Boater done a runner, gives us all a bad name

[Bunny]

My husband works for a car dealership in the winter . Over the years he has built a network of drivers, mechanics , friends and colleagues . A mechanic with whom he has worked , who now is a ' Mobil one man band' contacted him, today asking if it would be possible to find a liveaboard boater for whom he had done a substantial amount of work on his car and has now disappeared . Now I know and have passed back the message that it is unlikely that anyone here would hint at the whereabouts of this boat , for reasons I fully appreciate , but if I posted the boat details is there any chance someone would p.m me an area , just to save the chap walking the length of the K and A looking for the money he is owed . I appreciate that it's not usual, but thought I'd ask , or any other ideas to help him .Bunny

[metanoia]

That's really horrible....

Hope you get it sorted soon

[zenataomm]

There are towrags in all sections of society sadly.

I'd recommend anyone doing a substantial amount of work for anyone anywhere needs to take safeguards such as part payments if the customer pleads poverty and/or not handing their property back until payment is received.

 

I hope it gets sorted out, but don't agree that the actions of a rogue gives us all a bad name. I'm only accountable for my own actions.

[dmr]

The K&A is effectively cut in half for most of this winter so unless this incident happened near the stoppage there is only a need to search half of the K&A, though that is still quite a big job. Are we talking about an "established" and/or signwritten K&A boat, or one of quite a few of the "semi anonymous" boats that have arrived here this winter???

 

................Dave

[MtB]

Swerving off topic, I've noticed at least a couple of totally anonymous boats here. No name, no number, no license, no nothing. I wonder what CRT's strategy is with such boats. I've yet to see one with a patrol notice attached. Why not, I wonder?

[Dyertribe]

Swerving off topic, I've noticed at least a couple of totally anonymous boats here. No name, no number, no license, no nothing. I wonder what CRT's strategy is with such boats. I've yet to see one with a patrol notice attached. Why not, I wonder?

Secret squirrels innit?

 

 

Am I getting obsessed?

[MtB]

Secret squirrels innit?

 

 

Am I getting obsessed?

 

 

Yep.

 

Typical GURL!

[Dyertribe]

Yep.

 

Typical GURL!

We got LOTS of grey squirrels in our garden on account of the oak trees and hazels ( them burying their nuts in the lawn drives 'Im indoors bereft) Edited December 21, 2015 by Dyertribe

[metanoia]

Swerving off topic, I've noticed at least a couple of totally anonymous boats here. No name, no number, no license, no nothing. I wonder what CRT's strategy is with such boats. I've yet to see one with a patrol notice attached. Why not, I wonder?

Cos it's a secret, silly.....................................

[Rufford]

Because it is an anomaly with the 'system'. A boat with no name or index number visible has a photo taken and it's location logged. A notice is attached reminding the owner that licensing is mandatory and that they should contact their enforcement officer and also get or display a license.

 

Next time it is spotted, the same happens again, it is put on the system as another unlicensed and anonymous boat, and again etc eventually somebody trawels through all the no licensed boat photos and links up all the photos and locations and consolidates them into one.

 

Eventually the wheels turn and enforcement officers start to look out for the unnamed boat, but some boats all look a like and they keep moving..

 

All the time enforcement notices go unanswered which leaves CaRT with the option of removal of the boat and court action. But where is it now? And who do they start proceedings against? How do they serve court papers?

 

The boat (providing it keeps moving) will only ever be encountered by data loggers who will take a photo, Mark the location and move on.

[dmr]

Swerving off topic, I've noticed at least a couple of totally anonymous boats here. No name, no number, no license, no nothing. I wonder what CRT's strategy is with such boats. I've yet to see one with a patrol notice attached. Why not, I wonder?

 

I suspect the Patrol Notice is going out of fashion, especially as a few militant boaters have suggested that fixing the notice is trespass!!!.

