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Check & prove · part of the Towpath estate

The Boat Index — a free record of UK boats

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

The UK has no ownership register for boats, and The Boat Index is not one: it is not legal title. It is a free record of a boat, its kit and the evidence behind who owns it. Before you buy, check whether a boat is on the record, whether it has been reported stolen, and what level of ownership evidence the record carries. If it is yours, claim it, add a QR sticker so a finder can reach you privately, and flag it on the public Lost & Stolen board if it ever goes. Over 40,000 UK boats are on the record, indexed from public sources and free for any owner to claim.

Open now · freeFree to register and check · optional Premium logbook with a 30-day free trialUK-built
Visit The Boat Index →← Back to the estate
Why The Boat Index

What makes it different

Check before you part with a penny

Is it on the record, is it reported stolen, and how much of its ownership has actually been evidenced. Free to look.

Ownership shown as a level

Each record says what has been checked: on the record, claimed, or verified against the owner's identity and the boat's own paperwork. A boat with little evidence reads "not yet verified", never "bad".

Scan-to-contact, privately

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

Public Lost & Stolen board

Report a boat or its kit lost or stolen and the community can help spot it.

On The Boat Index's own site

Where to start

Check a boatIs it on the record, and is it reported stolen?theboatindex.co.uk The stolen boats boardBoats reported lost or stolen by their owners.theboatindex.co.uk Buying a used narrowboat: check its historyWhat to check before any money moves.theboatindex.co.uk
Better than the alternative

How it compares

The usual way
  • No ownership register for UK boats: nothing to check before you buy
  • 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 is yours, and a public stolen board
  • Free, visible to the community, and useful even after a tracker is found
Illustrative

How it would work

SA
Runs the check first, then asks the seller for the evidence the record does not yet show, before any money moves.
Someone about to buy a boat
Questions

The Boat Index: what people ask

How do I check a boat before I buy it?

Look it up on The Boat Index: whether it is on the record, whether it has been reported stolen, and what level of ownership evidence the record carries. It is free. Check a boat now.

Is The Boat Index proof of ownership?

No. It is not legal title, and the UK has no ownership register for boats. Each record says what has been checked: on the record, claimed, or verified against the owner's identity and the boat's own paperwork.

How many boats are on it?

Over 40,000 UK boats, indexed from public sources and free for any owner to claim.

I am buying on The Boat Market. Should I check here first?

Yes: run the check before any money moves, then ask the seller for the evidence the record does not yet show. Selling? The Boat Market lists boats free.

Works with

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

The Boat MarketA buyer can check a boat's record before any money moves.See The Boat Market →PayCamp YardsYard work recorded in PayCamp Yards is evidence an owner can add to the record.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 →Check a numberGotMyNumberExplore →

Ready to try The Boat Index?

Prices, plans and sign-up are on The Boat Index's own site.

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