In Starnberg am See, outboard motors were recently stolen from six keelboats within a few days. The damage amounts to around 6000 euros. Only the owners who were insured will receive compensation.
One thing was particularly striking: one engine, which was no worse or better secured than the others, remained untouched. The owner had only recently had it engraved and registered by Waschpo. Obviously, the combination of numbers engraved on the engine and the clearly visible registration sticker deterred the thieves.
Conclusion: It's worth having expensive boat accessories engraved. Not just the outboard motor. Expensive electronics, such as the chart plotter or on-board PC, can also be engraved by many police stations on request. There are usually collection dates at the beginning or during the season in various harbours or boat clubs throughout Germany.
A current overview of engraving dates can always be found on the pages of Pantaenius. The yacht insurance broker launched the engraving campaigns a few years ago.
Pascal Schürmann
Editor YACHT
