Marine BOATING SEASON ATTRACTS BOTH BOATERS AND THIEVES. "DOCK IT & LOCK IT", SAYS NATIONAL INSURANCE CRIME BUREAU

As the boating season moves into full swing countrywide in May, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) warns boaters to make sure your boat stays docked where you left it. Nationwide, more than 1,000 boats and personal watercraft are stolen each month. With price tags of $10,000 to $250,000 and over, boat theft costs boat owners and their insurance companies $40 million a year, according to the NICB.

Ironically, many boaters pull up to the dock in cars loaded with auto theft prevention devices, lock their cars, then jump into their boats without any thought of theft prevention devices. Many times the the keys are left in the craft's ignition with the boat unattended, says NICB. "Boats are just as vulnerable to theft as cars and trucks - maybe more so," said Robert M. Bryant, president and CEO of NICB, a non-profit organization that combats theft and insurance fraud. "People need to pay more attention to protecting their craft from thieves."

The NICB says there are steps you can take that will make your boat harder to steal. These include clearly identifying and marking your boat and equipment with the Hull Identification Number (HIN) and your drivers license number, installing hidden ignition switches and alarms and docking in well-lit areas. THE NICB SAYS, "MARK YOUR DRIVERS LICENSE NUMBER WITH THE STATE ABBREVIATION AND/OR YOUR VESSELS HULL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER IN HIDDEN LOCATIONS." If your vessel or boat parts are stolen, you can help identify them to police if you have marked your drivers license and HIN number in hidden locations.

Here is a list of some items to be marked: Boat, trailer, engine(s), covers or cowling, VHF radio, depth sounder, radar, chart plotter, stereo, binoculars, and anything else of value that is easily removed from your boat.

Auto Etch, Inc. is proud to announce our new hi-tech component marking labels. These new labels, utilizing your actual state drivers license number and/or Hull Identification Number (HIN), are specifically designed for parts marking applications. The combination of a fragile facestock and an aggressive adhesive results in a product which prevents one piece removal from most surfaces after a short application period. These labels are nearly impossible to lift off once they have been applied to any smooth surface. These labels will destruct if removal is attempted leaving traces of the label and other telltale signs. The labels measure 1” X 2” and are small enough to be applied to discrete areas not easily seen by careless thieves. Our new marking kit includes 25 hi-tech labels that affix your state drivers license number and/or your vessel Hull Identification Number (HIN) to the hull of your vessel, trailer, electronics, motors etc.

Just like the Auto Etch, Inc. VIN number glass etch/body parts marking kit, thieves do not want to get caught with one of these easily traceable boats or it’s parts in their possession. 

A final note, these security labels are custom printed "in-house" by Auto Etch utilizing the serial number information provided by you. These security labels can be custom printed with virtually any information or wording to fit your specific application. Whether it be for vehicles, boats, motorcycles, ATV’s, electronics, etc. Our labels are in use not only by retail consumers, but by a variety of industrial customers with very demanding requirements. Please call or e-mail for more specific and detailed information. These labels are designed to be a deterrent and should be considered part of a layered approach to preventing theft. We highly recommend the use of multiple anti-theft devices on any item that you wish to protect from theft.

Shipping and Handling $ 4.95 anywhere in the US.