Think its all done by email and phone calls now. However I also wonder what CaRT do about these boats, I hope they don't just regard them as hard work and not cost effective, and go after a softer target instead.

 

..............Dave

[MtB]

I'm terribly

 

 

I suspect the Patrol Notice is going out of fashion, especially as a few militant boaters have suggested that fixing the notice is trespass!!!.

Think its all done by email and phone calls now. However I also wonder what CaRT do about these boats, I hope they don't just regard them as hard work and not cost effective, and go after a softer target instead.

 

..............Dave

 

 

I too suspect this is exactly what happens. Confirmed by Rufford's post above yours, giving chapter and verse.

And swerving RIGHT off topic again, anyone else here really enjoying the Georgie Fame prog on R4 now?!!

[metanoia]

Because it is an anomaly with the 'system'. A boat with no name or index number visible has a photo taken and it's location logged. A notice is attached reminding the owner that licensing is mandatory and that they should contact their enforcement officer and also get or display a license.

 

Next time it is spotted, the same happens again, it is put on the system as another unlicensed and anonymous boat, and again etc eventually somebody trawels through all the no licensed boat photos and links up all the photos and locations and consolidates them into one.

 

Eventually the wheels turn and enforcement officers start to look out for the unnamed boat, but some boats all look a like and they keep moving..

 

All the time enforcement notices go unanswered which leaves CaRT with the option of removal of the boat and court action. But where is it now? And who do they start proceedings against? How do they serve court papers?

 

The boat (providing it keeps moving) will only ever be encountered by data loggers who will take a photo, Mark the location and move on.

Saw one a couple of years ago - no name but licence plate in window - pulling in as we did on a VM. Our head gasket went so contacted BW to let them know we would be overstaying on a 48 hour VM. Left within the week - "no name" still there...... struck a chord so happened to notice it in passing within a very small area. Back again a year or so later, remembered a pleasant rural mooring - boat came along and moored "button to button" in the middle of nowhere but on the only small stretch of piling for miles. Watched as he moored and left it - substituting the licence plate in the window..............................

Edited December 21, 2015 by metanoia

[DHutch]

I would be for fixing the notices more substantially. The bwb-aware lick and stick ones put up a good fight!

 

I hope the man finds his man, but unless there is an.official police request the find the boat, incident no etc, a not sure the forum can help.

 

Maybe a facebook group is his best option?

 

 

Daniel

[Bunny]

I have been given the 'runners' name and occupation , but am reluctant to post them at this moment in time . Husband is hopefully giving him a call tomorrow to get any info on the boat, but not being ' into ' boats it might be a bit vague. Just been told he also put two new wings on the car, ring any bells with anyone ? . Bunny

[dmr]

A while ago we needed some urgent work on the car so limped to the nearest little garage. They did the work. They did not ask for money but said the admin person would send a bill later. I said I had no fixed address as I lived on a boat, but they could send it by email. They were not even slightly bothered about this (I did pay!)

 

...............Dave

[Burgiesburnin]

My husband works for a car dealership in the winter . Over the years he has built a network of drivers, mechanics , friends and colleagues . A mechanic with whom he has worked , who now is a ' Mobil one man band' contacted him, today asking if it would be possible to find a liveaboard boater for whom he had done a substantial amount of work on his car and has now disappeared . Now I know and have passed back the message that it is unlikely that anyone here would hint at the whereabouts of this boat , for reasons I fully appreciate , but if I posted the boat details is there any chance someone would p.m me an area , just to save the chap walking the length of the K and A looking for the money he is owed . I appreciate that it's not usual, but thought I'd ask , or any other ideas to help him .Bunny

This falls into 2 categories that are not well received on the site.

Firstly name and shame and then divulging the location of a boat other than a potentially stolen one.

Good luck wanting feedback but people are rightly reluctant to get involved.

I don't doubt that the persons motives are real and justified but they could easily want to find the person for other reasons.

[Bunny]

This falls into 2 categories that are not well received on the site.

