rampage of destruction.

 

Mine in fact had not been broken into. They opened the while outer doors, that now just rest over the metal screen door I made. Looked at my mucky cusions inside, gave the door a good kick, which I hope hurt their feet, and cleared off to the next boat, for easier pickings......this is just what I intended.

 

Sustrans have now completed the fence and gate, but it would only really stop old ladies, and cripples (Me at the moment, after my slip last week) All quiet since, but there will be a next time of course.

 

 

That is my biggest fear. If someone just brakes into the boat and steals everything, its bad enough, but it's the cutting lose or setting fire thing that just frightens the pants off me. Myself and the owners of the other 3 boats moored at our place are thinking about getting a camera that is linked up to the internet so that we can all check on our boats whilst we are at work. Kind of like what Gary set up this morning. By the way, that was seriously entertaining. Never seen so many people logged onto one topic at the same time!

[wrigglefingers]

I put it on the interactive whiteboard for my students during Personal Development Time. They were fascinated and it helps to remind them that there's a real world outside school. We were all pleased to hear that there was no-one onboard. The kids were impressed by the number of people who were concerned and we had a really good chat about the nature of community help. So much better than the boring lesson I'd prepared on voting I might add!

 

Jill

[Clarissa]

The kids were impressed by the number of people who were concerned and we had a really good chat about the nature of community help. So much better than the boring lesson I'd prepared on voting I might add!

 

Jill

 

Just remember to make a bit of paper showing you did really fulfill all the goals for the "real" lesson plan, for the central scrutinizers. Meanwhile it's good to hear education is still that.

It is amazing the way many seperate people can watch a single event. This is a such a big change in the notion of community, compared to a decade ago.

Edited January 23, 2006 by Clarissa

[DHutch]

I put it on the interactive whiteboard for my students during Personal Development Time.

 

They were fascinated and it helps to remind them that there's a real world outside school. We were all pleased to hear that there was no-one onboard. The kids were impressed by the number of people who were concerned and we had a really good chat about the nature of community help. So much better than the boring lesson I'd prepared on voting I might add!

Wow, thats pritty cool, good for you!!

 

I wish peopl people would do this sort of thing.

- We once had a "school trip" a load of primary kids (yr5?) from the local school go for a walk on the two path. I though that was great, a be the H&S was a bitch, but apart from that, quite a cheap/easy day trip, and great fun for the kids envolved, espically handfull that got a go with a steam whistle (from the towpath, becuase they wherent allowed on the boat due to H&S, lol)

 

 

Also i think somone, like BW or IWA should offer in-school prestations one the canals, showing/teaching the kids about them.

- Im quite sure with the right deleviery, thats got to be by far the way to reduce canal vandalisum.

 

 

Daniel

[Clarissa]

... Also i think somone, like BW or IWA should offer in-school prestations one the canals, showing/teaching the kids about them.

- Im quite sure with the right deleviery, thats got to be by far the way to reduce canal vandalisum.

Daniel

 

Taking a Dawncraft 25 or was it a 27, through a lock somewhere between Northampton and Birmingham, I can't remember but it was out in the sticks somewhere, anyway, a huddle of fifteen year old lads came to the lock as I reached it. I wondered whether they were going to do me over and flame the boat, but I'm used to ignoring that kind of fear anyway so I carried on singlehanded, taking the boat up through the lock as they huddled around watching every move. Finally I got boat and self at far end of lock and gave a little acknowledgement to them, sort of seeya then. One of 'em just said, "Good squit" as I motored off towards the next lock.

[wrigglefingers]

Just remember to make a bit of paper showing you did really fulfill all the goals for the "real" lesson plan, for the central scrutinizers. Meanwhile it's good to hear education is still that.

 

I'm really lucky because we can use information as it happens to enable children to learn in our school. And it was relevant to my learning aims which included responsibility within the community. It's just these days our community is so much bigger than we realise sometimes.

 

Also i think somone, like BW or IWA should offer in-school prestations one the canals, showing/teaching the kids about them.

- Im quite sure with the right deleviery, thats got to be by far the way to reduce canal vandalisum.

