The winter months make the towpaths very dark in the evenings, so this is a good time to think about personal safety and the security of your most precious things, like your boat, advises the Canal & River Trust.
IT’S a sad fact that there are people out there who, if given the opportunity, will take things from you and your boat – and might even try and steal your boat itself. So, what can you do to minimise the risk? And what should you do if the worst happens?
If your boat is your home, you probably already take security pretty seriously and will have invested in decent locking systems, possibly even an alarm and GPS tracking system in case someone steals the boat itself. If you haven’t, it’s time to do it – there is lots of good advice and systems out there if you surf the net.
Easy in, easy out?
Padlocks on hatches are a giveaway to a potential thief that there’s no one on board and it’s the work of seconds with a battery-powered angle-grinder or crowbar to open these. Try and replace padlocks with key, bolt and bar-type systems that can be easily opened from inside the boat, but which are much harder to break into from the outside.
‘Beware of the dog’ stickers and alarm/tracker system stickers in the windows can also help as a deterrent, even if you have neither. If you do have a padlock system, try to get the sort used on commercial vehicles – and remember, never, ever have padlocks on exterior doors or hatches if you are inside the boat. How would you get out in a fire?
Is it safe? Is it secure?
When you moor up somewhere new, have a good look around at the surroundings in daylight. Are there places between the boat and any exit points from the towpath where someone can lurk? What’s the lighting like, if any? Does it look like a safe place to moor? Are there houses close by? Do you know the postcode or nearest street name in case of an emergency? Before leaving your boat, always lock valuables out of sight. Some people recommend leaving all curtains closed so that the contents of the boat can’t been seen; others say the opposite (if there’s absolutely nothing of value on board). Never leave your boat key in the ignition and never have your boat keys on the same keyring as your ignition key as you are giving a potential thief access and the ability to sail your boat away at the same time.
Buddy up
If you must walk down a dark towpath by yourself, try and buddy up with a friend by phone. Let them know when you are going onto the towpath and roughly how long you’ll be. Once you are safely inside your boat, let them know. It’s probably best not to be seen talking on the phone while you actually walk, especially in areas such as central London where unfortunately some boaters have been mugged for their phones and other possessions. It’s also worth carrying a whistle or loud personal attack alarm. The ability to scream or shout can evaporate in a crisis, so it’s good to be able to attract attention by making a lot of noise if you need to.
Slips and trips
Be careful getting on and off your boat in the dark, especially in slippery conditions. Take extra care if you’ve been drinking alcohol – or if it’s foggy, too; it can be hard to see where the bank ends and the water begins. Take care not to trip over your mooring ropes. Make sure they are visible for your own sake and that of other towpath users. If you haven’t got fluorescent or white mooring pin covers, you can improvise by tying light-coloured plastic bags or fabric to your pins.
Back it up
It’s a good idea to ensure that technology is regularly backed up to a cloud storage system; you can even upload copies of essential documents such as passports, birth, marriage and divorce certificates, insurance, pensions and more.
What to do if the worst happens?
Call the police – 999 if there’s an emergency in progress and 101 after the event. Always report it and get a crime number; if the police don’t know there’s a problem on the towpath, they won’t be able to put resources into protecting us. Your next call should be to your insurance company, depending on what and how much was stolen. They’ll need the crime reference number to process a claim, which is why you should call the police first. The third point of contact should be the Canal & River Trust. Just like the police, we can’t put resources into making things better if we don’t know there’s a problem. If your boat has actually been stolen, we can help you find it by checking our boat sighting data.
Take a few minutes next time you are on your boat to review your security and put in place an action plan if you find things that need attention. Then, hopefully the only things that go bump in the night will be the water fowl nibbling weed from your hull.
