How to Protect Your Boat, Motor and Trailer From Theft

Write down and photograph:

• The Hull Identification Number (HIN) on the starboard side of the transom (12 characters). Boats built after August 1, 1984 also have a hidden secondary HIN inside the hull; know where yours is.
• Your state registration number and registration certificate number
• Engine serial numbers, plus the transom assembly and outdrive numbers on sterndrives
• The trailer VIN and license plate
• Serial numbers of electronics, trolling motors and other valuable gear

See the engine serial number guide if you cannot find the tags. Keep copies of purchase documents and receipts, which usually list serial numbers too.

BoatUS investigators recommend photos from every side: bow, stern, both sides, helm, interior, engines and serial tags, plus anything unique like graphics, canvas color, upholstery, scratches or repairs. Thieves often remove or alter HINs and change registration numbers, so these details help police and your insurer prove a recovered boat is yours. Store the photos off the boat, in a cloud folder or on another device.

Do the same for loose gear. An insurance agent interviewed by Mercury suggests laying out your rods, reels, tackle and electronics and shooting a quick video, then emailing it to yourself, so you have an up-to-date record for a theft or storm claim. Ask your agent whether that gear is covered by the boat policy; Mercury's article notes that claiming it on a homeowner's policy can push that premium up.

Engrave an identifying number on the outboard, electronics and other removable equipment, and put up warning stickers that say it is marked. Marked parts are harder to sell. BoatUS also mentions microdots: tiny dots with a registered code that can be painted onto engines, drives and the boat to help police identify parts. Never alter or remove the HIN itself: that is illegal.

A trailer boat is only as secure as its coupler. Anyone with a hitch ball can hook up an unlocked trailer and drive away.

• Fit a sturdy coupler (hitch) lock whenever the trailer is unhitched. NICB lists a trailer hitch lock among its top tips.
• Even better, BoatUS suggests a removable tongue: take it home, not into the boat. A trailer with no tongue cannot be towed.
• Add a wheel lock or clamp, or run a heavy chain through the wheels and around the frame or axle. Lock the spare tire too.
• For long storage, removing a wheel is even more effective.
• Remove the license plate and, if you can, quick-mount trailer lights. Thieves do not want to be pulled over for missing lights or plates.

• Small outboards: take them off and store them in a locked garage or shed, as BoatUS recommends.
• Larger outboards: use a purpose-made outboard lock over the clamp screws or a locking mounting-bolt nut that needs a special key. Use tamper-resistant fasteners on electronics and motor locks.
• Remove portable valuables: handheld electronics, fishing gear, binoculars, tablets and removable displays. Batteries walk off too, especially from open boats in driveways and storage lots: take them home over the winter or lock the battery box.
• Lock cabin doors, hatches and lockers with good padlocks and hasps that cannot be unscrewed from outside.

BoatUS investigators are blunt: thieves know every hiding spot. Take the keys and the kill switch lanyard with you. NICB and BoatUS both warn not to keep the title or registration papers on the boat, because they make it much easier for a thief to sell it.

Make the boat hard to start or move:

• Remove the battery or switch it off with a lockable or hidden battery switch.
• Shut a fuel valve, as NICB suggests, or install a hidden ignition or fuel cut-off switch.
• On a lift, lock the control box or switch off its power at the breaker.
• At a dock or mooring, secure the boat with a steel cable or chain and padlock that cannot be lifted off the piling or cleat.

Trackers and boat monitoring systems can send an alert to your phone if the boat moves, the bilge rises or the battery drops, and can show police where the boat is. Choose one with its own backup battery, hide it well and keep the subscription current. Remember the safety rule above: share the location with police, do not go after the boat yourself.

• At home: park the trailer with the tongue facing the house or a tree, or park your tow vehicle in front of it. Add motion-activated lights mounted out of reach. A full cover hides flashy graphics and gear.
• In storage facilities: ask about security. BoatUS warns that everyone with a gate code can get in, night video is often poor, and many systems record over footage after about 72 hours. Read the contract: many facilities disclaim responsibility for theft.
• At the marina: get to know your dock neighbors and report people who do not belong.

BoatUS warns that a "For Sale" sign on a boat in a public place can attract thieves posing as buyers to check how easy it is to take. Screen buyers by phone, meet them in person, and do not leave the boat unlocked or the keys aboard between showings. See getting your boat ready to sell.

NICB recommends making sure your policy covers the boat, the trailer and the equipment. Ask whether electronics, fishing gear and the trailer are covered, whether coverage applies at home and in storage, and whether the insurer gives discounts for trackers or locks.

Act fast; the first hours matter. NICB's analysis found that the sooner owners call police, the better the odds: of the watercraft that were recovered in 2021, more than half turned up within a week and many within a day.

1. Call the police (911 if the theft is in progress) and file a report. Give them the HIN, registration number, engine and outdrive serial numbers, trailer VIN and plate, and your photos. Ask for the report number. Police enter stolen boats into the national crime database that NICB and state agencies use; the Coast Guard's HIN guidance lists the NICB database as one way states check a boat's HIN.
2. Call your insurer and give them the report number and your records.
3. Tell your state boating agency and, if the boat is documented, the Coast Guard documentation center.
4. Alert your marina, storage yard, local dealers and repair shops, and ask them to watch for your engine and boat. Watch online listings for your gear.
5. Share your tracker's location only with the police.