Commodity crooks are turning their attention to the sea, with boat owners suffering a spate of thefts aimed at stripping their vessels of valuable metals.
Bronze propellers, lead keels and copper cladding on hulls have all been stolen as higher scrap metal prices bring increased rewards for crooks.
The problem mirrors a surge in metal theft on dry land, as Financial Mail reported last month. Lead from church roofs, copper phone wires and even garden furniture are being stolen for their scrap value.
Crooks are also targeting valuable platinum in the catalytic converters in car exhausts, hacking them from parked vehicles.
Simon Tonks, development manager for specialist marine insurer Navigators & General, says: 'We've seen a huge rise in the number of claims for metal theft in the past year.
'Propellers, plaques, copper sheathing and even ship's bells have been stolen.
'In the past fortnight we've heard about two classic racing yachts that had their lead keels unbolted and taken.'
Natasha and Neil Grant suffered at the hands of metal thieves last month when the propeller was stolen from their Glastron speedboat. The boat was parked on its trailer in the couple's front garden in Brixham, Devon.
Natasha, 36, says: 'It was fine on the Saturday night, but when we hooked it up to the car on the Sunday morning to take it out I noticed that something wasn't right and realised that the propeller had disappeared.'
She and Neil, 46, a long-distance lorry driver, use the boat for fishing and water-skiing. Natasha, who prepares fish at Brixham's fish market, says: 'We try to get out in the boat most weekends, but since the theft we've been stuck ashore.
'Some of the fishermen at the harbour have also had problems, with people in diving gear going underneath the boats to take the propeller.'
Sometimes these thefts are not covered by insurance, with policies limiting cover only to forced theft from the interior of a boat. The advice is always to check before you buy insurance.
Richard Langford, managing director of specialist insurance broker Noble Marine, says: 'People are still very price-focused and looking for cheap cover. They don't read the policy wording and expect everything to be covered and it is not.'
The Grants' insurance with Navigators & General does cover the £430 cost of a replacement propeller. Meanwhile, the couple have moved the boat into their garage.
Dearer fuel has also seen crooks stealing marine diesel from boats. Narrowboats moored on isolated canal banks are particularly vulnerable. There are fears that fuel theft will rocket when a tax rise doubles the price of marine diesel in October (see below).
But unlike the theft of home heating oil, which is covered under home insurance, the loss of marine fuel may not be insured.
Tonks says: 'Fuel is deemed a "consumable store" so it is not always covered under pleasure-craft insurance policies.' Boat owners face other risks too.
Langford says: 'Theft of accessories and equipment continues to be a problem. Outboard engines are being stolen in big numbers, with dozens of thefts reported each month.' A new 60 horsepower engine from a reputable manufacturer such as Yamaha costs more than £5,500, making outboards a tempting target.
Langford recommends that owners post details of thefts on sites such as stolenboats.org.uk. This means there is a public record of the theft and gives anyone offered an engine second-hand the chance to check they are not buying stolen property.
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