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Prove & protect · part of the Towpath estate

The Boat Registry

The free digital register that helps you prove you own your boat — and get it back if it's taken.

The UK has no DVLA for boats. The Boat Registry is the closest thing: a free record of your boat, its kit and your ownership, with a QR/NFC tag so anyone who finds it can reach you privately, and a public Lost & Stolen register the whole community can see. 44,000+ boats already listed.

Live nowFree to register · optional Premium logbook from £2.50/moUK-built
Visit The Boat Registry →← Back to the estate
Why The Boat Registry

What makes it different

01

Free proof of ownership

Record your boat, its details and documents in one place — the evidence you need if it's ever disputed, stolen or sold.

02

Scan-to-contact, privately

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

03

Public Lost & Stolen register

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

04

44,000+ boats already listed

A real head start: search the register, claim your boat, add a tag.

Better than the alternative

How it compares

The usual way
  • ✕No official UK boat register — nothing to prove ownership or flag a theft
  • ✕Trackers cost money every year and only you can see them
With The Boat Registry
  • ✓A free digital passport plus a public stolen-alert board
  • ✓Free, community-visible, and works even after a tracker is found
In the wild

How it works in practice

AN
“
Registers the boat free, hides an NFC tag, and has a shareable proof-of-ownership record if it's ever questioned.
A narrowboat owner
SW
“
Scans the tag and reaches the owner in seconds — no personal details exposed.
Someone who finds abandoned kit
Works with

The Boat Registry 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 →Yard ManagerYard work recorded in Yard Manager is the evidence that sits behind the register entry.See Yard Manager →
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 yardYard ManagerExplore →Run your hire fleetHireHelmExplore →Protect & proveThe Caravan RegisterExplore →

Ready to try The Boat Registry?

No long forms. Start in minutes.

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