My boat was stolen: now what do I do?

While in the 1980s and 1990s boat theft was a very limited phenomenon (in Italy, one or two per year were reported), the last decade has seen a proliferation of the phenomenon. If at one time the object of theft was mainly tenders and outboard motors, now boats are being stolen.

SKETCH OF THE BOAT THIEF
To the many “casual” boat thieves, i.e., those who take possession of a hull for a few days (in some cases, even for a few hours) and use it for illicit transports, such as drugs, stowaways, and weapons, in recent years a distinct figure has been emerging, that of the specialized and organized boat thief. Stealing the job from U.S. profilers, we could describe him as follows: a person who is well aware of the difficulties of reselling a stolen boat and sailing it in the light of day (given the frequent inspections) and who, once the theft is accomplished, avoids embarking on dangerous crossings and would rather take refuge in some quiet area to make modifications to the hull and in the meantime obtain false documents.

WHAT TO DO NOW
What should you do if (knock on wood) once at the dock, there is no sign of your boat or, during a cruise, you leave the boat in the roadstead and when you return it is gone? First of all, immediately file a report with the nearest Carabinieri station (or otherwise law enforcement agency in the country you are in), and report the disappearance to the Port Authority and maritime authorities. Timing is critical. Prompt notification will enable the Coast Guard to circumscribe the search area and intervene immediately with patrol boats and targeted investigations.

EXPLOIT THE NETWORK
After that, get active on the Web, reporting the theft. There is a specialized site in Italy, www.barcherubate.it, where you can enter all the information about your unit (and even photos), the location of disappearance, and the date of theft. The boat record will be entered into the reporting database. But there is more. Enter your report (and keep a constant eye on it) at www.stolenboats.info, the site that contains the world’s longest list of stolen boats and provides hefty bounties on finds. To leave nothing to chance, also take advantage of social networks such as Facebook by reporting the stolen boat in boating communities and boating website forums.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
One way to make life difficult for boat thieves is to equip your boat with a satellite alarm system, perhaps relying on a company that can offer boat tracking via the Internet.

WATCH OUT FOR INSURANCE
Also with a view to prevention, we recommend that you take out a good “yacht body” insurance policy that includes fire and theft among its clauses. Be well informed before signing: often such a clause does not cover the outboard motor and tender: somewhat like in the automobile business, where you will not be compensated for theft of so-called removable parts.

MARKET – THE RIGHT ANTI-THEFT DEVICES FOR YOUR BOAT

VODAFONE AUTOMOTIVE / GHOSTY
Created for the automotive world, it is an unobtainable self-powered box that lasts over 2 years and, in keeping with its name, is practically a ghost invisible to thieves. Includes two years of service fee and operation center intervention in case of theft. www.automotive.vodafone.it

MAC & NIL / REMOTE ANGEL
Remote Angel is a vehicular satellite tracking device equipped with SIM, GSM/GPRS/GPS antenna and power cables, which can communicate in real time on the mobile phone network and via the Internet. Fully autonomous that does not require the presence of any operations center. www.remoteangel.it

YACHT SAFE / G31 TRACKING
Yacht Safe’s GPS alarm consumes very little power (0.1 W at 12 V).It comes in the form of a small black box (7.4×4.8×2.8 cm), waterproof to the IP68 standard, with which you can remotely keep the boat at bay by downloading the free app to your smartphone. You will also be able to turn the location service on and off directly from the app. Price: about €293. www.aquamare.co.uk

PROSER / RADIO-CONTROLLED BURGLAR ALARM
The Proser operates by radio control, so there is no need for connection with electrical wires between the actual components, and this allows for quick and easy installation. It consists of a control unit, complete with siren, which can be powered at 12 or 220 V, an infrared sensor (radio-controlled), to be fixed in the dinette or main room, and a magnetic one, to be mounted on doors and hatches. Price: about €190.64. www.nauticplace.com