Texas has third most boats and gear stolen in country
Houston - Labor Day weekend is a big weekend for boaters as they take to the lakes and bays. Safety is top of mind. But many boaters often don't think about another big problem that's lurking: boat theft.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau says boat theft is a widespread problem in Texas, with 354 boats stolen last year.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau says Texas has the third-highest number of stolen boats and gear in the country, behind Florida and California.
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"It's easier for them to just load up that trailer and take off. What we’re primarily seeing is smaller boats, jet skis, and any type of boat under 30 feet," said Captain Jennifer Weaver of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Who could forget the images of police in a high speed chase on the Eastex Freeway with a truck towing the boat that a famous TikToker reported stolen?
And in April 2024, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department says it seized $100,000 worth of suspected stolen boats and gear at the Big Bass Splash.
TPWD says boat theft often happens when owners store a boat where they don't see it regularly.
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"Quite often, game wardens will get a call and be with some motorboat trailer that is actually stolen, and the owner doesn’t even know it yet," said Weaver.
During the last few years of our tough economy, cases of boat squatting, where people live on boats they don't own, have been widely reported in California and Florida.
TPWD says they don't see much boat squatting in Texas. But it can be a complicated crime to resolve.
Attorney Ernie Garcia says, like house squatting, a boat owner has to go to court to have a squatter evicted.
"It’s very similar to someone moving into someone’s house. Once a person has established residency in a given place, they’re allowed to stay there and can only be removed by judicial process," explained Garcia.
The situation is even more complicated when a boat is moved to a slip that is leased by the squatter.
"Access to the boat should be as easy as proving title to it. But as far as removing the individual, they're likely going to have to go through the civil process," said Garcia.
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- NICB recommends boat owners take the following steps to prevent boat theft:
- Keep an eye on it or install a security camera.
- Secure it to the dock with a steel cable and lock up motors.
- Remove expensive equipment from the boat.
- Don't leave the title and registration papers on the boat, keep them in a safe place.
- Take photos of the boat and mark it with the Hull Identification Number.