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hoppy · 06-08-2016, 23:17

Using the limited information displayed publicly on your boat (name, homeport & registration if displayed), how much information can be found out about you using publicly available sources?

It would be interesting to know how countries differ

As an example, my boat is Australian registered with only the name and home port needed to be displayed. I could find out details of my yacht on the online shipping registry list, but no ownership details, so it stops there.

Although as I have a domain name and website in my boats name, a lot more can be found out, but that is of my choosing

Previously I lived in Sweden and know how much information is in the public domain, so I did a search on a Swedish yacht that was moored near me.

Because it is on the Swedish shipping registry, I was able to find out the owners name and his home town and from that I could find out -

Home address and phone number
His profession
birthdate
marital status
How many cars are owned
All companies that he either owns or is a director of
The companies financial figure over the last few years
I could also find out the same about everyone else at that address..

Of the 4 people onboard the yacht, I could with a high level of confidence say I knew the name of three of them.

The lack of privacy does not stop there. I could pay one of many companies for additional information, like salary, credit scoring etc although in these cases a letter does go to the person informing that I made the inquiry.

It is frightening in Sweden about how public everything is and I do feel kind of relieved never living there again

How about your country?

Sailmonkey · 06-08-2016, 23:28

In the US a simple search of the vessel registry (for documented vessels) will yield owners name and address. The same may be true for state registered vessels, haven't tried. Unless owned by a holding company you can start unraveling the string and find out quite a lot about someone!!

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Alan Mighty · 06-08-2016, 23:52

Guess you'll be staying out of Australia until at least 10 August then, Hoppy?

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ght-cage-fight

hoppy · 07-08-2016, 00:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

Guess you'll be staying out of Australia until at least 10 August then, Hoppy?

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ght-cage-fight

You bet, but that's because I'm sailing

My house is empty and it won't be filling it in.

I don't mind the census as long as the information is not publish online or sold to marketing companies.

Sometime in Sweden I would get "cold calls" from investment/pension companies because I was in their targeted salary range. I would be VERY rude to them in telling them where they should stick their phone.