Neglectful boat owners could face tougher action on the Norfolk Broads amid a growing problem of wrecked vessels that has seen numbers rise by 600pc in just four years. 

The Broads Authority (BA) is looking to increase its powers to remove vessels failing to meet the correct standards in a bid to tackle the growing problem across the network of rivers and broads.

It is a tricky situation, as previously boats that have a legal owner are not considered abandoned, even if they are in dangerous disrepair.

A sunken boat on the River Wensum in NorwichA sunken boat on the River Wensum in Norwich (Image: Archant)

But changes to its policy will mean boats deemed 'unserviceable' could be removed if measures are not taken within a month to make them shipshape.

This could include sailing vessels without a mast, boats with holes or decaying hulls and even craft ridden with mould.

It follows the number of wrecks the BA have had to remove from the waterways rising from four in 2020 to 28 this year.

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An increase in people living in houseboats following the pandemic is thought to have contributed to the issue.

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At a recent navigation committee meeting, Rob Rogers, director of operations at the BA, said: "This is a growing problem.

"We have had to build a special compound to break vessels up to make them small enough to dispose of.

A sunken boat at the entrance of Commissioners Cut in Thorpe St AndrewA sunken boat at the entrance of Commissioners Cut in Thorpe St Andrew (Image: Archant)

"It is an expensive operation, which costs on average £4,000 per vessel.

"These changes will help us remove unserviceable vessels from the network."

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A sunken boat on the River YareA sunken boat on the River Yare (Image: Anthony Carroll)

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​WHAT ARE THE NEW RULES?

The new policy will mean owners will be given a 28-day notice period to repair a boat's defects.

If the defects are not remedied, the vessels will be removed and disposed of.

It is hoped this will mean there will be a reduction in the number of neglected boats from the Broads, helping to cut costs and make the waterways safer.

The criteria for unserviceable vessels now include the following issues:

  • Instability, e.g. overloaded, improper loading or lack of sufficient freeboard
  • Missing or inoperable bilge water removal system
  • Flooding or uncontrolled leaking into any space
  • Burnt out vessel
  • Missing or inoperable water-tight closures
  • Holed or decaying hulls
  • Immobilised or waterlogged (immobilised means any maintenance, repair work, defect or deficiency that means that a vessel's engine(s) are not available for safe movement for more than 28 days within the navigation area)
  • Poor hull integrity means the vessel is not watertight or weathertight. For a sailing craft, anything (including missing or damaged shroud plates or standing rigging) that affects the structural integrity of the mast
  • Hull structurally unsafe, including vessels where the hull flexes or twists when underway or when boarding the vessel, rot in the superstructure, the hull has warped, and the transom core has signs of rot
  • No secure fixing on the vessel, such as cleats capable of securing it alongside a mooring
  • Unsanitary conditions, such as harmful or hazardous substances, including mould, throughout the vessel, long-term sanitation issues, and proliferation of sharps
  • Vessel leaking fuel or other pollutants into the bilge or the waterways