Around five thousand watercraft thefts are reported each year in the US. After all the time and money invested in your boat, theft can be tough to deal with. For every 10 boats that are stolen, only 1 is recovered.
Unlike cars, there aren’t strict requirements for owning a boat. Some states don’t require boat insurance, and some people don’t even worry about possessing their boat titles. If you don’t have either of these documents, you have a slim chance of finding your stolen boat.
How can you prevent boat theft, so this doesn’t happen to you? You can do a few things to prevent boat theft, such as:
- Store your boat in a secure location
- Chain it down with locks
- Use an alarm system
- Markings
- Keep track of purchases made to your boat and equipment
Getting insurance on your boat will also help you in the event that your boat does get stolen. Boat insurance can cover losses, and the company may be able to help track down your vessel. Read further inside this article to learn more information on how you can prevent your boat from getting stolen.
Preventing Boat Theft
Boat owners these days don’t realize how easily their boat can be stolen. Most people leave their boats sitting in their front yard on a trailer with the hitch facing toward the street. They’re practically begging for thieves to come take it away.
If you’re someone who’s worried about their boat being stolen, here are some tips you can follow to prevent this from happening.
Smart Storing
Keep your boat stored away in a locked garage or secure storage facility. If you have your boat on a trailer in your yard, park your car in front of it to make it hard for a thief to move.
It may make it difficult for you to move once you want to take it out, but keeping your trailer hitch facing towards your house or garage rather than the street is a sure way to make it hard for thieves to steal your boat. If they see that it’s too difficult to take, they probably won’t even try.
You can also remove one of the wheels from your trailer. If you’re going to have it sit in your yard for a while. This may be a pain to do, but trailers make boat theft very easy.
Another thing to keep in mind, if you have valuables on your boat, store them inside your house or shed. Thieves know that boats are usually full of expensive equipment.
Use Chains and Locks
Purchase a heavy-duty chain and lock. You can attach it to your trailer and wrap the chain around a tree or post. You can also run the chain through one of the wheels of the trailer. There are also hitch locks that will make it harder to connect to your trailer.
Invest in Alarm Systems
Marine alarm systems are cheap and easy to use. They can be set up to your phone to warn you at any time. Make sure you purchase a marine alarm system and not just an ordinary one. Alarm systems for your boat are designed especially for wet climate.
You can also buy a tracking device and place it on the inside of your boat. This will help you track down your wheel boat without having to report it stolen.
Keep Track of Your Boat and Equipment
Save all receipts and invoices for everything that you’ve purchased for your boat. This way, you can track down your equipment if needed. Also, take pictures of your boat so it can help investigators easily identify it.
Mark Your Boat
Putting your name or the hull number on your boat is a smart way to find it. It might also chase away thieves if they see markings on your boat. They won’t want to risk being caught with a boat that’s easily recognized as belonging to someone else.
Put Insurance on Your Boat
Boat insurance won’t prevent your boat from theft, but it can reimburse you for what you spent on your boat. Your insurance company can also help to recover your boat.
There are several policies to choose from when deciding on which insurance is right for your boat. You can get coverage for boat theft as well as stolen equipment. That’s why it’s always good to save receipts for everything you have stored on your boat.
Preventing Boat Trailer Theft
When your boat is on a trailer, it’s definitely more susceptible to theft. Thieves don’t just go after boats, they also know there’s value in a boat trailer. With that said, your trailer is just as much at risk as your boat is when it comes to theft.
Some people may think that because their boat is off their trailer, they don’t need to worry about it. A thief is most likely stealing your boat for profit, so if they see that they can make money off a boat trailer, they won’t miss the chance.
The simplest way to prevent boat trailer theft would be to lock it away when it’s not in use. Don’t leave your boat trailer on a dock or your front yard. If you have a garage, store it there or look into secure storage units. A trailer without the boat is much more easier to store and less expensive.
A smart thing to do if you use your trailer often is to keep it attached to your vehicle. This way, a thief won’t be able to haul it off, unless they steal your car as well, which is a bit more challenging to do than stealing a trailer.
Removing a wheel or adding a lock to your wheel is another good idea. Make sure to also take the spare tire off the trailer just in case the thief is witty. Investing in a wheel lock is probably better than removing and placing your tire back on each time you want to take your trailer out. They aren’t expensive and are very effective.
Again, a GPS device and alarm system are great gadgets to prevent boat trailer theft. In the event that your trailer does get stolen, you’ll be able to know right away and track it down on your own.
Heavy-duty chains and locks are the best and most straightforward way to go. Remember that thieves don’t need access to your hitch to haul your trailer away. They can simply attach any part of the trailer to their vehicle with a chain or rope.
Best Boat Trailer Locks
Hitch locks:
- Master Lock Universal Size Trailer Locks
- Reese Towpower Universal Coupler Lock
- Cocoweb Chrome C-Lock Heavy Duty Locking Hitch Pin
Wheel locks:
- Zento Deals 2-Pack Heavy-Duty Anti-Theft Vehicle Wheel Lock
- Trimax Deluxe Universal Wheel Chock Lock
- OxGord Heavy-Duty Wheel Lock
Preventing Boat Battery Theft
You need to keep in mind that everything on your boat has value. This includes parts of your boat that can be removed. Even if you’ve securely locked up your boat and trailer, you need to also worry about your boat’s battery being stolen.
Boat batteries can be pretty expensive to replace. They range from $300 to $600, depending on the make and model. They are also much easier for a thief to take off with. Boat batteries are stolen three times as much as boats are.
