Break-ins are more common in the winter months, N&G says.
Boat burglaries are on the up, the UK's largest yacht and motorboat insurer noted today.
According to Navigators & General (N&G), 20 percent more thefts are the subject of break-in claims than last year. This chimes closely with police figures for household burglaries, which have gone up by up to 21 percent in 2008.
The yacht and motorboat insurer said that the economic slowdown that has afflicted the UK over recent months could be to blame for this trend. This is because newly cash-strapped Britons could be turning to opportunistic theft to help them make ends meet.
N&G also warned today that boats were particularly vulnerable to break-ins during the winter months, as boats are left unattended more often and the nights are darker. The insurer said that thieves tend to target boat sheds with poor security, low lighting and no CCTV.
James Roberts,head of N&G, said "With boat theft increasing by a fifth this year, we wanted to warn boat owners to try and minimise temptation to opportunist thieves by removing items from their boat, where possible. We are also advising them to make it obvious that there is nothing on board the vessel by leaving curtains open to show empty cupboards and drawers, and even leaving a note stating that the boat has been stripped out for the winter."
