Where responsibility lies

FOLLOWING the theft of the narrowboat Samshiba from its mooring on the Soar I, and I hope other boat owners, will have been shocked to find just how easy thieves must think it is to steal a boat, writes Pam Pickett.

Firstly I rather doubt the owner of any large narrowboat would have previously believed just how far thieves can travel without being apprehended when a boat is taken from those areas of our waterways that offer multiple choice destinations.

Misinterpreted

Now, with loose ends in mind, it isn't so long ago following many thefts from boats and something I had written, that I read an article in narrowboatworld with regard to boat owners taking personal responsibility for the goods aboard their boats. In that article, if memory serves me right, and it more usually does, the author obviously having misinterpreted what I'd said, asked what Pam Pickett expected CaRT to do about such thefts.

In response to this: the law according to Pam Pickett! I totally accept that it is up to each and every boat owner to secure their boats to the maximum, no responsibility on the part of CaRT here. However, as so many of us are aware, despite maximum security being observed determined thieves are not to be put off as theft is increasing on all parts of the system, reportedly to a horrendous degree in the Thames area. So, no, whilst I do not hold CaRT responsible for those failings of boaters to properly secure their boats I do though most certainly hold CaRT in part responsible when fully secured boats continue to be targeted.

Few authorised feet

Anyone now feeling the need to query why I hold CaRT in part responsible obviously isn't aware of how few authorised feet there are left on the system. I say this advisedly as over the last few weeks I've been checking with several cruising on various parts of the system, with none yet reporting having seen more than two CaRT employees on the towpath in periods ranging from six to twelve weeks.

Therefore as I see it our boats are being left totally exposed to any criminal that feels the need to visit our waterways, and we are being let down by those to whom we pay a considerable amount of money!

The theft

With I hope ‘loose ends' now tied off, I now want to write about the theft of Samshiba. Whilst CaRT states statistics show very few boats are stolen, with those that are more usually found, the theft of this particular boat for me raises some very worrying questions. Firstly how on earth it was locked through the Trent locks, only being seen, though not identified once it reached Cromwell lock? One of two locks on the system that are lock keeper controlled at all times.

Secondly how on earth was this 60ft narrowboat locked through as Dazed and Confused, that if I'm right, is a cruiser last registered in 2005?

Not issued

The easy answer here is that whilst those charged with targeting ‘naughty' boaters have been seen with hand held computers enabling them to check our licences, neither lockie at Cromwell or at Torksey has been issued with such! So much for our lockies catching those that fail to licence, or being in a position to spot a stolen boat.

Whilst our local enforcement officer did his best following the theft of Samshiba, and despite the theft being advised to a CaRT trustee with a request that all parts of the system be made aware, it was left to boaters to find this missing boat.

Neither the lockie at Cromwell nor at Torksey had any idea they were locking through a stolen boat, how could they have had when no-one had seen fit to tell them! Little boxes come to mind here, the current fragmenting of the system is not and never will be the way to run our waterways and Samshiba has to be the proof of this!

Prove ownership

We now have an owner with a seriously damaged boat and as of a couple of days ago awaiting news as to whether his insurers are to be allowed to assess the boat or whether he has to now prove ownership of Samshiba in the Magistrates Court, his boat having been ‘sold' for £7,000 when it was found! It shouldn't have happened. Samshiba had travelled almost 70 miles when found. I'm afraid I just have to ask if CaRT is to learn lessons here, or will it be ‘business as usual'—of the non-boater type of course!