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Securing a boat shed or boat store against theft
Short answer
Over the winter the boat sits ashore in a shed, a club store or a garage,
and that is when thieves come.
Many hull policies only pay for theft ashore if the place was locked or fenced.
Securing the shed on every side meets that condition and slows thieves down.
From October to April many small boats live ashore: in a timber shed at the end of the garden, in a sailing club's dinghy store, in a lock up garage or a rented barn. Outboards, electronics, covers and gear often sit separately in a workshop or cellar. Thieves know the pattern. A waterside shed may go unvisited for weeks in winter, and many doors give way to a crowbar in under a minute. When something goes missing, the first question the insurer asks is where the boat was kept and how it was secured.
Securing a shed means checking every side, not just the door. Use a solid door with hinges that cannot be lifted off from outside, a hasp with concealed screws and a padlock with a hardened shackle. Bar the windows or fit lockable shutters, screw timber walls from the inside instead of nailing them, and drop bolt the main doors of a larger store into the floor. A fence round the plot, a motion sensor light and a neighbour who looks in are worth more than an alarm nobody hears. Inside, keep the boat secured as well: a lock on the outboard clamps, a wheel clamp or hitch lock on the trailer, and no loose kit left in an open boat.
Read the theft wording of your hull policy and look for the words locked, secured, enclosed and building. A carport or an open sided shelter is rarely a locked building. Photograph the boat, the engine, its serial numbers and the lock, and keep the receipts. In a shared club store, find out who holds keys. After a break in, call the police straight away, leave the marks untouched, and report the claim to your insurer without delay with a list of what is missing.
Worth remembering
Open shelter
theft ashore often not covered
Locked shed
the condition is met
A good lock and a solid door cost far less than a winter with no payout for boat and engine.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Is a padlock on the shed door enough?
Most policies only ask that the building was locked, so a padlock meets the wording. On a thin hasp it will not stop anyone, though. A hardened shackle, concealed screws and a solid door make the difference.
Is an outboard kept in my garage covered?
That depends on whether your policy covers equipment stored away from the boat, and on what your home insurance says. Check both, and keep the engine in a locked room.
What should I do after a break in at the shed?
Call the police straight away, leave the marks untouched, take photographs and tell your insurer without delay, with a list of the missing items and their receipts.
Related
Not sure whether you qualify?
Whether it is “Securing a boat shed or boat store against theft” or another question: send us your residence and the flag your boat flies. You will get a straight answer in one email; including a no, if that is the answer.
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