Guides
For people buying a boat, and for owners. Each guide lists the sources it rests on.
What is The Boat Index?A free, independent index of UK inland boats. Where the records come from, what the public can see, what claiming means, and what the Index is not.Checked 20 Oct 2026 Buying a used narrowboat: the checks to makeThe paperwork and checks to make before you pay for a used boat, and what a Boat Index search can and cannot tell you.Checked 20 Oct 2026 How do I prove I own my boat?No single document proves boat ownership in the UK. What counts, what does not, and what a claim on The Boat Index does and does not mean.Checked 20 Oct 2026 Your boat has been stolen: what to doReport it to the police and get a crime reference. Then tell your insurer and the navigation authority, and spread the word.Checked 20 Oct 2026 Found a boat in trouble, a stolen boat or lost kit? What to doWho to call when a boat is sinking, drifting or being broken into, what to do about a boat you think is stolen, and how to handle found kit.Checked 20 Oct 2026 Your boat's record and your privacyWhere your boat's record came from, what the public can and cannot see, your data protection rights, and how to ask for the record to be corrected or removed.Checked 20 Oct 2026 Safety and privacy for boaters at riskIf your safety depends on not being found: what The Boat Index shows, how to get your boat's record hidden or removed, and where to get help.Checked 20 Oct 2026 Protecting your kit: outboards, kayaks, keys and toolsThings are stolen from boats far more often than boats are. How to record, mark and lock up your kit, what trackers can and cannot do, and what to do if it goes.Checked 20 Oct 2026 Boat crime on the UK waterways: what is known, and what isn'tThere is no reliable national figure for boat crime. What police, the Canal & River Trust and an insurer say about the shape of it, and what reduces your risk.Checked 20 Oct 2026