A NARROWBOAT that was broken into, vandalised and scuppered – blocking boats cruising the Hawkesbury junction area of the Coventry canal – was the worst case of wanton destruction River Canal Rescue’s teams had ever seen.
The distraught owner visited narrowboat Rosie the week before it was vandalised, and on the weekend of February 15/16 thieves stripped the boat clean and sunk it, not far from its mooring.
A three-man rescue team comprising chief rescue co-ordinator, Pete Barnett, and rescue engineers Andy Spencer and Abbie Pamplin raised the boat on February 20, after sealing all entry points, deploying pumps and emptying her of water until she was buoyant again.
RCR said the reason for the sinking was due to the bilge pump and batteries being stolen and the sea cock pipe being cut and left open, allowing water from the canal to flood the boat. With no mooring ropes, the vessel soon drifted to the middle, causing an obstruction.
The front port side window was also broken and there was damage to the port side bow hull. The rescue team believes this may have been caused by another boater trying to pass the vessel while it was blocking the navigation, a theory supported by a witness.
Narrowboat Rosie was towed to Coventry Cruising Club and will be inspected by a surveyor. The club helped RCR by allowing the rescue team to use its yard for vehicles and equipment, loaned a mooring rope and provided on-site refreshments.
Rescue manager, Tushka Horton, said: “In all my 15 years and Pete’s 25 years of undertaking rescues, we have never seen such a violation of somebody’s property: the thieves knew what they were doing and exactly what they wanted. There must have been at least two people to be able to remove certain things – this is such a shocking story and our hearts go out to the owner.”
