Stolen narrowboat - Chilton [***found***]

[cuthound]

Thanks for the update. So happy that you have got your boat back.

 

I hope you get your possessions back, and am pleased for you that the inside has not been trashed.

 

Thankfully stealing narrowboats is a pretty rare event, and successfully stealing one almost unheard of.

[BilgePump]

Terrible experience for you and I do hope you can locate your possessions that this low life has removed. I can only imagine how you feel about the whole episode. It is quite true that we tend to just think of guys in overalls as being legitimate engineers if seen down in the engine bay of a boat belonging to someone else. Also fellow moorers will assume neighbours are off enjoying themselves if their boat isn't on its mooring. I had stonework stolen from the front of my house one mprning rush hour by guys in the disguise of high vis jackets. People driving past probably though they were utility guys. Thinking back to boat security to make a theft more difficult, rather than trackers for after the event, certain designs of stern could lend themselves to making life harder for a would be thief. The rudder usually has a hole at the waterline, if a boat has a stern rail with uprights could a big chain and padlock be used to hold the rudder tight over? Someone with large bolt cutters would arouse more suspicion I would hope and if they couldn't cut through they wouldn't be able to go anywhere other than in circles.

[MtB]

Someone earlier in the thread thought they saw it tied up with another boat, an old scruffy one. I would go with the theory he was going to transfer the number and name from the "sinker". Maybe the OP's posessions have been chucked inside that, sounds like a lot of stuff to dispose of.

 

More theory: that's why thief went somewhere then doubled back and possibly where he is now. I'd be looking for that boat.

 

 

This seems to fit all the facts known so far.

 

Seems likely the bloke is already a boater and was hanging around in the area whilst transferring all his personal stuff onto his 'new' boat. He would need to stick around briefly to dispose of the 'old' boat to. Or at least abandon it canalside with all its identity erased too, so a bit of work there required.

 

Or he may well have scarpered back to that scruffy boat and abandoned the stolen boat in a hurry, having seen on the facebook campaign and this thread that it has been found.

 

Either way, I think finding the other boat will be pivotal in finding the bloke.

[boathunter]

Indeed, top result getting the boat back.

 

Is this really rare? This happens every day to old vw campers. What's the easiest, cheapest and quickest way to restore one? Steal a good one and transfer the details onto it. Chance of getting caught approx zero even if the year is wrong for it's features.

This is a fact: If you buy one like this and then work out what has gone on, call the cops, dvla, insurance. None are interested, the only details they have to check are the legit ones transferred to the vehicle. It's not stolen as far as the authorities are concerned. Stamp your feet, get the SOC chaps around, pick out the chassis number that was crudely stamped with a John Bull printing set into filler in front of them. Tell them who you bought it from, sold as newly restored by seller. Shrugs of shoulders. Computer says no. We pay for this via insurance premiums.

 

This boat thief has behaved as if he believed there was zero chance of him being caught, like a car thief.

[Nightwatch]

Very pleased that the boat has been recovered.

 

This chap is known to the police. Has he been arrested? Are they looking for him. Does he own the scruffy boat? Is that registered? Has he applied for more medication? Who's his GP?

 

I can't go back over the thread, but the person who saw the boats nose to nose, have they been contacted for a fuller description?

 

So many questions. Strange behaviour. Just that he thought he could steel a boat and make it his own in the area in which he stole it. People like that really have no conscience of others' feelings.

 

Martyn

Edit to add. These are just open inquisitive questions not for the op.

Edited July 22, 2016 by Nightwatch

[romarni123]

 

 

Not if they were hanging around waiting for a crane and lorry to arrive.

[mickp]

Ok im the one that saw 2 boats bows on touching on mooring with lots of space and no other boats in sight.i will expand on what i saw but im struggling to remember much detail but here goes...im come from penkridge and saw these boats at radford bank next to the mini bmw dealer..time was late morning on sunday 17th...scruffy boat pointing my direction ,and it was criuser stern as i remember the rusty tools junk etc on deck and the boat had a brown theme .it was very rusty and im thinking it mayhave been a wooden top but not 100% on that.the chubby guy was sat on the newer boat next to the tiller wearing a vest .could have been red.he was talking to another guy stood on the towpath next to him and he was smaller chap.the only other thing was hen i saw the first photo of chlton it rang a bell that i had seen it very recently.my wife was down below making a cuppa so no extra eyes.hope im not describing innocent folk but there was lots of boats moving and this may trigger a memory for others.oh the newer boat was dark blue

[X Alan W]

you don't need to be a specialist mechanic (of any sort) to understand how to hotwire a basic diesel engine, unlike a petrol engine there is no ignition system to power up. pretty much as long as there is fuel a diesel will start when you turn it over, so for most engines in boats it means disable the engine stop (if electric), power the fuel pump (if electric) and get power to the starter motor.

