By Annie Roy, vice-president of the insurance section at Vin-Lock
Theft is a scourge from which no one is immune. Motor vehicles, boats and Jet Ski are prized treasures for thieves because they have a high resale value on the black market. Whether it’s for parts or for the entire boat, thieves know all of the tricks and will try everything to earn big bucks with little risk.
How does it happen?
The examples are countless and the simplest way to put it is that it happens without you being aware of anything. A more than unpleasant experience that leaves you feeling helpless. Victims of theft have the shared feeling of remaining worried about the safety of their next craft.
The captain and his little family leave their boat at the marina for the week. Work requires, they plan to spend the next weekend together like real sailors. Wednesday evening arrives and the phone rings: Peter, have you moved your boat? No why? Are you sure you have moored it adequately? Yes! And so the nightmare begin.
How to protect ourselves?
If we understand the purpose and methods of the thief, it is easier to protect ourselves with a prevention system which, without being a guarantee against thievery, puts the odds on our side to avoid it or to try to recover the boat in case of an incident. There are four distinct reasons for a thief to target your precious boat :
- Theft to reuse or resale the parts
- Theft to disguise the boat in order to sell it (new legal identity)
- Theft for interprovincial exportation
- Theft for pleasure (joyride)
In the majority of cases, the thief is looking to make a quick profit with minimal risk. The obvious risks are being caught on the spot or being caught with the boat after the fact.
Therefore, everything has to happen very quickly. However, it is also possible for the thief to be caught after the sale, if the boat has an anti-theft marking that will leave a trace back to the first owner.
Therefore, anti-theft marking is the first line of defence that will discourages many thefts.
The second line of defence is a GPS tracking protection. A positioning method that uses information transmitted by satellites to pinpoint the position of your boat within a radius of a few square metres.
Combining these two technologies is the most favourable solution regarding theft prevention and wil certainly bring you great peace of mind.
APRIL Marine and Domino Repérage
Domino repérage is an anti-theft prevention method that combines GPS tracking and anti-theft marking, all in a single product:
- Complete anti-theft marking with secure database
- Wireless GPS tracking (100% independant)
- Collaboration with the SPVM and the Investigation Department of the Insurance Bureau of Canada
- Deterrent stickers
- Affordable insurance program cost
Ask your broker to discuss anti-theft prevention or contact Centrale Vin-Lock at info@vin-lock.com for more details to up the security of your boat.
Enjoy a 20% discount when you are a Club APRIL Marine member.
