How Easy is Your Trailer Boat to Steal?......

[whowantstoknow]

Imagine watching as thieves steal your boat. Then picture yourself hopping in your truck and driving after the thieves while calling 911. That’s exactly what happened in Orange County Florida recently as some kids made off with a boat right from the owners driveway. If you make it easy enough, you too can get your boat stolen. We’ll show you how.

Sometimes it’s as if boaters spray painted “FREE BOAT” on their hull sides!

First Things First

If we follow our guy’s example, then we’ll see that it helps if you live in an area where kids are using drugs. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem since we ALL live in an area where drugs are used. Right after these guys were caught, the cops asked if they “used recently”. Sure enough, one of them admitted to using crack. Now, once we’ve got the area down, we need to provide something that can be sold for drug money. Enter… your boat, or more to the point, your boat on a trailer.

Next, Make It Easy

Now all you have to do is leave your boat on the trailer and the rest will take care of itself. At this point, anyone with a truck can come along and get the job done. What you don’t want to do is make it difficult. Our guy didn’t even chain the trailer to his house or garage. Not that that would have helped much. That just slows them down for a minute while they cut the chain.

Other Tactics…

We’ve seen several methods, but the most effective seem to be the ones that actually disable the trailer. This can be anything from putting it up on blocks, to putting a heavy padlock on the ball latch, to our favorite… removing a tire. Just get yourself a simple floor jack and you can have one of the tires on or off in less than a minute. And since most thieves are looking for the “grab and dash” boats, yours will be bypassed in favor of a juicier target. I guess it’s just too much trouble to carry spares along when you’re out stealing.

And There You Have It…

So you see… losing your boat isn’t as hard as it seems. Basically, all you have to do is… well, nothing. Something at which most of us are experts.


Found in Boattest.com monthly email.

[marlineer]

http://www.zoombak.com/ This can be set-up with a GEO fence that will locate Your boat if stolen. Boat thefts are becoming an epidemic.

[sportfishingusa]

does marine insurance work the same way as say car insurance...

if the boats in the water and the keys are in it and someone steals it will they cover the loss of the boat if not recovered!?

[whowantstoknow]

does marine insurance work the same way as say car insurance...

if the boats in the water and the keys are in it and someone steals it will they cover the loss of the boat if not recovered!?

Depends on the policy - Some do and some dont.

[Robja]

I am amazed there aren't alot more boats stolen since very few people use trailer locks or chains. I guess alot depends on where the boat is located. I would imagine Fl. is a hot spot for thefts as well as alot of places along the coast. We left a boat in the driveway for years at the beach and no one ever bothered it.

[whowantstoknow]

I am amazed there aren't alot more boats stolen since very few people use trailer locks or chains. I guess alot depends on where the boat is located. I would imagine Fl. is a hot spot for thefts as well as alot of places along the coast. We left a boat in the driveway for years at the beach and no one ever bothered it.

Florida is a hot spot right now!! I made a post about this a while ago - but a company we work with has a new product out - that isnt that expensive...Theft is up everywhere...i was shocked how many people just leave their keys in drawers, dont lock their trailers....hell they dont even lock their front doors!! Im a compulsive locker....ill even lock the door before some one has the chance to come in just out of habit!......

Check this product out though...im not sure if it would work while your vessel was laid up on your trailer....ill have to look in to it - but its a great product if your boats doked behind your house or at a marina......

Here's the link.... http://paradoxmarine.com/boat-yacht-...navtracker.htm

[perfectscore]

Florida is a hot spot right now!! I made a post about this a while ago - but a company we work with has a new product out - that isnt that expensive...Theft is up everywhere...i was shocked how many people just leave their keys in drawers, dont lock their trailers....hell they dont even lock their front doors!! Im a compulsive locker....ill even lock the door before some one has the chance to come in just out of habit!......

Check this product out though...im not sure if it would work while your vessel was laid up on your trailer....ill have to look in to it - but its a great product if your boats doked behind your house or at a marina......

Here's the link.... http://paradoxmarine.com/boat-yacht-...navtracker.htm

with the way boat values are plummeting i think alot of people are praying that their boats get stolen, could be the only viable exit stratagey.

[whowantstoknow]

with the way boat values are plummeting i think alot of people are praying that their boats get stolen, could be the only viable exit stratagey.

...there is alot of that going on in the industry right now..fires are happening out of no where....boats are dissappearing...however companies are not putting up with it...with all this going on companies are investigating every area to be sure that nothing was done "intentional".