Tracker service in case craft is stolen
A new service called Boat Register allows owners to register their vessel for free, track it in case it is stolen, assist in its safe recovery and prevent the craft from being cloned.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) have backed Boat Register as a step towards reducing marine crime.
“Boat Register provides real benefits in establishing the identity and ownership of boats,” says David Wright, Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen at the MCA.
“This will help protect all boaters against fraud and theft and will assist in the recovery of stolen property.”
Initial registration onto Boat Register is free and is completed on-line within a few minutes.
Once the new member is registered, they can add information about their vessel, entering the details of their boat and its associated equipment.
This does not all have to be done at once and some of the information, such as serial numbers, can be added at a later date.
Owners can also choose to purchase electronic Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to prove ownership of their boat and prevent its identity being changed.
The RFID tags contain a code that is only transmitted when a scanner is passed close to the tag.
Two tags are supplied that are hidden somewhere in the boat, along with warning stickers for owners to attach to their vessel.
Boat Register also offers to provide the following equipment and services for a boat:
? The mTrack GSM/RF wireless tracker, a self-contained, waterproof tracking device that is extremely robust, ideal for RIBS, sailing dinghies and sports boats;
? SelectaDNA, a clever marking fluid that contains a unique synthetic DNA, microdots and a UV dye which can mark valuable items and engine components;
? Window-etching, marking the windows on your boat makes it less attractive to thieves.
Boat Register provides a record of the registered keeper of the vessel, similar to the V5 used for motor vehicles in the UK.
The Boat Register system allows owners to upload the complete bills of sale documentation.
Survey documentation, yard bills, licences, certificates, engine warranties, photographs or other key documentation can also be uploaded into the database for easy retrieval.
Once this process has been completed, the boat is registered and all the details can only be accessed by the rightful owner via Boat Register’s secure on-line system.
Contact: Boat Register, 25b Old Brewery Lane, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 2DE.
Tel: 44 (0)1491 411 517.
