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Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers #10758719 04/10/15 06:31 PM
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Bob Landry Offline OP
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I have read on a couple of kayak forums about people who are having their kayaks stolen, and from various places, their homes, hotel parking lots, restaurants and just about anywhere you can park a vehicleand this seems to be getting worse. No where in any of these posts do I see anything mentioned about hull identification numbers of the stolen boats. This is a 12 character alpha-numeric identifier that depicts the manufacturer, the number of that hull off the production line and the year of manufacture. Many people do not know it exists but it is required on every boat, regardless of propulsion method and by federal law, on every vessel built after 1974. It is going to be located on the stern and is supposed to be affixed by a method that makes it non-removable. That's not always the case, as I have seen them attached in the form of a plate that is riveted to the transom. The point is, this is a unique number and will never be assigned to another boat regardless of manufacturer. The ones I have seen on kayaks, since they are plastic boats, appears to be mostly done with an electric engraving pen. This could be easily sanded off of a stolen boat, but I recommend etching, or engraving this number in a place where a thief would be unlikely to look, like inside the hull somewhere. An engraving pen is cheap and can also be used to mark any type of personal item.
There is a national database, can't remember the name of it, that Law Enforcement and pawn shops use to run serial numbers to identify stolen property. I know it works because I had a stolen 1911 recovered( in San Antonio) and returned to me(in Austin) because of this system. There is no guarantee that a pawn shop clerk would check this, but anything helps when trying to recover and identify stolen property, and you just never know. Security cables and locks will keep an honest person from stealing your stuff but if a thief wants it bad enough, he'll find a way. You just have a better chance of getting it back if it can be positively identified.


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Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: Bob Landry] #10758766 04/10/15 07:09 PM
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Good point. I saw mine on my FS12T and quickly took note of it. I will definitely add to the inside though. I live on a 1st floor apartment and have to store it on my patio, it's out of sight from any passerby's, but someone seeing me un/loading it will know it's there.

Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: Bob Landry] #10758799 04/10/15 07:29 PM
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Good idea. I was lucky one time, parked my car at a Walmart and went inside to use the rest room never thinking I would lose my kayak. Then after reading about the incidences on this site of boats being stolen I feel very lucky not to have lost mine.


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Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: Bob Landry] #10758992 04/10/15 08:54 PM
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I used a engraver and wrote my name real big under the front hatch. It'd be alot of work to get it off. When I travel with it, I have a 1" cable lock I run through the scuppers around through the bed rails. You could probably cut it, but it'd be a major PITA.


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Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: Bob Landry] #10759004 04/10/15 09:00 PM
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I sometimes have mine loaded on top of my car overnite in my driveway so I'm ready to roll in the morning but always have a heavy duty cable lock around my luggage rack and thru the kayak. Also have the cable lock on if I know I need to make a stop at a store or anywhere. Not a perfect barrier for the determined thief, but does provide an extra layer of effort for someone to take it.

Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: Bob Landry] #10759063 04/10/15 09:33 PM
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Nothing is theft proof, but the idea is to send the scumbag to an easier target.

I've read a little bit about the Lasso security cables. Anyone have any thoughts on those. They make one that is 1/2" in diameter, but it's only as secure as the lock itself. I would think you would want something that couldn't be chewed through with a set of Harbor Freight bolt cutters.


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Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: Bob Landry] #10759088 04/10/15 09:42 PM
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When I buy something with a serial number, I use the cell phone to take a picture of the item and then a picture of the serial number. If it gets stolen, I have 2 pictures to provide police. It also gives me a picture to post on forums like the TFF.

Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: PowerLizard] #10759106 04/10/15 09:54 PM
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Bob Landry Offline OP
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Originally Posted By: PowerLizard
When I buy something with a serial number, I use the cell phone to take a picture of the item and then a picture of the serial number. If it gets stolen, I have 2 pictures to provide police. It also gives me a picture to post on forums like the TFF.


That works too. Be sure they are in jpg format so anyone can open them. You can put a lot of images on a thumb drive so take photos of everything on the boat. In the case of a loss, the serialized items won't be the only things you lose. Put it in a safe place and maybe even give one to a relative for safe keeping just in case the unexpected happens. It will really come in handy for an insurance claim.


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Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: Bob Landry] #10759126 04/10/15 10:10 PM
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This is why I carry insurance on all my kayaks and insurable items.


