* FOUND * Stolen Boat - from Mercia Marina

[Yank on the Cut]

so this is boat number 5 of the 6 that were made in this style? does it have the same back end as the stolen boat?

 

Stern of a similar boat on the T & M which is not the stolen one.

 

 

Let us hope the siting reported in 1023 makes all this irrelevant!

[NB Lola]

I hope the sighting is correct. All, be cautious in case of mis-information until this is validated, keep looking everywhere.

[BruceinSanity]

We're at Coven today and will be turning onto the SU at Autherley tomorrow, so we'll be blocking the southern route from Barbridge.

[Chris and Graham]

Trying to make sense of this and have more info. The boat was spotted two to three days ago, same colour and length and no name, was dirty though. Going through cholmondeston lock on the Shropshire canal. Heading to Barbridge junction. From there it could go north to Chedter, south to Llangollen and Montgomery, also Nantwich towards .wolverhampton and then towards seven.

Sorry folks, my message said 11.16 thought that is when it was sighted, so it is two or three days away! Thank you all for suggestions. I am phoning suggested canal centres CRT for tunnels and locks that make notes, you have been great, everything is crossed!

[Ally]

 

it was pointing towards Barbridge so it's going up towards chester, south towards Audlem or up the Llangollen

Ah, sorry, missed that detail somehow!

[Zayna]

Midway boats are right up by the junction at the end of the Middlewich branch of the shroppie. Dozens of online moorings there.

 

Then if they turn right, they'll go by Tattenhall Marina and Golden Nook moorings...

[alan_fincher]

Midway boats are right up by the junction at the end of the Middlewich branch of the shroppie. Dozens of online moorings there.

 

Then if they turn right, they'll go by Tattenhall Marina and Golden Nook moorings...

 

See two posts previously. The sighting was "two or three days ago", so if it was the correct boat, unless they actually want to get caught it will be miles away from that area by now.

 

A shame that it has taken two or three days since a (possible?) sighting for the info to get through.

[Zayna]

Oh. That's a shame. Sorry.

[STIG]

Trying to make sense of this and have more info. The boat was spotted two to three days ago, same colour and length and no name, was dirty though. Going through cholmondeston lock on the Shropshire canal. Heading to Barbridge junction. From there it could go north to Chedter, south to Llangollen and Montgomery, also Nantwich towards .wolverhampton and then towards seven.

Sorry folks, my message said 11.16 thought that is when it was sighted, so it is two or three days away! Thank you all for suggestions. I am phoning suggested canal centres CRT for tunnels and locks that make notes, you have been great, everything is crossed!

This just isn't working quick enough

[yellowpages]

Chester basin used to have moorings at the bottom, next to a lock onto the Dee. Didn't used to get footfall, except for the homeless. Not sure if the moorings are still down there, though.

[steven wilkinson]

Right at Barbridge doesn't effectively go anywhere, neither does the Llangollen (but may offer places to hide!). Left and down past Nantwich leads to a few alternatives. By now it could be down towards Wolverhampton!

[LoneWolf]

Trying to make sense of this and have more info. The boat was spotted two to three days ago, same colour and length and no name, was dirty though. Going through cholmondeston lock on the Shropshire canal. Heading to Barbridge junction. From there it could go north to Chedter, south to Llangollen and Montgomery, also Nantwich towards .wolverhampton and then towards seven.

Sorry folks, my message said 11.16 thought that is when it was sighted, so it is two or three days away! Thank you all for suggestions. I am phoning suggested canal centres CRT for tunnels and locks that make notes, you have been great, everything is crossed!

 

 

2 or 3 days ago!

 

Any more info? eg who was crewing it?

 

I'm asking cos I saw a similar boat (same colour & length but maroon rails round the back rather than solid) a couple of days ago in the evening.- this was crewed by a young chap and had about 3 young kids on it

I'm thinking this may be your sighting - when i saw it it reminded me of the pictures of your boat so i checked the pics you posted and it had different windows

[Flyboy]

Chester basin used to have moorings at the bottom, next to a lock onto the Dee. Didn't used to get footfall, except for the homeless. Not sure if the moorings are still down there, though.

There are still moorings down there and would be quite a good hiding place. Anyone around Chester willing to take a stroll down there & have a look ?

[Ally]

How frustrating it took so long for the sighting message to be sent.

[bargemast]

How frustrating it took so long for the sighting message to be sent.

