Intruder at Windsor/Eton bridge mooring

[MBK]

Dear all,

Last Friday we cruised to Windsor with no intention of staying but the mooring past Eton bridge next to Cote was completely vacant, so couldn't resist staying over. After a lovely evening, we returned to our boat at around 11.30, my better half went to bed in the stern cabin and I stayed up watching TV below deck in the saloon on my iPad.

Around 1.00am I felt the stern rock and slid back the cabin door to find a man 45 - 55 ish standing inside the covers on main deck. After a quite extreme exhange of swearing and punches I ejected him off to the pathway. Luckily my partner persuaded me not to throw him off the swim platform as the next stop would have been the weir for him and a manslaughter case for me.

Not sure what the moral or lesson is. The police were called by the resident in the ground floor apartment nearest to Cote and we gave statements until 3.00am.

We have moored at this spot more than any other in the last 2 years since owning our first boat and were quite shocked by the events

PLEASE KEEP SAFE!

 

[banger]

Crossbow, silent but deadly.

 

[Hugh Foulis]

Are those the EA moorings below the private flats on the Eton bank? If so that's a favourite place for us to moor when we are in that area.

 

[Big John]

Are those the EA moorings below the private flats on the Eton bank? If so that's a favourite place for us to moor when we are in that area.

+1 As long as the aircraft are taking off east to west.

 

[MBK]

Correct - we always thought one of the safest on the river.

 

[alfaman155]

That must have been a very traumatic experience - I hope it didn't spoil your cruise. I always felt pretty safe mooring in Eton/Windsor but not so sure now.
Friends of ours told us they were also broken into nearly at the same time as yourselves - Yale lock damaged but apparently the scumbag wasn't able to get past it.

 

[sarabande]

A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher is very useful, as it effectively disables the oncoming villain by impairing vision and breathing. Purely as a defensive function, of course.

 

[Actionmat]

A barge had a generator stolen in Windsor while the owner was onboard. Someone put a piece of wood in the padlock hasp to prevent the door from being opened from the inside, cut the chain to the Generator and made off with it. Van waiting and well prepared.

I checked my boat in Teddington today. Some @&£@ has busted the hood, it looks like it was jumped on. I can repair the fabric and I've got some teak to repair the broken section in the cockpit but that's not the point. Fuming

 

[DogsBody]

After a quite extreme exhange of swearing and punches I ejected him off to the pathway. Luckily my partner persuaded me not to throw him off the swim platform as the next stop would have been the weir for him and a manslaughter case for me.

I'd have thought that if someone is trespassing on your property, you are well within your rights to use all reasonable force in ejecting them off of / out of your property via the shortest route / easiest exit - not your fault if that happens to lead into a river.

Glad you are both ok though. Unfortunately this sort of thing can and does happen anywhere there are people around (especially if a pub is near by) but does seem to be a rarity, not that it will make you feel any better.

 

[sailorman]

A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher is very useful, as it effectively disables the oncoming villain by impairing vision and breathing. Purely as a defensive function, of course.

does it need to have a full charge or does an MT one work just as well

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Handheld air horn is another option as it also alerts other people in the area. Possibly a bit antisocial but if someone is attempting to break into your boat then the more people that are aware of it the better I reckon.