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Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: Bob Landry] #10759196 04/10/15 10:47 PM
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My hobies have a hull identification numbers (h.i.n.s.) but as you mentioned they are only engraved into the plastic. Since most kayaks aren't registered they aren't entered into Tx databases. You can use h.i.n. numbers to identify them but if you don't register them I would recommend adding a personal identification number (p.i.n., preferably your drivers license number) in numerous locations. I have my last name and my drivers license number hidden in several different locations. If someone steals my kayaks and I see one that I think is mine, I can quickly and positively prove that it is mine. This is important especially if a report hasn't been made yet or if the Tx database (TLETS) is temporarily not working.

Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: Bob Landry] #10759710 04/11/15 04:09 AM
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There have been a number of kayak theft threads on TKF where the HIN has been addressed. There have been other aspects discussed there also; Dean Thomas has recommended indelibly applying a unique number (your DL#, DOB, last four of your SSAN, something you can tell LE is hidden inside the boat for confirmation) inside the hull, out of sight, where you can use it to positively identify your boat if the HIN is altered or removed. The HIN is what LE will run in an investigation; that is the number that would need to be entered into TCIC/NCIC if the boat is stolen. Another recommendation has been to record the important serial numbers (HIN, serial number of your carry guns, camera, etc.) in your smart phone so they can be immediately entered into the database if those items are stolen. The best chance of recovering a stolen item is right after it is stolen. But without a unique identifier you can't prove it's yours, and you can't put a case on the thieves. Many times I have stopped crooks with property that I knew good and well was stolen, but because it wasn't entered, I had no probable cause to seize the property or arrest the crooks. It really hurts to let a crook go with property that you know he just stole from someone.

Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: Bob Landry] #10768087 04/14/15 09:40 PM
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I guess that's a good reason for registering trolling motors, they hulls get registered.

The NuCanoe HIN will come off after some time because it's just a sticker. There is another one under the front hatch.

I just looked at my PA 14 and my Ride 135 yaks and it's poorly scribbled by a 5 year old and not very deep.
I couldn't find it anywhere other than the stern.

We need to come up with a better way of getting them in there. I can't see why the manufacturers can't pre etch the numbers with a laser on a small piece of plastic and glue that in the roto mold so it bonds with the new plastic.

Does the engraver work well?

I thought about going to Habor Freight and buying letter punches and burning it into the hull...I would suggest practicing this first! I've done other plastics and it's difficult to get the right temp.

Tim

Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: Bob Landry] #10768520 04/15/15 01:08 AM
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Regular bolt cutters won't easily chew through a stainless steel cable. They will eventually. The real threat to locks, cables and most locking security devices is a battery-powered mini grinder with an abrasive cut-off wheel. Where I used to live that's called a "Puerto-Rican Master Key! They'll cut thru almost anything in seconds, and aren't too loud. Fortunately, most petty thieves who steal stuff aren't that sophisticated or prepared. All we can do is secure as best we can and hope for the best. Also, insurance is the thing that lets most people sleep at night.

Good Luck, IslandJim


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Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: Bob Landry] #10769326 04/15/15 01:16 PM
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Now that plastic boats are costing upwards of 3k, they are targets for the criminals because they can be bought and sold without any paperwork. I strongly feel that the minimal cost of registering kayaks and issueing a title through tpwd is long overdue. IMHO ALL watercraft should have state issued titles and display numbers just like power boats.

Re: Stolen Kayaks - Hull Identification Numbers [Re: Bob Landry] #10769702 04/15/15 03:20 PM
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I agree. Any craft that is used on Texas waters should be registered and stickered. However, to do that would necessitate registering every canoe, rowboat, windsurfer, paddle board and manually propelled jon boat. That would create a mountain of added paperwork for Parks & Wildlife and they already hold out their hand for donations to keep the system running, in spite of the sporting goods sales tax that is collected but not appropriated by the legislature to go to TPWD. But, that's another topic for another thread.
TPWD would do well to send their administrators to Arkansas and let those people show us how to run a park system. Their parks are pristine, open to the public for free except for campsites, give discounts to seniors both resident and out of state, and do it all on 1/8 of 1% of their sales tax. Who would have ever thought that could be done? I suppose it's pretty easy when you don't have a legislature that sucks money out of the big black hole, AKA General Fund, to buy votes.


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