Preventing Theft

October-November 2001

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by nstable Larry Burden

Kayaking is one of the fastest growing water sports in the world and when something becomes popular, thieves become interested.

Manufacturers are supposed to put a hull identification number (HIN) on their craft to identify one boat from another, and most do. The HIN is a twelve character string comprised of letters and numbers. The first three characters are specific to your boat's manufacturer and is issued to that manufacturer by the Coast Guard. The next five characters are the production serial number and the last four characters deal with the date of manufacturer, e.g. ABC12345A001.

When you look at the way some manufacturers attach the HIN, it is obvious that they are only doing so because it is a legal requirement and not out of concern for their customers. Don't take my word for it-check your own boat and see if it even has a HIN. Depending on the manufacturer, you will find the HIN scratched in with an engraving pen, or on an attached plate. Some do a pretty good job but in some cases you will not find a HIN at all, even on some very expensive craft.

The HIN is not some needless government intrusion into the boat manufacturing process. It is the serial number for your boat and can tell tell which manufacturer made the boat, when it was made and in some cases the model of the craft. The HIN is really important if your canoe or kayak is stolen. Without a permanent identifier on the craft there is very little the police can do for you. They have to have a means of identifying it as stolen and proving who is the rightful owner. Telling the police your yellow polyethylene sea kayak was stolen and you would recognize it anywhere is of little use to them, especially in a different jurisdiction. They need the HIN and you should know it.

How can you protect yourself from having your kayak stolen? You can lock it to the roof rack, you can carry it into the house, or tie it to your guard dog. But I have found the best way to keep someone from stealing something is to make it less marketable. You don't have to drill holes in it or spray graffiti all over it to make your kayak or canoe less marketable to a thief. All you have to do is add extra identification to your gear, and advertise to the world that your gear has been marked for identification and to keep their hands off!

We suggest you participate in the "Hands Off Marine Identification" program, a simple but effective crime prevention program organized through your local paddling club in conjunction with your local police. People bring their boats to a Hands Off event and volunteers place multiple identifiers on the boats via engraving pens, permanent markers and tiny microdots. A warning decal is placed on the boat, all of the details are recorded in triplicate and a photograph is taken of the boat. The police keep a copy of the form and the boat owner gets two copies for insurance purposes. The program is so effective that many insurance companies are giving discounts on premiums for participating in the program.

The microdots included in the Hands Off program, trade named "Data Dots", all have the same code number on them and are specific to that Hands Off event. When magnified with a portable 30x viewing scope, the Data Dot code number can be read and the code number traced to that event. The glue used to place the Data Dots on the boats has an ultraviolet tracer in it and can be found when illuminated with a black light. The glue is highly resistant to common solvents so it
can't be easily wiped away. Paddlers are also encouraged to place extra identification on their accessories such as paddles etc. You can purchase your own bottle of Data Dots in many paddling or marine supply stores.

So please do yourself a big favor and mark your gear with your name and driver's license number (not your social insurance number). Write down your HIN, along with the make, model and colour of you boat and keep it in a safe place, so if you do become a victim of a theft, you can give the police some useful information that may lead to the recovery of your gear. In the meantime, consider hosting a Hands Off event, and encourage manufacturers to do a better job placing HIN's
and other types of identification on their products. Let's keep paddling for the honest folk and make the sport less attractive to the thieves.

© Constable Larry Burden is recognized as one of the leading authorities in boat theft in North America and was the recipient of the 2001 "Investigator Of The Year" award from the International Association of Marine Investigators. He is the creator of the Hands Off Marine ID program, and a Constable with the Chilliwack RCMP: 604-792-4611.
E-mail: divers@uniserve.com