Sunk L&L boat removed by CaRT

THE Canal & River Trust has stepped in and removed the sunken narrowboat from the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, as it was considered to be a navigation hazard.

It was the boat, Sally Cinnamon, that Dawn Samples had hired out to raise cash but the hirer had left the weed hatch off and the boat had sunk.  She has met the cost of the removal of the boat, Alan Tilbury reports.

Failed to raise it

Though her friends had set up a Crowdfunding page to raise £32,000, that quickly raised £5,000, as the attempt to raise it had failed, Canal & River Trust considered it a hazard to navigation where it was situated in the centre of the waterway, so stepped in and arranged for its removal yesterday, with it now moored in a local marina.

Canal & River Trust have confirmed that the boat only had third party insurance and a boating licence to cover private use of her boat, with a spokesman stating that as soon as she decided to rent out her boat, this became a commercial operation requiring a different level of insurance and a business boating licence.

Cost £8,000 to put right

Permanently living in the boat, Dawn is now left homeless whilst it is being cleaned-out, telling that it will cost £8,000 to put right. 

Boaters should be aware that the moment they accept money for the hire of their boat this immediately invalidates both their licence and insurance.