Unsecured boat recovered

IT WAS a towpath cyclist that reported to Oxley Marine that there was a boat drifting in the  Staffs & Worcs Canal.

He had attempted to secure it, Orph Mable of Oxley Marine reports, but was unable to do so. The boat appeared to have been badly vandalised and he was worried that the boat would be damaged further or cause damage to a passing boat.

Reported several times

This unsecured boat had been reported to Canal & River Trust several times by various boaters and indeed
by Orph in the previous week. He had even offered to recover the boat to Oxley Marine but CaRT failed to contact him further, with Orph explaining:

"The concern of the cyclist prompted me to take our day-boat to the craft and recover it. This I did with assistance from the cyclist, getting it back to Oxley Marine at approximately 10pm.

"Inspecting the boat the following morning I noted that the two starboard windows had been smashed, a Houdini hatch on the roof had been smashed and forced open and a locker at the stern had been forced open. It appears also from looking into the boat that the inside has been trashed/damaged and a fire extinguisher has been set off. I have not entered the craft."

Awaiting collection

The Houdini hatch and broken windows have been covered to keep out rain and the boat secured at Oxley Marine awaiting collection by CaRT or the owner. The possible owner could be a Miss Amy Holl from Wolverhampton, as there is a letter stuck to a port side window with this name.

The boat name is Wai Hale eLua. CaRT Registration 517667 and was discovered between bridges 63 and 64 on the Staffs & Worcs Canal.