Top Most Stolen Types of Boats in the U.S.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) collected statistics on stolen boats. In 2017, 4,864 watercraft were stolen, according to the NICB. This represents a five percent decrease over watercraft thefts in 2016 but remains a much higher number than any boat or watercraft owners likes to hear. The top three counties and cities for watercraft thefts all happen to be in Florida, according to the crime bureau report.

Most Common Types of Watercraft Targeted for Theft

There are many different types of watercraft available to consumers today. Some present more attractive targets for thieves, like these types of watercraft which are the most frequently targeted by thieves.

• Personal watercraft. Otherwise known as jet skis, these craft accounted for 1,180 thefts with a recovery rate of 27 percent meaning that only 321 of them were recovered.
• These fun boats accounted for 618 thefts but offer more favorable recovery rates with nearly 43 percent, or 268 of them being recovered after their thefts.
• Utility boats. Accounting for 285 thefts in 2017 and 109 recoveries, representing a recovery rate of only 38 percent.
• 185 of the boats stolen in 2017 were cruisers. These boats though, offer a more favorable recovery rate than many others with 56 percent of them, or 103 of the stolen cruisers recovered.

Most boats are targeted as impulse thefts. Those that require specific skills to sail often have lower rates of theft, not to mention more advanced anti-theft systems and capabilities.

Preventing Watercraft Theft

To address the issues and concerns of boat owners regarding watercraft theft, the National Insurance Crime Bureau generated a report for common sense approaches boat owners could take to secure their boats and watercraft in efforts to reduce their risks of theft. These are some of the things you can do to prevent boat theft in the first place and to aid in the recovery of your watercraft if your preventative measures fail to sufficiently deter thieves.

• Secure your boats. Even if you have your boat stored on a trailer for transport to the water, it can be an easy target for thieves who only need to back up a truck and attach the hitch before driving off. Consider hitch pins and other devices or even chaining the trailer to a tree or other permanent structure.
• Keep your watercraft out of sight when not in use. Consider parking your jet skis, PWC, and small boats inside your garage instead of where others can see them.
• Install GPS tracking on all your watercraft. This can be used to notify you instantly of watercraft movement and provide live tracking of your watercraft location to facilitate swift recovery of your boat and other watercraft.

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