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PLEASE HELP: Boat (SELKIE) Stolen

martin_bristow

By martin_bristow
in General Boating

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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

Posted
Posted (edited)
What can we all learn from this - did they 'hot-wire' the engine - would keys or no keys make any difference - one boat on my marina has a padlocked chain for mooring but to me it looks like easy work for a bolt cutter - is there a way to imobilise a NB? - I uaually take my battery isolator keys away - but they are easily replaced - any thoughts?

I suspect that hotwiring the engine on a semi-trad is rather easy in the absence of a locking engine cover, lift it up and if you know your way around a starter motor, which doesn't need a degree lets face it, its a quick job. heater plugs are a bit, but not a lot, more complicated.

 

edited, crossed posts: I have not got possession but it ain't going far I'm sure of that.

Edited by magnetman
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Supermalc Influencer

Supermalc

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What can we all learn from this

 

As I've said in my earlier post. Fit a tracker, that alerts your mobile if it moves. Even if it is towed away to a waiting crane, you should then be in time to stop it.

 

Now I'm a big believer in that we've got it wrong, in using locks for possessions; they should be for people. If you take something that is not yours, you are stopped, forcebly if necessary.

 

However, back in the real world, I'm still surprised that people will leave an £80,000 possession lying around, with only as much security as you would expect to find on a small wooden garden shed.

 

Many more of these thefts, and the insurance companies will soon cotton on and put premiums up.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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I suspect that many of you are attributing higher levels of intelligence to these characters than they deserve, the one thing that felons of this kind have in common is that they are all pretty stupid.
Hoisting narrowboats must be seen as mugs game by everyone, never the ideal getaway vehicles.

I can see where you are coming from John, and am also surprised that people think they can get away with it.

 

But the reality is that some do.

 

The www.stolenboats.org.uk site continues to list several narrowboats that don't appear to have ever been found.

 

I suppose it's possible that it's not always being updated when they are,( although one has been marked as "Recovered" since I last looked). I think it's highly likely that some of the others, (possibly all), remain unfound.

 

I suppose what is frightening here is that although the likelihood is that this boat had only been taken in the last few days, it's apparently actually over a month and a half since the owner last checked it. You can obviously get to just about anywhere else on the system in about half that time, (stoppages permitting!), so in a case like this, you wouldn't need a particularly fast get-away!

 

I think most people are far more concerned about their boat being broken into, than actually taken, but this does make you think.

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NB Alnwick Veteran II

NB Alnwick

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It would seem that we already have an excellent means of protecting our boats in this forum. We didn't get a chance to switch the computer on until this evening but this exciting thread and the most positive outcome can do nothing if not convince us all of the power of this internet community. Well done to Magnetman and all who took part!

 

Looking at the issue philosophically - potential thieves may not be lured by the value of our boats. In fact our none-boating friends would never believe how much we paid for our boat and we suspect that narrowboat prices are only appreciated by a very small sector of the community. An alternative view is that a young couple who are for whatever reason homeless, may well see a boat as an easily attainable home - a marina full of unoccupied boats may well appear to a homeless couple as an estate full of unnocupied houses and they may feel the same justification in occupying an empty boat as they would in squatting in an empty house . . .

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Khayamanzi Collaborator

Khayamanzi

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This is a fantastic result - well done to all involved. I agree it is also a worrying trend and totally agree with Alnwick in the post above. The fact that a young couple were painting it almost certainly implies a cheap house was being saught after. Can I suggest very strongly that in this thread and other future ones that may occur, that we do NOT discuss our ideas of 'effective' methods to steal and disguise a narrowboat! These people will only get smarter and may well use the same power of the internet which was the success of this story to outwit us in the next!

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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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This is a fantastic result - well done to all involved. I agree it is also a worrying trend and totally agree with Alnwick in the post above. The fact that a young couple were painting it almost certainly implies a cheap house was being saught after. Can I suggest very strongly that in this thread and other future ones that may occur, that we do NOT discuss our ideas of 'effective' methods to steal and disguise a narrowboat! These people will only get smarter and may well use the same power of the internet which was the success of this story to outwit us in the next!

 

Couldn't agree more and I've been down to Selkie and Martin is on board and there is no damage to the interior, only thing noticed was an excess of water in the stern tube drip tray and a broken ignition switch.

I'm sure he would appreciate anyone's advice on getting a new ignition switch for his engine, an Isuzu I believe.

