Guido has obtained the now-deleted advert for Zack Polanski’s houseboat. Polanski’s partner is attempting to sell it for £100,000 and calls it their “home”…
“Olympian has been our amazing home in the peace and quiet of Lee Valley Marina, Springfield on the River Lea for three years. We are moving to a house and so will sadly be leaving the gorgeous community behind. The mooring is very quiet, flanked by trees on one side, with regular visits from kingfishers, herons, coots, geese and swans.
Olympian was built in 1977 by Les Allen boat builders and has extensively cruised the canal network. She was lengthened by 2.34m in 1984 at Uxbridge Boat Centre. Light and airy with 10 large windows featuring an open plan living room/kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.
There is also a second bedroom/office and a rear cabin room behind the easy access engine room. The boat has a traditional feel with wooden flooring throughout and
wooden panelling. All windows resealed in 2025. Wooden flooring refurbished throughout boat in 2022.Powered by mains electric hookup, additional three leisure batteries for cruising. New starter battery installed in August 2025.”
The facilities:
- Bathroom
- A mini bath and shower
- Sink and tap
- Cassette toilet with wooden toilet seat
- Two cupboards and under bath storage space
- Kitchen
- Shabby chic kitchen (some might say more shabby than chic!)
- Oven, grill and four ring LPG hob (vintage but works a treat)
- Beko Fridge/freezer (240v) bought in 2023
- Cupboards with in built shelving
- Jabsco automatic water system pump
- Sitting room
- Bespoke built L-shaped sofa bed (new in 2023)
- Fitted curtains
- Morso 1440 Convection stove with central heating along the corridor of boat to second bedroom, including a radiator
- Airplus Ecofan
- Bedroom
- Bed and mattress
- Large storage under bed
- Built in cupboard
- Fitted blackout curtains and curtain rails
- Engine
- BMC 2.2 diesel engine
- December 2023 – Cylinder head replaced with new gaskets and seals
- January 2024 – Cylinder head removed, cleaned, valves removed, valve seats regrinded and reassembled. Head pressure tested and skimmed.
- May 2024 – Injection pump repaired and fuel injectors replaced
Thankfully “there are also washing machines and dryers, an on site chandlery and a clubhouse that is open 4 nights a week for community events, yoga, craft making and all sorts of loveliness.” Not so lovely for Polanski are questions over his tax arrangements…
When the Times asked if Polanski had paid council tax over the last three years and where, the Greens said: “Zack’s council tax is included in the rent he pays his landlord.” Locals say they have seen Zack in the area as if he lives there and the owner of a laundrette “claimed he had provided a laundry service for Polanski and his partner between 2023 and September last year”…
AI-enhanced images of the boat:
A spokesman for the low tax campaign Cut My Tax said: “It’s a general rule that high tax fanatics, while keen for the rest of us to pay lots more tax, are none too keen to do so themselves. The Polanski houseboat case could be another example. If you have a permanent residential mooring in a marina, you are generally liable for Council Tax because it is treated as a fixed address/primary residence. If your boat is moved regularly or the marina pays council tax on your behalf then maybe you can get away with it. But Mr. Polanski has yet to provide evidence that this is the case.” Will he?
Speaking to Adam Boulton on Times Radio about kicking the Golders Green suspect, Heidi Alexander said:
“I thought that if I was in the shoes of that police officer, then if I’m honest, given the situation, and the fact that he had a backpack on his back, and they were worried about whether that might go off, I could, if I was a police officer, frankly, I could see myself having taken similar action.”
