A year in jail was the sentence handed out to a 24-year-old man found guilty of stealing a $13,000-boat.

This morning, territorial judge John Faulkner said the severe sentence was needed to deter other potential thieves.

'Crimes of this nature are not by any means unheard of,' said Faulkner.

In the Yukon, he added, it seems to be open season for stealing ATVs, boats and other vehicles.

Early last October, a Copper Ridge resident called Whitehorse RCMP after she saw a man pushing and pulling a 4.8-metre motorboat down a gravel path leading to a snow dump near her home.

The woman woke her husband, who called the police.

Officers arrived on the scene to find two individuals standing near the boat. The suspects fled on foot, so a police dog was brought in to track down the pair. The search resulted in the arrest of Daniel Hans Eriksen.

There were a number of tools typically used for break-ins. Also found in the truck were walkie-talkies.

Crown prosecutor David McWhinnie said the tools suggest the suspect, who was also charged with possession of cocaine, supports himself by crime.

'He wasn't doing this for a lark,' McWhinnie said of the Ross River Dena First Nation man.

Eriksen has already served 3 1/2 months in jail while awaiting his trial and sentence. Consequently, he gets double time credit for his time served.

That means he gets seven months knocked off of his year-long sentence and will only have to serve another five months in jail.

The boat's owner, Chris Locke, said today the sentence was fair.

In other cases of boat theft, Locke noted, it seems criminals are simply given a slap on the wrist.

'Maybe this is going to be a deterrent,' he said.

Eriksen's lawyer, Elaine Cairns, said the sentence is too severe.

Although Eriksen has a previous criminal record, she said, he has been crime-free for five years, which tells her he wasn't making a living off crime.

Locke said the theft could have been a lot worse. Had the neighbour not woken up and called the police, his boat could have disappeared forever, he testified in court earlier. His insurance had expired prior to the inicident.

The boat, which was returned to Locke, suffered minor damage during the theft. The motor was removed, along with several brackets, straps and bolts.

Locke said he is grateful to RCMP Const. Evyi Smith and Cpl. Rod Hamilton for tracking down the suspect and returning his boat to him.

'They really went way out of their way,' he said of the officers, who spent more than an hour chasing Eriksen along the Mount McIntyre trails.

Locke hadn't even known his boat was stolen until Smith, Locke's neighbour, called him after recognizing the boat as Locke's.

Stephanie Waddell contributed to this story.