Uninvited berth: sailboat orphaned in Pirna-Copitz!

Uninvited berth: sailboat orphaned in Pirna-Copitz!

Not far from Pirna, an orphaned sailing boat in a parking lot is causing a stir. The vehicle has been sitting on a trailer at the Birkwitzer Straße/Söbrigener Weg parking lot in Copitz for several months without anyone taking care of it. How sächsische.de reported that weeds are now growing around the boat and the Pirna public utilities are informed about the situation. Karolina Manitz from Stadtwerke confirmed that colleagues from Camping Pirna regularly check the parking lot.

But how did this unusual park event come about? According to the municipal utilities, this was not agreed upon and the owner of the sailing boat has not yet been identified. The boat number was forwarded to the responsible waterways and shipping office, but they are also faced with a mystery: the boat is recorded in the file, but the owner remains unknown.

The legal framework for recreational boats

However interesting the situation surrounding the sailboat may be, it also raises important questions about the legal status of such watercraft. According to the “Ordinance on the marking of small vehicles traveling on inland waterways”, certain recreational boats, especially those with more than 3 HP, must have an official license plate if they are 10 m long or have a water displacement of 10 m³. This information is at Elbe Waterways and Shipping Authority to find.

Numerous documents are required for boat registration, including proof of ownership and a copy of identification. In addition, the fees for issuing an official license plate amount to 29.70 euros, while changes or issuing a replacement ID card cost 14.85 euros each. An application for registration can be sent to all waterways and shipping offices, and interesting details about registration can also be found on the website Neckar Waterways and Shipping Office.

The challenge of identifying the owner

Identifying the owner turns out to be extremely difficult. Although the Waterways and Shipping Office has already been informed and the boat number is available, the owner has not yet been located. This raises the question of what will happen to the stranded boat. The municipal utilities are definitely interested in solving the problem, but without feedback from the owner, the search for a solution becomes complicated.

It remains to be seen how the situation surrounding the sailing boat in the parking lot in Copitz will develop. Will the public utilities still track down the owner, or will the boat continue to remain lonely and forgotten in the parking lot? Apparently the case of the orphaned sailboat is not an isolated case, but an example of the challenges surrounding the registration and identification of recreational boats in Germany.