Brownsea Base — a Peterborough program run by Scouts Canada that teaches young people about safe boating, canoeing, kayaking, and sailing — discovered earlier this week its racing sailboat had been stolen and that other boats had been vandalized.
The program Brownsea Base operates two nights a week on Little Lake, and any youth who are 11 years or older can register (they don’t have to be Scouts). The sailboats that staff and participants use regularly are moored in a bay next to the new Mark Street Wharf at Rogers Cove.
Tamara Anderson of Brownsea Base posted the following message on Facebook with details of the incident. They are seeking help to find the stolen sailboat as well as contributions towards repairs and replacement.
For more information, contact contact Alan Aslett at info@brownseabase.ca or 705-930-4452. You can also check for updates on the Brownsea Base Facebook page.
Hi Folks,
I write to let you know of a very unfortunate – yet newsworthy – event that took place at Brownsea Base this week.
The sailboats Brownsea Base staff and participants use on a regular basis are moored in a bay right next to the Mark Street Wharf by Brownsea Base. On Tuesday night when our sailors began rigging their sailboats it was discovered that parts had been stolen from the back of one of the boats rendering it unable to be used until it can be repaired.
Last night, just two days after discovering the first incidence of boats being damaged, the sailors arrived to begin rigging their boats and discovered more vandalism including the partial submersion of one of the boats, more parts missing and worst of all, one of the boats (our racing sailboat known as “the 420”) was missing completely. It had been stolen.
We are, of course, beside ourselves with upset over this situation as it is very well known that scouts perform good deeds and services to many people on a daily basis without ever expecting something in return. Service and volunteering are at the heart of our organization and all of us who are part of it willingly give of our time, our skills and ourselves for the betterment of others on a routine basis. To be the centre of a senseless and upsetting situation like this is just awful for us.
Money is tight for everyone these days, and we are among those who barely “get by” with a little help from our friends – the members of the public. Purchasing watercraft is not something we can easily do, least of all to replace those damaged or stolen by thoughtless people. So we are in need of the public’s help in hopefully locating the stolen boat and repairing/replacing the stolen or broken parts so that our sailors can get back to doing what they do best – having fun while learning safe boating skills in the heart of the community they routinely and so selflessly assist and give to themselves.
If you could help us in any way – by looking for the stolen sailboat in and around the Little Lake area or by contributing to the cost of the repairs/replacement of the stolen and damaged sailboats, we would be very grateful to you. Please contact Alan Aslett at info@brownseabase.ca or by telephone 705-930-4452.
To help in the search, below are a few photos taken on 18 June 2015 of the 420 sailboat which was stolen.
Thank you for any help you can give us.
Yours very truly,
Tamara Anderson
All photos by Tamara Anderson