Firstly name and shame and then divulging the location of a boat other than a potentially stolen one.

Good luck wanting feedback but people are rightly reluctant to get involved.

I don't doubt that the persons motives are real and justified but they could easily want to find the person for other reasons.

Yes I appreciate this is two areas that are sensitive which is why I haven't 'named and shamed ' and only asked for a personal message , if anyone knew this person and felt able to point us in a general direction . I just feels sorry for the chap, Christmas , family and all that. I also remember being turned down by two taxi firms, Banbury and Nantwich when we needed to get our bunny to a vet, because boaters had run off without paying the fare . Bunny

[MtB]

Sadly doing a load of work for someone without getting any payment up front or on account as work progresses always leaves a tradesman open to being ripped of. It's been done to me by someone who wasn't a boater.

 

Once it's happened, one learns to be more circumspect about allowing these situations to develop. Harsh, but this chap must use this episode to learn the lesson not to let one single customer get so in debt that it is damaging should they fail to pay. Basic business common sense that we (nearly) all have to learn from experience.

 

Also, the more expensive the mistake, the better one learns the lesson. In my personal experience at least...

Hopefully your friend will get something more valuable out of this than the money, i.e. a strategy for never letting it happen again.

[Nightwatch]

If I knew the boat details and knew where it was, I would pm the whereabouts to the requester.

 

Right or wrong, that is what I would do in this instance.

[dmr]

If I knew the boat details and knew where it was, I would pm the whereabouts to the requester.

 

Right or wrong, that is what I would do in this instance.

 

These situations are always difficult, and with no disrespect to bunny, it could be like the stolen boat threads where we only hear one side of the story.

Maybe the work was done to such a low standard, or the price so ridiculously high, that the customer refused to pay?

Also, its not just boaters that don't pay, I am aware of one medium sized company where it is policy not to pay any contractors until they send a solicitors letter.

I am aware of a couple of boaters who have posted on this forum telling their side of a story, whilst my own observations have told a very different one. This is why many forum members are often hesitant to get directly involved in these things.

 

............Dave

[Nightwatch]

Fair point. But it would, in this instance, put the two parties back in contact to allow an amicable solution.

[Laurie Booth]

My husband works for a car dealership in the winter . Over the years he has built a network of drivers, mechanics , friends and colleagues . A mechanic with whom he has worked , who now is a ' Mobil one man band' contacted him, today asking if it would be possible to find a liveaboard boater for whom he had done a substantial amount of work on his car and has now disappeared . Now I know and have passed back the message that it is unlikely that anyone here would hint at the whereabouts of this boat , for reasons I fully appreciate , but if I posted the boat details is there any chance someone would p.m me an area , just to save the chap walking the length of the K and A looking for the money he is owed . I appreciate that it's not usual, but thought I'd ask , or any other ideas to help him .Bunny

So who is the boater and the name of the boat?

[dmr]

Fair point. But it would, in this instance, put the two parties back in contact to allow an amicable solution.

 

Its not uncommon to meet people walking the towpath looking for a boat, and asking us if we know where boat is.

Some "feel" innocent and genuine, some neutral, and just sometimes my instinct is "something is not quite right here".

The story from bunny is already third hand, maybe the boater is going to get a severe beating (which he might or might not deserve). Its not easy.

We once met someone looking for a boat in a very similar situation to this thread, and his intention was to administer a beating if required. He was possibly justified but then I don't know how severe this beating was likely to be!!

We met two coppers on the towpath a while ago searching for a boat.

We asked what its name was. They didn't know.

We asked what colour it was. They didn't know.

We asked how long it was, they said the same as all the others!

[Jerra]

 

We met two coppers on the towpath a while ago searching for a boat.

We asked what its name was. They didn't know.

We asked what colour it was. They didn't know.

We asked how long it was, they said the same as all the others!

So really they were just looking for a boat any boat it didn't matter which one they found any would do!