With Labor Day weekend fast approaching, officials are encouraging boaters and authorities to exercise caution to safeguard both person and parcel.
Even though overall boat theft decreased about 3 percent last year, thousands of watercraft were nevertheless stolen in 2012, according to the latest report on U.S. boat theft and recoveries released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
When examining watercraft theft reports dating from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2012, the NICB extracted data from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, determining that 5,870 watercrafts were stolen in 2012 compared to 6,070 in 2011. Florida led with the most thefts at 1,408—or about 24 percent of the U.S. total. The sheer number of boats in Florida seems to add to the state's vulnerability. Weather may also be a factor, as California reported the second most thefts with 605 lifted, or about 10 percent of the nation's total. Following California, were Texas (403); Washington (204); and North Carolina (184).
Click on “next” to find out which top five boat types are most in 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, or yawl.” 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 NICB report, the airboat glided to the sixth spot, with 28 incidents last year. Commercial vessels trailed behind with 21 thefts, followed by houseboat, yacht, hovercraft, and hydroplane.
4. Cruiser
2012 Thefts: 251
Recoveries: 118
Recovery Rate: 47%
NICB found that 251 cruisers were stolen in 2012. For the purposes of the report, a cruiser is defined as “a boat with an inboard motor that is at least 25 feet long, but no longer than 50 feet.”
3. Utility
2012 Thefts: 360
Recoveries: 126
Recovery Rate: 35%
Boats such as a “fisherman” or “sedan” can be a hot target, as 360 of them were stolen in 2012. Theft for all types of watercraft fell 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 any other month in 2012.
2. Runabout
2012 Thefts: 937
Recoveries: 445
Recovery Rate: 47%
Many models are targeted for the motor, which can be worth more than the watercraft itself, while others carry an undeniable cool factor, making them irresistible to some thieves. This is certainly the case with the marked leap in theft of runabouts versus utility boats. In 2012, a whopping 937 of them were stolen. The NCIC manual defines a runabout as a “launch, motorboat, outrider, or speedboat.”
1. Jet Ski
2012 Thefts: 1,373
Recoveries: 462
Recovery Rate: 34%
There's an obvious reason why thieves target jet skis—1,373 of them were stolen last year, the NICB reports. “If you have a large sailboat, there are only so many places to put that,” begins Frank Scafidi, an NICB spokesperson. “[However] it's a lot easier to rip off jet skis and hide them.”
Also easy to hide? Yamaha Motor Co.'s WaveRunner, as 538 were stolen last year.
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