Yachting Industry Report: Boat Thefts Drop 3% in 2012

The National Insurance Crime Bureau released its latest report on boat thefts and recoveries in the United States. The report examines vessels reported stolen between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2012. It draws from data contained in the National Crime Information Center database for the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

There were 5,870 watercraft thefts reported during the period, a 3% decrease from 6,070 thefts in 2011. PWC were the most common type of vessel stolen.

The Top 5 states for thefts in 2012 were identical in rank to the previous report:

• Florida: 1,408 thefts

• California: 605 thefts

• Texas: 403 thefts

• Washington: 214 thefts

• North Carolina: 184 thefts

Also repeating in identical order were the top five types of boat stolen:

• Jet Ski: 1,373 thefts

• Runabouts: 937

• Utility: 360

• Cruisers: 251

• Sailboats: 42

The top five manufacturers for watercraft thefts:

• Yamaha: 659

• Bombardier Corp.: 355

• Kawasaki: 226

• Tracker Marine: 211

• Alumacraft: 133