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What we can do if a boat is reported stolen

stripey

By stripey
in General Boating

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stripey Contributor

stripey

Posted
Posted

In the light of the latest theft, this thread is intended to be for discussion about how this community can best work to help locate a missing boat.

I'll make a start:

 

We need to ask the owners for a crime number; full description of the boat, and a good set of photographs.

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Posted
Posted

In the light of the latest theft, this thread is intended to be for discussion about how this community can best work to help locate a missing boat.

I'll make a start:

 

We need to ask the owners for a crime number; full description of the boat, and a good set of photographs.

Think that about covers it.

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Jennifer McM Experienced

Jennifer McMDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted (edited)

Aren't we also interested in how we co-ordinate searches and information?

 

Good thread. Perhaps volunteer 'lookouts' could 'own' a canal, detective.gif or work in conjunction with others who are on the same canal, and perhaps 'owning' a stretch of it. Providing of course the volunteer has the time.

 

This needs the expertise of a 'Volunteer Admiral! captain.gif

 

Great idea though, after all, our boats could be the next target.

Edited by Jennifer McM
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Ray T Veteran II

Ray TDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted (edited)

Pertinent identifying features which are difficult to disguise, i.e. window type, layout etc.

 

Perhaps like neighbourhood watch a canal boat watch but not intrusive curtain twitching..just be aware..

 

Warwickshire Police have a Canal Watch.

 

https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/article/6565/Waterways-Watch

Edited by Ray T
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rjasmith Rising Star

rjasmithDonate to Canal World

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Everyone who has an RCD compliant boat that has been properly marked with a CIN (or HIN to quote the older term!) should check what the number is (as C & G certainly did) and record it somewhere not on the boat so that it can be given out to searchers. The CIN should be indelibly marked at the top of the starboard side of the stern in characters at least 6mm high.

 

Also it would be worth checking with the boat builder to make sure they have a record of where the hidden duplicate number has been marked BUT this info should NOT be disclosed except say to the police for use when the boat is found and there has been an attempt to grind off the number from the main location.

 

Richard

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zenataomm Veteran

zenataommDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Pertinent identifying features which are difficult to disguise, i.e. window type, layout etc.

 

 

Warwickshire Police have a Canal Watch.

 

https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/article/6565/Waterways-Watch

 

I've just spent 20 minutes looking at Warwickshire Police Canal Watch.

Firstly I put in a search for Canal Boat Stolen, and found myself reading about a bungalow being broken into in Leominster.

 

I finally gave up without seeing a mention of the recent escapade.

So either it never appeared or is so well hidden within their database it's beyond the ability of this old sod to be useful.

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

Posted
Posted (edited)

Crumbs, that's 20 narrowboats in 10 years!

 

There are about 30,000 boats registered, its barely anything, I have to say, I dont understand the fuss. I work it out as a 0.06% chance. For car thefts the stat I found online was 0.2% Edited by Lady Muck
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There are about 30,000 boats registered, its barely anything, I have to say, I dont understand the fuss.

Fully agree.

 

Mountains and molehills spring to mind.

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Jennifer McM Experienced

Jennifer McMDonate to Canal World

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There are about 30,000 boats registered, its barely anything, I have to say, I dont understand the fuss. I work it out as a 0.06% chance. For car thefts the stat I found online was 0.2%

 

Yes you're right of course, though when you think of the area cars can become invisible, and the size of, and small area for narrowboats to disappear. Admire your maths, I've never been got at it. It would be interesting to hear the stories of these stolen boats, where they ended up, were they returned to rightful owners, were they broken up?

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stripey Contributor

stripey

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I should perhaps have started a new topic, but...i refuse to get worked up over the the very, very, very slim chance that my boat will be stolen. I love boating and i intend to go boating without worries.

 

Ian.

 

But surely the purpose of this is to help other people find their boat.

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nbfiresprite Influencer

nbfiresprite

Posted
Posted (edited)

When you take in to account, SSR registration the figuire is in the 100's of 1000's. In Cambridgeshire we have Boatwatch and down in Poole in Dorset there is harbour watch which is need consider that there nearly 10000 boats moored in the harbour and on the rivers feeding into the harbour. Plus the fact the Dorset Police has a marine section plus patrol boats.

 

Some people may find this leafet useful.

https://www.dorset.police.uk/media/2713/marine-crime-prevention-leaflet-draft.pdf

Edited by nbfiresprite
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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

Posted
Posted (edited)

Yes you're right of course, though when you think of the area cars can become invisible, and the size of, and small area for narrowboats to disappear. Admire your maths, I've never been got at it. It would be interesting to hear the stories of these stolen boats, where they ended up, were they returned to rightful owners, were they broken up?

Since Ive been a boater, there is only one boat I can think of that wasn't found - Que Sera Sera. She was rented out and went missing during a booking. On the various places I admin we get a report about once a month, we tend to take it with a pinch of salt as almost always the boat is not genuinely stolen, it's the subject of a dispute. Or they rented it out, don't know where it is, can't be bothered to look and want the internet to find it. Some of the disputes are bizarre!

Even with a crime number they are not always what they seem.

 

We had one on here where there was a crime number but the boat wasn't stolen - it was subject to a rent to buy agreement. There was no contract, just a handshake sort of thing. But the 'landlord' died and the family took the boat (as it was part of the estate, obviously). The tenant then declared it stolen.

 

There are so many situations like this. The only thing Id say, is, if you're not renting out or lending your boat in any way then theft is really not going to happen. Very unlikely anyway!

Edited by Lady Muck
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Arthur Brown Influencer

Arthur Brown

Posted
Posted

On a stats basis boat theft is probably rare, BUT especially if it's your permanent home it's a lot of money to just lose even if it's insured the payout never covers all the bits and pieces of life that have to accumulate -easily enough for identity theft.

 

The important things to have independent copies of are the things that make your boat unique -even after a respray, especially things visible to a non boat expert, and things visible from the outside from a moderate distance (say 6 - 8 feet)

 

IMO the point of this thread is do become aware of simple things that a boat owner can do to assist in the recovery of their boat, should it ever be stolen.

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