For immediate release — August 2026
Free digital registry launches to help UK boat owners show ownership and deter theft
UK — A new free, independent digital registry for privately owned UK sea boats has launched, giving owners a permanent, verifiable record of their boat, engine and trailer.
BoatID (boatid.uk) was founded by Simon Freedman after his own RIB was stolen from the South Coast. He got it back — but only because the trailer was displaying his vehicle registration. That experience exposed a gap: there was no simple, independent way to show who owns a boat.
Owners register their boat, engine and trailer for free. Each submission is checked — an automated format check followed by human review — before being confirmed with a permanent BoatID number and a QR code that can be displayed on the boat. Anyone can scan the code or search the number to see a verified record and, where relevant, whether the item has been reported stolen.
Individual registration is, and always will be, free. BoatID is independent of any insurer, marina or manufacturer, and complements existing schemes such as Datatag/COMPASS and Immobilise rather than replacing them.
"Thousands of boats and outboard motors are stolen in the UK every year, and most owners have no simple way to show ownership if their boat is recovered, or to reassure a buyer if they're selling," said Simon Freedman, founder of BoatID. "I built BoatID because I didn't want anyone else to have to rely on the same luck I did."
BoatID covers privately owned sea boats up to 10 metres — RIBs, motor cruisers, fishing boats, dinghies and jet skis/PWCs.
About BoatID
BoatID is a free, independent digital registry for privately owned UK sea boats, their engines and trailers, run by BoatID Ltd. boatid.uk
Media contact
Simon Freedman
hello@boatidmail.com | boatid.uk
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