As boating season moves into full swing, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reminds boaters that more than one thousand water craft are stolen each month. With price tags ranging from $10,000 to more than $1 million, boat thefts cost owners and their insurance companies $40 million a year.
"Boats are just as vulnerable to theft as cars and trucks — maybe more so," said Robert M. Bryant, president and CEO of NICB. "People need to pay more attention to protecting their craft from thieves."
Many boaters pull up to the dock in cars loaded with auto theft prevention devices, jump into their unprotected boats, and keep keys in the crafts' ignitions while leaving them unattended, the bureau noted. The NICB has published a boat theft prevention checklist outlining steps that boat owners can take to secure their property, including clearly identifying and marking boats and equipment with hull identification numbers and driver's license numbers, installing hidden ignition switches and alarms, and docking in well lit areas.
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