Marine Crime Prevention

Every year thousands of pounds worth of boats and equipment are stolen from our harbours. Following the simple and mostly inexpensive steps below can make your boat more secure.

• MARK IT
• LOCK IT
• ALARM IT

Firstly record all the details of your boat equipment especially the serial number. This is essential as it will be required by the police when report a crime. Keep the record in a safe place at home and hand a copy to your yacht Club representative or the marina manger.

Secondly mark your property with your home postcode. This is a proven deterrent, and you’ll stand a better chance of having it returned should it be lost or stolen. Use stickers to deter the would be thief, place small ones in a prominent position on your equipment and a large one in a prominent position on the outside of your boat such as a hatch or door. You should consider the BMIF initiative “BOATMARK” scheme.

Thirdly, fit the best locks you can afford. Many thieves are opportunists and seek out easy pickings so make sure your boat isn’t one of them. It is also a sensible pre-caution to remove as many items as practicable when you leave your boat unattended.

Lastly consider fitting an alarm to your boat. A relatively inexpensive device would be capable of frightening the thief away while a more sophisticated system can be linked into a base station or could warn of fire or flooding.

The UK marine industry's official national identification scheme, Boatmark, is run for the British Marine Federation by HPI, the UK's leading independent vehicle and asset information organisation. Boatmark is endorsed by the Home Office, has the backing of all UK marine police forces and is supported by major finance and insurance companies operating in the marine industry. Boatmark has the full support of the Royal Yachting Association. has the full support of the Royal Yachting Association.

What is Boatmark?

At the heart of the Boatmark scheme is a database which records details of a specific craft together with its 'keeper'* and any financial attachments such as credit agreements or a marine mortgage.

• The word owner is not used because Boatmark is not a title register. This is no different to car registration which is also based on 'keeper' details.
• Boatmark has been set up as an independent non-Government database of UK leisure craft ownership and can identify:
• Type/size/model of boat
• Current keeper
• Items of equipment by serial number
• Declared financial interests
• Changes of keeper/owner

How does it work?

Under the present Boatmark scheme, each boat is allocated a unique number securely marked on the hull and on other concealed locations. Details of the boat, its equipment and their keeper are then entered on to the HPI confidential database that can be accessed by the Police.

Investment provided through the Government's Chipping of Goods initiative is allowing HPI to develop a new covert tagging system to back up these visible markings. Shortly, special RFID tags will be fitted to new leisure craft and sports boats to back up the visible markings and allow police to confirm whether any tampering has taken place.

The visible Boatmark markings act as warning to thieves, but if the boat or any of its equipment does go missing, the combination of the tag and the Boatmark database makes it far more likely that they will be identified and returned to their rightful keeper.

How is Boatmark distributed?

• To new boat buyers via boat builders, dealers or importers
• To the second-hand (existing) boat market via authorised BMF members, selling the Boatmark DIY kit

For more information contact:

British Marine Federation
Marine House
Thorpe Lea Road
Egham Surrey
TW20 8BF
England

Telephone: +44 (0) 1784 473377
Facsimile: +44 (0) 1784 439 678

info@britishmarine.co.uk