Preventing Marine Theft
Theft of equipment from boats, trailers, outboard engines and
even entire boats is still all too common, but there are many
ways to minimise the risk to you.
Your insurance policy may list certain requirements, so check
your policy carefully.
Thieves are looking for easy targets, so look for ways to make
their task more difficult. Consider any measure to delay the
thief, measures that will cause a disturbance or any measure
that will later identify the equipment as having been stolen.
Mark your equipment with your postcode, name or the boat's
name/sail number. Consider using visible markings, hidden
markings, or both. Lock trailers, using wheel-clamps,
hitch-locks, even a padlock and chain around an immovable
object. Use good quality locks and don't leave the key with the
boat! Outboard engines should be locked to the boat, using
special clamping locks. Alternatively remove the engine and
place in locked storage. Keep loose equipment out of sight or
better still, take it home with you. Consider an alarm system
for larger boats Get to know the other owners at your marina or
sailing club and look out for one another. If you see any
suspicious activity - report it. If you are unlucky and are a
victim of a crime, there are also measures you can take to aid
the police in recovering equipment and to assist your insurance
company in settling your claim.
Keep a note of your Hull Identification Number (HIN) or other
unique identifiers Record serial numbers of outboard engines and
other equipment Keep purchase receipts Photograph your boat from
a number of angles Report the theft to the police and to your
insurers as soon as possible. Your quick action may result in a
speedy recovery. Buying a Boat?
Check www.stolenboats.org.uk to ensure that it has not
previously been stolen. Be suspicious if serial numbers or Hull
identification Numbers are missing or have been tampered with.
StolenBoats.org.uk
This is a free database of Stolen Boats developed by UK Marine
Insurers and the Police to record all stolen equipment and
circulate details of any theft to any person who has signed up
for the Theft Alert emails.
Useful Links: www.stolenboats.org.uk www.noblemarine.co.uk
About the author:
Patrick Altoft is an insurance expert with Noble Marine a
specialist UK insurance broker providing boat insurance for most
types of pleasure craft. Policies and claims are dealt with
in-house, by knowledgeable staff, giving unequalled levels of
service.
See http://www.noblemarine.co.uk for more useful
articles.
For More Info Check
Gps Amp Marine Electronics Store Garmin
Consumer Electronics Marine
Marine Electronics Boxes
Marine Electronics Prices
Surplus Marine Electronics
Norstar Marine Electronics