How To Dispose Of An Old Fibreglass Boat
There are a few free ways to properly dispose of an old fibreglass boat, but it may cost money as well.
The fibreglass boatbuilding revolution has changed the leisure-boat industry beyond all recognition over the last 50 years, but what effect is a glut of old hulls having on the sale of new boats? And how do you dispose of an old fibreglass boat?
Old scrap fibreglass boats are most often pulverised and buried in landfills.
What Is The Vessel Turn
- You could take your vessel to the landfill. Most landfills will require the removal of oil, fuel, batteries and any refrigerators before acceptance. Proof of ownership may also be required. Call your local landfill and see what their requirements are before taking your vessel. If you dont have a boat trailer to haul the boat, you can find a local tow company with a flatbed truck that could transport the vessel for you, or contact a boat transport company that can load from the water if needed.
- For vessels on land you can rent a dumpster and dismantle the vessel yourself with a chainsaw or sawzall after draining and removing and legally disposing of any hazardous materials at your local landfills Hazo-House. Engines and boat trailers can be recycled with a metal recycler. Note that cutting up a vessel on a beach is not legal in Washington state without appropriate permits.
- Snohomish County’s Solid Waste Environmental Cleanup Team offers a service for the recycling and disposal of unwanted boats, boat trailers, campers, and travel trailers. Here is a link to the :
- If your vessel doesnt run and is on the water, you could hire someone to tow your boat to a local boatyard or boat ramp for haul out. Some boatyards will dismantle your boat for you or you can hire a private contractor to do it.
How Do Boat Salvage Yards Work
Boat salvages purchase wrecked vessels that are worth less then the repair costs. They sell any remaining functional parts for use in working boats. They get their inventory from various sources including private owners, insurance companies, auctions, and the government. Some provide dismantling services and work closely with scrap yards and recyclers.
Read Also: How Much Does Freedom Boat Club Cost Per Month
How To Get Rid Of Your Boat And What To Expect
First – The fastest way to start the process is to fill out the form below we typically respond within an hour or two. If you would like to call you can try 603-341-9210. This is different from our company number, it goes straight to our boat removal foreman. He isn’t easy to reach. That’s why we have the form below to get you fast service.
Second – We ask questions! Where is the boat located? How large is the boat to be removed? Whats wrong with the boat? Can we salvage any of it? Is it on a road worthy trailer? Does the boat still have fluids in it? Please feel free to include this information in the form below.
Third – After getting a sense for the condition of your boat and how difficult it will be to remove we will offer a “guesstimate”. Please note – until we see the boat to be removed, we are making our best educated guess so you have somewhat of an idea how much your removal will cost, but, its not exact and subject to change.
In the past some customers have tried to … lets say “under state” the scope of their boat removal in an attempt to lock us in to removing their boat at a lower price. This will not work or happen. Just like when we do junk removals, we verify the exact pricing upfront ONLY after seeing the boat. Our prices are more than fair, and are guaranteed to be the best price you will find.
Need to get rid of other items? Be sure to check out our and property clean out services
The Many Services Trash Can Willys Offers
Boat Disposal And Recycling Specialists
Boatbreakers are the boat disposal experts. When you have a problem boat trust the experts at Boatbreakers to provide a full-service for yacht, motorboats & personal water craft collection, recycling & disposal solution throughout the U.K. and Europe. Upon receipt of your instruction we will handle all aspects of boat recovery, transportation, storage and disposal as required. We offer and always deliver a professional service to find solutions for end of life boats and insurance write-offs.
Boat Dispoal Experts
All we need to know is what and where the boat is, and well do the rest. You can provide those details through our easy to use Scrap Calculator. The Boatbreakers team can usually have a yacht, motorboat or jetski collected and disposed of within a week of your first instruction from anywhere in the UK including Ireland. At Boatbreakers we understand that with boats time is money, so we ensure our service is as cost effective as possible. Disposing of a boat can often be a sensitive process for a boat owner as the vessel is often part of the family, however at Boatbreakers we try to make the boat recycling process as smooth as possible.
Accredited Recycling Centres
Scrap Your Boat
Is your boat decaying? Abandoned? Sinking? Boats left untouched cause pollution & damage to the environment. Boatbreakers can help you chose the environmentally friendly way to recycle your boat!
Trade Your Boat
Don’t Miss: How Do I Register My Boat In Colorado
Restoring A 1950s Bembridge Scow
Few things can be more satisfying than saving an old wooden boat from the chainsaw and bringing her back to
Because boat breaking is not cheap. EU research suggests it costs around 800 to dispose of a 23-footer, rising to 1,500 for a 33-39ft boat and up to 15,000 for boats over 50ft long. Boatbreakers themselves put the price at about £100 per foot ie £3,000 for a 30ft yacht .