Some things you could do to prevent your battery from being stolen is to remove the battery from your boat when you aren’t using it for a long time. This is also good for your battery and will allow it to last longer. This isn’t ideal if you’re taking out your boat often. Removing your battery each night could be a pain and could eventually cause damage to it.
Another thing you could do is to purchase a battery lockbox. Battery boxes range from $300 to about $500. They can protect your battery from theft, as well as rust and corrosion. Some of the boxes come with solar panels. These panels add more power to your battery. This is overall a good investment for your battery.
The last option would be to add chains around your battery. This is a last-minute idea that could work well. You could chain your battery to the inside compartment. Just make sure they are heavyweight chains that can’t easily be broken. If someone really wants something, they’ll find a way to take it.
Preventing Boat Engine Theft
Just like your battery, your engine is removable and susceptible to theft. A boat battery is easy to steal, but a boat engine is worth the risk. Boat engines are usually around $30,000. They can go up to $70,000 for specific high ranked brands. About 800 boat engines get stolen per year in the US; most of them from Yamaha.
It’s not simple to steal a boat engine, but they are highly sought after for their high price. Most of these boat engine thieves know exactly what they’re doing, so you need to be smarter when thinking about preventing boat engine theft.
Trolling motors, on the other hand, are far less expensive but will still set you back a few hundred if stolen. Trolling motors are also easier to steal than regular boat engines, so you need to be cautious in how you secure them. Not to mention that trolling motors are untraceable, making them a perfect target.
Protecting your engine or motor can be difficult. You can’t remove them whenever you aren’t on your boat, and there really isn’t an easy way to lock them up. There are, however, devices that can help you either stop the thief in his tracks or catch him before he sells your engine for a profit.
Engines have serial numbers, which would come in handy when reporting it stolen, but there really isn’t much investigators can do to find it. This is why tracking devices are made to be put on boat engines. If someone were to get away with your engine, you could track them down as soon as you knew it was missing.
Sometimes it could be too late to track down. Most thieves will sell you engines to people who have them sent abroad, and this is done rather quickly. That’s where alarm systems come in. This can alert you right away before the thief even has a chance to take your engine or motor. This is probably the best way to go with boat engine theft; there isn’t a better option.
Preventing Boat Electronic Theft
Electronics can be anything from your sonar devices and navigation systems to your sound equipment. Neither of these things are meant to be removed, but with a screwdriver and a pair of scissors, anything can be taken out of your boat.
Because all your electronics are attached to your boat, this can make it hard for you to protect these things from theft. For electronics that aren’t attached, you should definitely take them off your boat along with you. Purchase a carrying bag and remember to take them with you each night.
For your screens and monitors, you can use bolts to secure them to your boat. This way, a screwdriver won’t be any good to a thief. Security screws are something similar to use. No one will be able just to unscrew your devices with any object, making it tough for a thief.
Hiding your boat is another option. Even just putting a boat cover over your boat will help divert unwanted attention. If someone is looking for certain electronics to steal, they might pass your boat due to them not being visible.
And, once more, invest in an alarm system. I can’t stress enough how helpful this will be to prevent any type of boat theft. Catch the thief before he’s able to get away with any of your belongings. Phoning the police is the safest way when you’ve been alerted. Don’t risk putting yourself in danger. You never know what that person has in their hands or their minds.
How to Lock Your Boat to a Dock to Prevent Theft?
This is a general topic, not only for preventing theft but also for making sure your boat doesn’t drift away. Some people simply tie their boat up to a dock post with a sturdy rope. This is an effortless way to keep your boat at the dock, but it’s not always the best.
In the circumstances that someone tries to drive your boat away, a tight rope won’t cut it. A rope can be untied… that’s the end of that. Instead, opt for a sturdy chain and lock. Attach it to your bow and then pull it around the dock post. There’s still a chance that someone could break the chain or your bow, but it’s better than a simple rope.
A great device you can use in addition to the chain is a gadget that attaches to your motor or engine to stop the steering. This will prevent anyone from getting away with your boat. They’re a bit costly, but they’re worth it. Leaving your boat at the dock is risky, so it’s best to take extra precautions.
What are the Best Boat Anti-Theft Devices?
There are so many anti-theft devices for boats on the market. They are set up to where you can view everything through your phone or computer/laptop. These devices give you comfort when leaving your boat on the dock or even in the front yard.
Some even come with extra settings to manage your boat. You can view your boat power, bilge pumps, and monitor systems. You can turn off boat lights or turn on other power units connected to your boat. You can check GPS signals at all times. Some devices allow you to set up surveillance cameras right on your boat to see precisely what’s going on.
Here is a list of some of the best anti-theft devices for your boat:
- Tracking device. This allows you to know the exact location of your boat without being visible. Thieves won’t even know that it’s onboard.
- Alarm kit. This will activate sounds and alert you if someone steps foot on your boat or moves it from its location.
- Monitor device. This lets you control all settings. If someone tries to steal your boat, you can deactivate switches that make it no longer work.
- Marine camera. A waterproof camera that’s easily concealed. Thieves won’t even know it’s there, and you’ll be able to view and track their every move through your phone. Great for police reports.
There are many more gadgets and prototypes out there that haven’t been tested yet. The anti-theft device market is constantly going upward due to the mass thefts that are happening with boat owners.
Conclusion
When thinking about ways to protect your boat from theft, always be smart and mindful about your technique. Don’t allow thieves to get away with your boat or boat equipment. Purchase alarm systems and be cautious about where you keep your boat.
Keep your boat insured and always report it stolen right away. Keep receipts and pictures of your boat to help investigators locate your stolen vessel. Following all these measures will help decrease the chances of boat theft happening to you.
