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Check & prove · part of the Towpath estate

The Boat Index — check a boat, or prove the one you own

Check a boat before you buy it. Prove the one you own.

The UK has no DVLA for boats, and The Boat Index is not one — it is not legal title, and no such register exists. What it is: a free record of a boat, its kit and its ownership. Before you buy, check whether it is on the record, whether it has been reported stolen, and whether the seller is the verified owner. If it's yours, claim it, add a QR tag so a finder can reach you privately, and flag it on the public Lost & Stolen board if it ever goes. Over 44,000 UK boats are already on the record, indexed from public sources and free for any owner to claim.

Live nowFree to register · optional Premium logbook £2.50/mo billed annually (£29.99/yr) · 30 days free, no cardUK-built
Visit The Boat Index →← Back to the estate
Why The Boat Index

What makes it different

01

Check a boat before you part with a penny

Is it a real boat, is it reported stolen, is the seller the verified owner, and does its history stack up. Free to look.

02

Ownership you can evidence

Four levels, and the page says which one you are looking at: on the record, claimed, identity-verified, and owner-verified against the boat's own paperwork — bill of sale, BSS, mooring, yard work.

03

Scan-to-contact, privately

A QR sticker lets a finder reach you in seconds — without ever seeing your name, number or email.

04

Public Lost & Stolen board

Report a boat or a piece of kit lost or stolen — no account, no serial needed — and the community can help spot it.

Better than the alternative

How it compares

The usual way
  • ✕No official UK boat register — nothing to check before you buy and nothing to flag a theft
  • ✕Trackers cost money every year and only you can see them
With The Boat Index
  • ✓A free check before you buy, a free record if it's yours, and a public stolen board
  • ✓Free, community-visible, and works even after a tracker is found
Illustrative

How it would work

SA
Runs the check first — on the record, not reported stolen, seller matches the claimed owner — before any money moves.
Someone about to buy a narrowboat
SW
Scans the tag and reaches the owner in seconds — no personal details exposed.
Someone who finds abandoned kit
Works with

The Boat Index does its own job. These pick up the next one.

The Boat MarketWhen it is time to sell, the ownership record is already there for the buyer to see.See The Boat Market →PayCamp YardsYard work recorded in PayCamp Yards is the evidence that sits behind the entry.See PayCamp Yards →
One brand, one constellation

The rest of the estate

Run your operationPayCampExplore →Get foundGotAPalExplore →Get paidServicePayExplore →Your front door3 Wee PagesExplore →Share your detailsUniversal ContactsExplore →Buy & sellThe Boat MarketExplore →Keep everyone in one placeCentral ContactsExplore →Run your yardPayCamp YardsExplore →Run your hire fleetPayCamp HireExplore →Protect & proveThe Caravan RegisterExplore →

Ready to try The Boat Index?

No long forms. Start in minutes.

Visit The Boat Index → Not sure which tool fits? See the whole estate →