A tip from a local fisherman led to the recovery of our boat 500 yards off the south end of the island in 10 feet of water. The boat had been stripped of everything leaving us with a hull, and a lot of work and money to spend to make it usable again; it is basically just the shell.
What we have found out during this expeience is that in the last 4 weeks 7 engines have been stolen from boats in the lagoon, along with 4 boats/engines on the front side of the island. Two of the theives were almost caught yesterday on the west side of the lagoon, but they sped away headed towards Sartejena.
Thank you to everyone who helped us to retreive our boat.

More than likely on their way to Chetumal.

OR Bomba - since Shane and Britteny's boat was found there.

Not familiar with Bomba. Mexico I presume, but where? Across from Xcalak?

Mainland Belize.

The boat thieves were headed towards Mexico, speeding away from Shane who had just come out of the Bomba area where he had been looking for his boat in the mangroves.

I wonder why no one here seems to build boathouses? Something to side your boat into with a type of garage door that pulls down and locks. No door. No window, a side that slides up to let the boat in or out and slides down and locks to the bottom of the foundation pilings near the sea floor. Add motion lights, sirens and wildlife cameras, calculate the time it takes to break into an unfamiliar building and this is a very probable deterrent. I would think it would be less costly than having a boat stripped and the stress of having someone steal your hard worked for property.

I doubt you would get a permit and the shoreline is too unprotected from high waves.

A boat lift seems to work well enough.

Simon is correct.