 

And if it's the same boat as the one LoneWolf wrote about in post #1089 could work out to be the wrong boat too.

 

Peter.

[Flyboy]

If its gone up the Llangollen it could be hiding down the Preece arm, Montgomery canal, Ellesmere arm or the Trevor arm.

[alan_fincher]

I'm asking cos I saw a similar boat (same colour & length but maroon rails round the back rather than solid) a couple of days ago in the evening.- this was crewed by a young chap and had about 3 young kids on it

I'm thinking this may be your sighting - when i saw it it reminded me of the pictures of your boat so i checked the pics you posted and it had different windows

 

This is my concern.

 

For a lot of credence to be put on a particular possible sighting, we really do need to know more about what the sighter actually saw, to what extent they have compared to known details including photos, and what their level of confidence was it might be the right boat.

 

Otherwise an awful lot of effort could go into following up several day old sightings of the wrong boat.

 

Cholmondeston lock is probably 5 easy days boating from Mercia marina, and on an immensely popular bit of canal, where long queues for locks are not unusual. If you wanted a boat to be spotted by as many people as possible, it would be a good choice of location. It would seem odd if nearly three and a half weeks after the boat was taken it was being boated through such a visible place, so close to where it was removed from.

[frangar]

If its gone up the Llangollen it could be hiding down the Preece arm, Montgomery canal, Ellesmere arm or the Trevor arm.

I'm at the end of the ellesmere arm at the moment...and I'm on the lookout!.....going down the monty tomorrow but you do need to book in with northwich office for that...who may or may not cross reference stuff if it's using a false ID....will keep a close eye out....off towards Llan on Monday.

 

I did wonder about Prees branch and the marina.

 

As aside if you had a large marina such as Sawley...Mercia etc.....how easy would it be to tuck a boat up on an vacant berth for a while without anyone noticing.....if you've got enough front I'm sure you could get away with it for a bit......I know some marinas are more diligent than others.....if you moor in such a place it might be worth a wander round.....

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[junior]

How on earth did this boat end up at one of the busiest locks on the system with nobody else noticing it along the way?

 

Something else that's bugging me is, with multiple possible sightings, how has not one of them been by somebody with a camera phone?

[rodhowe]

chirk marina emailed today and flyer put on display last Monday

[GoodGurl]

How on earth did this boat end up at one of the busiest locks on the system with nobody else noticing it along the way?

 

Something else that's bugging me is, with multiple possible sightings, how has not one of them been by somebody with a camera phone?

maybe they have took pics and emailed them instead of posting on here

[Chris and Graham]

I am phoning and speaking to as many marinas as possible, they have been terrific so far. If this boat is not ours, it may surface anywhere at anytime, so I will just keep on the phone and emails until I think we have covered Britain, thought I had done this days ago but have obviously missed some or they are sitting in spam folders. Thank you all so much, the message was second hand and we, like you, are disappointed to say the least that the phone call was not sooner. But at least they phoned, so thank you to them and again all of you for your patience and energies!

Yes please if you see a possible candidate for our boat we would love a picture, many thanks

[LoneWolf]

How on earth did this boat end up at one of the busiest locks on the system with nobody else noticing it along the way?

 

Something else that's bugging me is, with multiple possible sightings, how has not one of them been by somebody with a camera phone?

 

I think people are seeing the flyer and then thinking they saw the boat 2 or 3 days ago, hence no pictures and no certainty that it was actually the stolen boat but these 'sightings' get presented to us a bona fide sighting

 

I reckon the Cholmondeston sighting isn't the boat at all

 

I'll still try and clock all passing boats though

[Zayna]

Anyone on the river Nene? That's been known to hide stolen boats from time to time... plenty of reeds I believe.

[Flyboy]

I'm at the end of the ellesmere arm at the moment...and I'm on the lookout!.....going down the monty tomorrow but you do need to book in with northwich office for that...who may or may not cross reference stuff if it's using a false ID....will keep a close eye out....off towards Llan on Monday.

 

I did wonder about Prees branch and the marina.

 

As aside if you had a large marina such as Sawley...Mercia etc.....how easy would it be to tuck a boat up on an vacant berth for a while without anyone noticing.....if you've got enough front I'm sure you could get away with it for a bit......I know some marinas are more diligent than others.....if you moor in such a place it might be worth a wander round.....

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

I reckon it's very easy to hide a boat in a large marina. It's a bit like parking a stolen car outside a police station, nobody would be looking for it there. Many boats are out for long summer cruises.