 

on a lot of boats people have mechanical engine stops (and most of us put it back to the run position after using them) and a lot don't use electric pumps so a spanner across the starter solenoid will get it going.

 

 

as an experiment imagine you have dropped your boat keys and lost them (and don't have any spares) how will you get into your boat and continue cruising.

 

a friend managed to lock their keys inside the boat but had left the top section of a window open in the middle of the boat, she was horrified when I took the glass out of the top pane from outside, reached inside and used her brass curtain rod to reach back and open the top of a window further back and then repeat the same method all the way to the back door where the curtain rod was used to open the door.

 

perhaps a little more worrying is that this was done between the 2 marina bridges at braunston with lots of people passing and nobody batted an eyelid.

Seeing a guy on a boat wearing overalls would not normally raise any eyebrows, even if you knew the boat/owner you could/would assume it was some one working on it. Back in the day maybe some one would have said something, but present day attitudes tend to discourage this as possible verbal /physical abuse could be the outcome

[junior]

Ok im the one that saw 2 boats bows on touching on mooring with lots of space and no other boats in sight.i will expand on what i saw but im struggling to remember much detail but here goes...im come from penkridge and saw these boats at radford bank next to the mini bmw dealer..time was late morning on sunday 17th...scruffy boat pointing my direction ,and it was criuser stern as i remember the rusty tools junk etc on deck and the boat had a brown theme .it was very rusty and im thinking it mayhave been a wooden top but not 100% on that.the chubby guy was sat on the newer boat next to the tiller wearing a vest .could have been red.he was talking to another guy stood on the towpath next to him and he was smaller chap.the only other thing was hen i saw the first photo of chlton it rang a bell that i had seen it very recently.my wife was down below making a cuppa so no extra eyes.hope im not describing innocent folk but there was lots of boats moving and this may trigger a memory for others.oh the newer boat was dark blue

Was it definitely by the BMW dealer and not a little bit further along past the pub?

I find this a bit weird.

 

I'm sticking £10 on that the stuff on the boat doesn't belong to who stole it.

 

Nobody who is clever enough to steal a boat is then stupid enough to leave incriminating evidence on board.

 

"Hi mate. My mums just died, this was her boat. We just want rid of it now, it's yours for £5k".

[furnessvale]

That's a good idea. On Theodora to make this work you would need a six inch length of steel tube with a holes drilled matching the one in the swan neck and a long hasp padlock to go through the whole thing.

 

Nick

 

ETA Richard has already said this in different words.

Sadly, easily defeated by a piece of wood strapped to the swan's neck.

 

Some method of padlocking the swan's neck over on full lock could, however, have the thief going round in circles!

 

George ex nb Alton retired

Edited July 22, 2016 by furnessvale

[Tam & Di]

That's a good idea. On Theodora to make this work you would need a six inch length of steel tube with a holes drilled matching the one in the swan neck and a long hasp padlock to go through the whole thing.

 

Perhaps I've misunderstood, but if you did that surely all anyone would need to do is get a length of scaffold tube or something that goes over the 6" sleeve wouldn't they? It wouldn't need to be a tight fit to do the job.

 

Tam

[mross]

Whatever was secured to the swan neck could have a diameter of 12" - like a disk to keep the weight down. this would also make it harder to jury rig a tiller. But now I'm thinking of a way to secure the swan neck in a hard-over position. A short piece to go over the swan neck with a strong chain leading to a padlock on the counter..................

[BilgePump]

Lock the rudder hard over using the hole at waterline to stanchion of stern rail on a cruiser? Big chain and padlock would be all needed.

[Theo]

 

Perhaps I've misunderstood, but if you did that surely all anyone would need to do is get a length of scaffold tube or something that goes over the 6" sleeve wouldn't they? It wouldn't need to be a tight fit to do the job.

 

Tam

You haven't misunderstood and are absolutely right. The padlock might stop them getting the scaffolding tube on securely, though. A biggish disc or something welded to the end of the pipe could stop the extra tube fitting though.

