Given how much money you’ve invested in your boat, it makes perfect sense that you would want to keep it as safe as possible. However, boats, just like any high-ticket item, are a temptation to thieves, so you may find yourself the victim of this crime if you don’t take steps to prevent it. Your local boat dealership is RVs And Boats For Less of Chubbuck, Idaho. Here are our best tips for avoiding the theft of one of your most precious assets by properly securing your boat.
Locate Secure Storage Space
Leaving your boat out in the open is inadvisable because you’re allowing thieves to have full visibility of it so they can plan their crime. Don’t leave your craft in a trailer in your driveway with the tongue facing the road. While this might make going to the lake easier, it also makes it very easy for anyone with a truck to hitch up your trailer and make off with it overnight.
If you choose to store your craft at home, you should at the very least put it behind a tall, locked fence with the hitch facing away from the street, or in a locked garage or shed so it’s much harder to access. Make it as hard to take as possible.
When storing your boat in a marina or dry storage facility, choose one that has good surveillance and regular patrols as well as video equipment, alarms and locking doors.
Invest In A Quality Cover
Keeping your boat under a cover won’t necessarily prevent it from being stolen, but it is an extra deterrent that can make your craft look like it’s not worth the trouble. It would look highly suspicious to your neighbors or to anyone at a marina if someone was trying to peek under a cover or remove it with difficulty. Since it would take time and draw attention, thieves will be less likely to try and take your vessel and they’ll likely look for an easier target instead.
Remove Valuables
Just like you wouldn’t leave your laptop or expensive jewelry in plain sight when you park your car, you shouldn’t leave these items on your boat. Remove all valuables, including expensive cameras, GPS, fishing gear, watersports equipment and anything else that might have resale value or be easy to take. You should also take out paperwork that a thief could use to make the boat look like it’s theirs, like logbooks, registration, licensing and journals.
Install A Security System
For those of you who have the means, installing an electronic security system can be a very effective way of warding off potential thieves. The market has no shortage of these, from more simplistic designs to very elaborate systems. Some are triggered by motion and will sound a loud alarm when your vessel is tampered with, which will drive off any thieves hoping to remain undetected.
You can also install cameras that can transmit footage of your boat for you to give to the police if it is stolen or damaged. A GPS tracking system will help law enforcement to locate your boat if it’s taken away from the marina or hauled off in a trailer.
Which security system you get will depend on how much you can afford to spend and what type of security you want to have. Get a system that is marine-safe, though, since the electronics will need to withstand watery conditions and humidity.
Our hope is that this guide helps you to determine the best ways to secure your boat and prevent theft. Seeking boats for sale near SLC? RVs And Boats For Less proudly serves the Idaho cities of Twin Falls, Idaho Falls and Pocatello as well as the Utah cities of Logan and Salt Lake City to the south!