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Khayamanzi Collaborator

Khayamanzi

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There is a Bob somebody who does everything Isuzu but I can't find his number in Waterways World. There is a small ad at the back for Isuzu engines and parts - he could try 01666 500843. I think this is the main Isuzu UK number but their website - www.hmiengines.co.uk will probably have a locator facility for an engineer.

 

Ed Boden is a mobile marine engineer working on the Grand Union and can be contacted on 07941 048847

 

This may be a starter for Martin.

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Hairy-Neil Veteran

Hairy-Neil

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Puddlebanks is on the oxford and Grandunion as they run along together between Braunston and Napton junction. :cheers:

 

The five mile section of the Oxford Canal between Braunston and Napton forms the line of the Grand Union Canal. Although the Grand Union hoped to buy the Oxford Canal and Coventry Canals this never happened. Here's the background to it.....

 

The Oxford Canal predates the Grand Junction (Braunston - London) by some 24 years, recieving their enabling acts in 1769 and 1793 respectively. The junction being at the Stop House near the marina main entrance, which of course was the original route of the Canal to Oxford, the Puddle Banks being a later diversionary route built in the 1830s.

 

The Grand Union Canal is much later, only came into being on the 1st january 1929, being an amalgamation of several canal companies.

 

The Regent's Canal,

Hertford Union Canal (bought by the Regent's Canal in 1857)

Warwick and Napton Canal (bought by the Regent's Canal in 1927)

Warwick and Birmingham Canal bought by the Regent's Canal in 1927)

Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal (bought by the Regent's Canal in 1927)

Grand Junction Canal (bought by the Regent's Canal in 1927)

Old Grand Union Canal (bought by the Grand Junction in 1894)

Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union Canal (bought by the Grand Junction in 1894)

Leicester Navigation (bought by the Grand Union in 1932)

Loughborough Navigation (bought by the Grand Union in 1932)

Erewash Canal (bought by the Grand Union in 1932)

Edited by Hairy-Neil
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Supermalc Influencer

Supermalc

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Young enough anyway :cheers:

 

As I think you know, I've lived in Lincolnshire all my life, and Lincoln since 1979. Now I know we never look at what is 'under our noses', however I did know the Fosse Dyke was the oldest navigable canal, but until I got my boat, never gave it any thought. It was only while watching 'The Grain Run' video that I learned it was dug in AD 120 ...... that's a long time ago.

 

I had also never heard of Chapel Hill, and Dogdyke, or that there was a Sleaford, Grantham, Louth and Horncastle canal.

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Supermalc Influencer

Supermalc

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But did you know that part of the route of the Sleaford Canal/Kyme Eau, just to the west of South Kyme near Halfpenny Hatch uses the course of the Roman built Carr Dyke....

 

Yes, I've recently read that as well. Never heard of the Carr Dyke either, and it's what links (or did) Lincolnshire to the Fens. Seems to be some doubt if it was ever used for navigation, or just drainage.

 

 

Btw, since the end of May, beginning of June when weed makes it impossible, I was the only boat to use it, except for the weed cutters.

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miles beyond Contributor

miles beyond

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The Cragdale was taken from Braunston Puddle Banks, I'd say that was the Oxford Canal.....:unsure:

 

I would be careful about jumping to conclusions over Cragdale. While it is presumably still sub judice, it is nevertheless the case that at the last count the supposed "thieves" were released without charge, and a party involved in Cragdale's "sale" to them was arrested.

 

And it is indeed the Oxford Canal! :cheers:

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Supermalc Influencer

Supermalc

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the supposed "thieves" were released without charge

 

Well there's a surprise (NOT).

 

A friend of mine now says he'd rather see the burglers coming up his drive, than the police, and he's utter contempt of thieves.

 

After a burglery to his house a few years ago, they trapped the thieves when they returned a second time. When the police came, they let them go, as they'd stolen nothing that time, yet charged him with a firearms offence for a decorative gun, that was impossible to fire, or get any ammunition for.

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blackrose Veteran II

blackrose

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Although it's still a rarity, these two boat thefts make me wonder if it's worth fitting some sort of tracking device. A boat is pretty much impossible to immobilise - even if they can't start the engine they could always rope it away and most chains are easily cut with boltcutters.

 

I heard the idea of leaving a hidden mobile phone on charge which could be tracked, but I wonder if there's something out there which could be switched on remotely with a mobile phone in the event of the boat being stolen, in order to save battery power?

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