With Labor Day weekend fast approaching, officials areencouraging boaters and authorities to exercise caution tosafeguard both person and parcel.

Even though overall boat theft decreased about 3 percent lastyear, thousands of watercraft were nevertheless stolen in 2012,according to the latest report on U.S. boat theft and recoveriesreleased by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

When examining watercraft theft reports dating from Jan. 1 toDec. 31, 2012, the NICB extracted data from the National CrimeInformation Center (NCIC) database for all 50 states and theDistrict of Columbia, determining that 5,870watercrafts were stolen in 2012 compared to 6,070 in 2011.Florida led with the most thefts at 1,408—or about24 percent of the U.S. total. The sheer number of boats in Floridaseems to add to the state's vulnerability. Weather may also be afactor, as California reported the second most thefts with 605lifted, or about 10 percent of the nation's total. FollowingCalifornia, were Texas (403); Washington (204); and North Carolina(184).

Click on “next” to find out which top five boat types are mostin need of security systems.

5. Sailboat

2012 Thefts: 42

Recoveries: 22

Recovery Rate: 52%

The NCIC code manual defines a sailboat as a “cat, catamaran,cutter, bark, ketch, lateen, lugger, pinnace, schooner, sloop, oryawl.” In 2012, 42 sailboats were reported stolen,earning them the fifth spot on NICB's list.

Of the 10 most frequently stolen types detailed in the NICBreport, the airboat glided to the sixth spot,with 28 incidents last year. Commercial vessels trailed behindwith 21 thefts, followed by houseboat, yacht, hovercraft, andhydroplane.

4. Cruiser

2012 Thefts: 251

Recoveries: 118

Recovery Rate: 47%

NICB found that 251 cruisers were stolen in 2012. For thepurposes of the report, a cruiser is defined as “a boat with aninboard motor that is at least 25 feet long, but no longer than 50feet.”

3. Utility

2012 Thefts: 360

Recoveries: 126

Recovery Rate: 35%

Boats such as a “fisherman” or “sedan” can be a hot target, as360 of them were stolen in 2012. Theft for all types of watercraftfell only marginally, or 3 percent, last year.

However, the crime plummeted 74 percent from 2009 to 2011.

According to the NICB, more thefts occurred in July than anyother month in 2012.

2. Runabout

2012 Thefts: 937

Recoveries: 445

Recovery Rate: 47%

Many models are targeted for the motor, which can be worth morethan the watercraft itself, while others carry an undeniable coolfactor, making them irresistible to some thieves. This is certainlythe case with the marked leap in theft of runabouts versus utilityboats. In 2012, a whopping 937 of them were stolen. The NCIC manualdefines a runabout as a “launch, motorboat, outrider, orspeedboat.”

1. Jet Ski

2012 Thefts: 1,373

Recoveries: 462

Recovery Rate: 34%

There's an obvious reason why thieves target jet skis—1,373 ofthem were stolen last year, the NICB reports. “If you have a largesailboat, there are only so many places to put that,” begins FrankScafidi, an NICB spokesperson. “[However] it's a lot easier to ripoff jet skis and hide them.”

Also easy to hide? Yamaha Motor Co.'s WaveRunner, as 538were stolen last year.