Top Ten List of Stolen Vessels
Most people get the boat of their dreams by working hard, saving money, and shopping for the best price. But a few people just see the boat they want and… steal it.
We came across this article courtesy of BoatU.S. (1/19/06 press release) and thought it would be interesting to share it. It’s hard to imagine someone stealing a boat, much less hiding it, but it happens more often than you think. Read on to find what BoatU.S. discovered.
Top Ten List of Most Frequently Stolen Boats and the chances of it being stolen:
Manufacturer - Chances per 10,000
Yamaha(PWC) - 15.30
Kawasaki (PWC) - 12.80
Bombardier/Sea Doo (PWC) - 8.19
Mako - 7.00
Chaparral - 5.22
Regal - 4.92
Wellcraft - 3.70
Boston Whaler - 3.36
Four Winns - 3.06
Chris Craft - 2.80
Bayliner - 2.57
Sea Ray- 2.25
Seaworthy, the damage avoidance newsletter from BoatU.S. Marine Insurance, recently culled recreational vessel theft data from the last five years of Association claims files and came up with this list of boats most likely to be stolen.
"The problem with owning a popular brand of boat is that other people want to ‘own’ it too," said Bob Adriance, Seaworthy’s editor. In addition to the most frequently stolen brands of boats, Adriance also found that 90% of all boats were stolen while on their trailer, with the average size just over 20 feet. Personal watercraft top the list while less mobile vessels such as sailboats and heavy, slow trawlers were decidedly unattractive targets for thieves.
Our boatsforboaters.com conclusion is that smaller is easier when it comes to getting your boat stolen. See our companion article about preventing boat theft which we hope you’ll read. And, if you are buying a boat and need to check its origin, read our article on hull ID numbers which will help you verify what you are getting.