 

N

[jellybeano]

Am friends of friends of the boat owners, what a relief for you both. Great that CaRT are so vilgilent nowadays, without their checking, this could have gone in for far far longer. Well done to CaRT, good to be able to praise them unequivocally.

[Tonka]

Am friends of friends of the boat owners, what a relief for you both. Great that CaRT are so vilgilent nowadays, without their checking, this could have gone in for far far longer. Well done to CaRT, good to be able to praise them unequivocally.

CRT were suspicious because they had removed name and number. Nobody would have known if they left them on Crt would have just thought they were on holiday

[Jrtm]

For example, were the keys left in the ignition. Most people would not know how to start a boat's engine without the key, and most modern boat engines do not have a starting handle. Can a diesel engine be started without the aid of a key or a handle?

Why we all need an old seffle or gardner or bolinder semi no one would be taking a boat the they turn up see that and think sod that.

[koukouvagia]

Why we all need an old seffle or gardner or bolinder semi no one would be taking a boat the they turn up see that and think sod that.

Hmm. Perhaps I'd better take down my Youtube clip showing how to do over twenty operations before the Kelvin will start.

 

Also I've got a clip showing how to start a Seffle. I seem to remember the most difficult operation was to get the blowlamp to light!

Edited July 25, 2016 by koukouvagia

[Jrtm]

I dont understand why people bother. The closest someone has got to nicking a boat and getting away with it was a hire boat that they changed everything on till the hire company turned up and showed them a serial number welded behind a plate.

I just dont get it. A car i get there are so many of the same and i mean the same, But boats even ones the built the same are all diffrent.

This was a question my wife was worried about when we were getting a boat i had a good way round it my answer was find me another boat thats the same in any way.

The guy prob had more chance if he left the numbers on repainted and then re registered it but why he didnt get far and if anything just cause disruption. A boat seams the most pointless thing to steal.

Hmm. Perhaps I'd better take down my Youtube clip showing how to do over twenty operations before the Kelvin will start.

 

Also I've got a clip showing how to start a Seffle. I seem to remember the most difficult operation was to get the blowlamp to light!

Yer ive watched you start it ill be fine!

[john6767]

I dont understand why people bother. The closest someone has got to nicking a boat and getting away with it was a hire boat that they changed everything on till the hire company turned up and showed them a serial number welded behind a plate.

I just dont get it. A car i get there are so many of the same and i mean the same, But boats even ones the built the same are all diffrent.

This was a question my wife was worried about when we were getting a boat i had a good way round it my answer was find me another boat thats the same in any way.

The guy prob had more chance if he left the numbers on repainted and then re registered it but why he didnt get far and if anything just cause disruption. A boat seams the most pointless thing to steal.

 

Yer ive watched you start it ill be fine!

The point, which may be this case, is to steal it and then sell it on quickly to some unsuspecting (perhaps rather naive) punter. You then disappear with their money, whilst the boat is recovered and said punter looses his money.

[mayalld]

I dont understand why people bother. The closest someone has got to nicking a boat and getting away with it was a hire boat that they changed everything on till the hire company turned up and showed them a serial number welded behind a plate.

 

 

Well actually, the case you mention (Holly) is actually in SECOND place of all the cases that CWDF has ever discussed.

 

There has been a single case where the theft (apparently) succeeded, namely "Que Sera Sera", which was never recovered.

[Tim Lewis]

Whatever was secured to the swan neck could have a diameter of 12" - like a disk to keep the weight down. this would also make it harder to jury rig a tiller. But now I'm thinking of a way to secure the swan neck in a hard-over position. A short piece to go over the swan neck with a strong chain leading to a padlock on the counter..................

 

Having lost the key to a padlock securing a boat yesterday I was horibly surprised at the ease at which I cut it open (The padlock that is) with an angle grinder, about 15 seconds work!

 

Tim

[mross]

But how would a thief power an angle grinder if boat was on the towpath? Even in a marina he would need a blue plug. Was the padlock a high security rating? Padlocks can be shielded to make access impossible.

[S and K]

But how would a thief power an angle grinder if boat was on the towpath? Even in a marina he would need a blue plug. Was the padlock a high security rating? Padlocks can be shielded to make access impossible.

Battery powered angle grinder.

[Nightwatch]

Following one attempted and one successful break in a number of years ago, we took action to secure the boat better.

 

Next time they went in via a window (smashed) obviously. If someone wants to enter a boat,they will.

 

Any updates on the Alledged culprit?