Most people who purchase a stolen boat are never aware of the fact that they own one unless its discovered by a state title agency, or the small army of bounty hunters commissioned by insurance companies that are searching for them. The bad news is that even though one may have no knowledge of having purchased a stolen boat, when it is discovered the new owner has to forfeit the boat, usually with no recourse for recovery of his loss. Even worse, he may even find himself trying to fend off criminal charges of conspiracy or being in possession of stolen property.

A boat buyer can avoid buying stolen boats by following this procedure:

Immediately be suspicious of any hull number that shows the slightest sign of not being exactly right.

Obtain from the owner as much paper work as possible. Find out how long he has owned the boat and get copies of all prior registrations. Examine all official documents for any sign that they have been altered. You would be amazed at how many thieves simply alter numbers on titles and registrations.

Be wary of any seller who has owned the boat for less than a year.

Be wary of freshly painted or refurbished boats.

Owners that can't provide any records such as repair invoices and so on should be cause for suspicion. Most boat owners keep good records and there's no reason why they should not at least let you see them.

 

Contact the state titling agency and verify the hull and registration number against the seller's name and address. Be wary of any inconsistencies. This can be done by phone in most states.

Ask to see the title and registration before signing a purchase agreement or giving a deposit. If there is more than one owner, such as a husband and wife, ask to speak to the other party. Don't get caught in a divorce situation where one party completes the sale by means of theft from the other.

For federally documented vessels, use a professional documentation service and make sure that they obtain and provide you with a copy of the document abstract. Do not complete the purchase until you have thoroughly reviewed this document. Make sure that all liens have been settled.

Approach any boat with great caution that is being sold by a dealer which does not have it's own registration numbers, but instead has dealer numbers on it that the dealer will remove. The odds are high that there is a problem.

Watch out for boats that have been recently brought to your state from another.

There is only one way to effectively stop the leaks, and that is to rebolt the stanchion bases, and to add aluminum doubler plates to the underside if it doesn't already have them. Its the lack of doubler plates that is probably part of the problem in the first place, and unless you resolve this, nothing short of strengthening the mounting will help.

Examine all official documents carefully for evidence of alteration. Accept only originals and not photocopies.

Don't purchase a vessel that came from a non-titling state such as Alabama. The odds are extremely high that the boat is not legitimate.

Examine the hull sides on the bow for evidence that registration numbers have been removed or altered. Frequently changes will be visible by gum residue or the outline of numbers against faded gelcoat or paint.

Another means of checking are the variety of registration stickers provided by many states. These stickers usually have a decal number that can be followed up on with the state. Crooks frequently overlook this subtle point. The decal numbers must match the registration.