Daniel

 

It's my new job, thanks Daniel! I just need to persuade BW to pay me a living pittance and I'd happily do it; I do agree too. Kids learning about boats, the cut, the wildlife, the history and the people has to be a better way to protect our precious resources than punishment and or danger for others when they get it wrong through ignorance.

 

Jill (motto: lesson plans are for losers! )

[GRPCruiserman]

Great to hear of people looking after people......well done Gary.

 

I had 'the dreaded phone call' the other week. Not from BW, but a fellow boater. This is ????? sorry to say but it's bad news. You boat has been ..... sunk??? caught fire??? no broken into. Sorry if you've already read about it. Sustrans are in the process of building a walking and cycle track from Lincoln to Boston. They have just finished the section that goes past the Lock. We all knew this would mean the end of the 'lost marina', and of course all the security issues it would bring.

 

It didn't take long, 4 days after the tarmac was laid. Anyway they looked into all the boats, broke into a few, drank some wine and whisky, took few tools to break open doors etc, an electric lead and fan heater to keep warm and sleep it off. They tried to start a few boats, and 2 were pushed out, but thankfully no rampage of destruction.

 

Mine in fact had not been broken into. They opened the while outer doors, that now just rest over the metal screen door I made. Looked at my mucky cusions inside, gave the door a good kick, which I hope hurt their feet, and cleared off to the next boat, for easier pickings......this is just what I intended.

 

Sustrans have now completed the fence and gate, but it would only really stop old ladies, and cripples (Me at the moment, after my slip last week) All quiet since, but there will be a next time of course.

 

When work is being done that affects businesses, ie parking etc, it is normal for the builder/local council/ road menders etc to compensate the business for loss of takings etc.

 

Clearly in this case, the security of your mooring has been compromised by the construction of the thoroughfare near your marina. This has some admittance by the constructor as they have now, you have said, installed some security, even if this is not sufficient.

 

As the constructor left your marina unsecure for the time between the start of construction and the completion of the security measures, and during that time intruders were able to gain entry and cause damage and theft of property, I would assume that the constructor is responsible for those losses, in the same way that if you were having building work done to your house and the builder left your front door unlocked overnight with the result your TV was stolen, then your builder would be responsible.

 

Have you and your fellow boaters written to the constructor to tell them they are responsible and that you want compensation?

 

I would also have thought that if you are in a BW marina and hold a BW mooring permit, then you would now be entitled to a reduction in that fee due to the decrease in security that your site now has.

 

Surely they should have put up those fence things that attach with brackets until they installed your new security?

 

It's always horrible to hear of these things. Who gave the permission to install this new thouroughfare? Surely they should pay for considerably increased security?

[Supermalc]

This has all been dealt with before hand.

 

In the first instance BW wrote to all interested parties to write to the appropriate council with regard the original planning application. I along with a few others did, with the resulting planning for the cyclepath being denied.

 

A few weeks later we got a letter stating BW had a constructive meeting with Sustrans and had withdrawn their objections.

 

I was at my boat on this occasion and spoke to the people there. We had proposed a fence running along both sides of the path at the top of the embankment (it is a disused railway track) with a barrier both ends past the moorings to the East, and the other side of the bridge over the river to the west. Sustrans agreed to extend the higher fence alonside the bank at the bottom of the embankment, with a locked gate, and they would pay for it.

 

There was also agreement that the lock area would be accessable for walkers etc. I proposed a ramp on the North side of the bridge, with access underneath on the road, so still affording access, but initially leading away. They have put a ramp down alongside the moorings, with the entrance just past the gate.

 

As I suffered no losses, I've no claim. Boats that have can claim on their insurance of course, should they wish to do so, and it is the insurers that could claim back the money from Sustrans.

 

Last year, the otherside embankment was raised. For almost 6 months there were tractors, dumpers and diggers going up and down, and boats were past bringing the soil, and bundles of tyres used. Occasionally large waves were produced, partly due to the shallow water.

 

So instead of peace and tranquility, it was like a building site. I wrote to BW asking for a reduction in my mooring for one year, explaining if I had a holiday where this occured I would most likely get some, if not all my money back. They flatly refused.