Boaters in the Norfolk Broads pay £11,113 after being taken to court

But it seems that the crime of slacking off is making an unwelcome return to the Norfolk Broads.

This mysterious expression refers to sending other sailors' boats out without their permission and thus releasing them at sea.

It formed the central plot of Arthur Ransome's classic children's book “The Big Six” – part of the Swallows and Amazon series – in which members of the Coot Club are accused of “releasing” the boats of holidaymakers.

The cover of Arthur Ransome's book The Big Six, set in the Norfolk Broads (Image: Wikipedia)

According to new figures, one person was prosecuted by the Broads Authority for this offence this summer and fined £2,974.

BOAT DRIVERS FINED

The offender is one of 10 people fined for a range of offences on the Broads, including failure to pay tolls and exceeding the time limit at moorings.

A sailing boat and a holiday cruiser on the River Bure in Horning on a beautiful day in early October (Image: Newsquest)

Current figures show that the ten paid a total of more than £11,000 after being sued by the authority.

Eight of the ten road users had not paid their tolls and had to pay a total of £5,949.64 in fines, victim compensation, court costs and compensation.

A boater was fined £2,190 for overstaying at his berth.

The highest fine was imposed on the offender who was charged with “abandonment”.

Boating on the River Bure near Hoveton (Image: Denise Bradley)

READ MORE: Boaters attacking Rick Astley reported to Coastguard and Broads Authority

“RELEASE”

The incident is said to have involved leaving a rental boat in Great Yarmouth without the permission of the holidaymakers.

The person concerned was found to have breached a regulation which states that no person other than an officer of the Broads Authority “shall without good reason release or attempt to release any part of the mooring line of a vessel, except with the permission of the vessel's master”.

The offender was fined £660, ordered to pay costs of £850, victim compensation of £264 and compensation of £1,200.

PC Tedder confronts members of the Coot Club at Horning Staithe as an angry crowd looks on (Image: BBC)

THE BIG SIX

The antics are reminiscent of Arthur Ransome's book “The Big Six”, the ninth part of the Swallows and Amazons series, published in 1940.

On the Norfolk Broads, the three young crew members of the Death and Glory – all members of the Coot Club – get into trouble after being accused of setting moored boats out to sea.

Boats floating on Ranworth Broad, in the BBC adaptation of The Big Six (Image: BBC)

A group of their friends – who call themselves the “Big Six” – begin investigating the crimes in order to clear their names.Members of the Coot Club on board the Death and Glory (Image: BBC)

They eventually set a trap that allows them to expose the real perpetrators and rehabilitate Death and Glories.The real culprits are caught red-handed when they throw out the catchalot after the Big Six set an elaborate trap for them (Image: BBC)

The book was later adapted into a BBC series, filmed on the waterways and broadcast in 1984.

The Broads Authority has stated that people who have not paid their tolls will only be taken to court as a last resort. (Image: Archant)

“LAST RESORT”

The BA has stated that its decision to take criminal action for non-payment of tolls is “always the last resort” and will only be used when all other discussions and options have failed.

“If boat owners are really having difficulty paying their tolls, we will listen to them and work with them,” a spokesman said.

The money raised from tolls is used to fund all maintenance, dredging and mooring work on the waterways. The Maritime Authority is the only one in the UK that does not receive central funding for this.

The costs awarded by the prosecution are used to cover the legal costs, while the fines and victim compensation are not paid to the OAG.