Joining the dots to stop boat theft rot

by Mark Rothfield on 7 Jun 2013 In the good ol’ days, marine thieves faced a choice of keelhauling, a flogging or running the gauntlet through two lines of angry men armed with knotted ropes. The lucky ones were tied to the rigging and left to the weather’s mercy. Today, marine theft remains a major concern, with every moored vessel and unguarded runabout being a potential target.

Industry analysis suggests the cost exceeds $11 million in Australia each year. Yet modern-day scoundrels either escape justice or cop a slap on the wrist.That being the case, boat insurers Club Marine have teamed with police, Crime Stoppers and theft deterrent company DataDot Technology to create the new National Marine Register. The register already contains around 40,000 boat and marine-equipment profiles, including 900 stolen vessels. It was officially launched at the recent Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show.

It’s set to become the free go-to site for pleasurecraft buyers looking to check whether a vessel has been previously stolen and is being passed off as genuine.‘It’s time to take more action to deter theft,’ Club Marine CEO Greg Fisher said. ‘The most commonly stolen boats are trailerboats used for fishing and waterskiing and we’re determined to make it harder for thieves to profit from stealing boats from Club Marine members and boat dealers.’Fisher said he was hopeful that other marine insurance companies would come aboard.

‘Right now, it’s relatively easy to steal and rebirth vessels in Australia. If we all work together we can do our bit to stamp out this practice, which affects us all one way or another.’

When thieves change a vessel’s identity it’s more difficult for investigators to confirm the true ownership and achieve a successful prosecution. Crime Stoppers spokesman Peter Price said the register was an important tool that highlighted the benefits of identification technology.‘Re-birthing and surrogate registration operations make marine theft a lower-risk and profitable criminal business,’ Price said. ‘Criminal networks traffic in stolen boats and personal watercraft (PWCs) between Australian states, where it is very difficult to identify the stolen vessels.’

DataDot Technology’s involvement is crucial. It works by applying thousands of microscopic discs (DataDots) about the size of a grain of sand, with each dot containing a unique code that’s stored on the register. One car maker has seen an 84 per cent reduction in vehicle theft since it employed the technology. Warning stickers tell thieves that the boat is marked, which often prevents theft in the first place.

Boat and PWC owners can register and upload pictures and key data about their craft’s identifying features, including HIN, VIN and motor serial numbers. In the event of a theft, the register will activate an alert via text and social media. Marine dealers and boat buyers can use a Boat Check feature to identify stolen boats that are advertised for sale.

See the website for details.