While I was researching this article, I heard from a boatyard in Cornwall which had to pay nearly £40,000 to dispose of two wooden MFVs that had been abandoned on its premises.
So who should pay for this? What about the original owner who commissioned the boat in the first place? Or the builders who profited from selling it? Or all the other owners down the line who enjoyed sailing the boat and were once proud to call it their own? Inevitably, as the boat gets older and its value diminishes, it ends up in the hands of the less wealthy and in cheaper moorings which is why so many backwater yards end up with so many old wrecks. And by definition these are the very owners and boatyards that can least afford to pay for the boats disposal.
Its a natural cycle which has been going on for years, but the problem is set to reach crisis point as the boatbuilding boom of the 1960s and 70s catches up with us and thousands of boats reach the end of their useful lives.
Neither, however, addressed the thorny issue of who should pay the cost of scrapping.
Where Can You Dispose Of Old Boats
“I don’t fish for a living, I LIVE TO FISH!”Card Carrying Member of TEAM CHUCK-A-RONI!
“I don’t fish for a living, I LIVE TO FISH!”Card Carrying Member of TEAM CHUCK-A-RONI!
Iceshark said:Hello, I need to know where I can drive and dispose of my dead 18ft Larson fiberglass boat ……..
bing said:take it to the closest tranfer station,,,they will mechanically seperate the boat with a big yellow loader… Tup:
“I don’t fish for a living, I LIVE TO FISH!”Card Carrying Member of TEAM CHUCK-A-RONI!
Also Check: Boating License Nebraska
Ways To Get Rid Of That Old Boat
Tips to help you let go of that project, past love, or just plain derelict boat in your yard.
How long has that rotting hull been killing grass in your back yard? Has it been five years since you picked up that ‘project whaler’ with the separated transom? Is your old boat causing you more stress than joy? Guess what. It’s time to let go.It’s easier than you think.
Got a project like this in your back yard? It’s probably time to let it go. Photo: Matt Jamison
Liked it? Share it!
They Will Cut It Up And Part Out The Engine With Its Parts
Then take off all of the other parts that are valuable to them to sell off.
This is something that you could do as well if you would like to. Take off all of the metal, rod holders, cleats, T-top, bow rail and everything else that is aluminum or metal and a recycling place will pay you for it.
Then you could also try and sell these items as well. That is if you would like to take a long time to get rid of the boat. Sure, you will get more money out of it, but it will take a lot longer to get rid of.
You will still then be left with the hull that has to make it to the dump, one way or another. You can pay someone to haul it off or you can load it up yourself and take it to the dump. That is if you have the trailer, truck and time to do all of this.
The scrappers will take it for free usually because they get the value out of being able to part out the boat and engine. Otherwise, there is no incentive for them if you have removed all of the valuable items.
Then you will be stuck paying them money!
Also Check: How To Clean Mildew Off Boat Seats
How Not To Dispose Of A Boat
We’ve covered plenty of options to dispose of a boat and trailer, but there are also incorrect ways to dispose of one. Most notably, you never want to sink a vessel. Aside from being detrimental to the environment, doing so is illegal. It’s not worth the risk, even if it seems fun. Stay within the law and follow our listed recommendations!
Are you looking for a new ship now that you’ve disposed of your old one? Use our boat payment calculator to help determine what can fit in your budget.
The Future Of Boat Recycling
The cross-linking of polyester and fiberglass is what makes boat hulls so strong. However, this also makes it extremely difficult to separate the components for recycling. While it could be shredded and used as filler, this solution isnt ideal. In a collaboration, Norwegian recycling company Veolia, SINTEF Materials and Chemistry, and several other companies joined together to see if they could figure out a way to recycle old ship hulls. After a significant amount of research, SINTEF has created a way to separate the polyester and fiberglass at impressive rates.
While the exact process isnt shared, it goes something like this: the fiberglass/polyester hull is soaked in a material at a high temperature. The chemical mixture dissolves the bond, making it possible to then recycle. The process isnt perfect yet, but this is a huge step toward recycling old boats rather than sending them to a landfill.
Some boating manufacturers have taken a hint from the auto industry and begun to design their boats with recycling in mind. While small steps like this dont solve the current issue, they are improvements worth applauding. As the boating industry continues to search out more sustainable solutions, we should begin to see new options appear across the U.S.
Feature image courtesy of Adobe Stock
Also Check: Is Banana Boat Sunscreen Cruelty Free
Two Common Boat Junkyard Scams:
Delayed Payment: Never agree to deliver your vessel and accept payment later. Get an agreement written down with terms of payment. Some companies will try to get your vessel and then renegotiate the price with you after it is no longer in your possession.
Your Boat is Worthless: They may try and tell you that your vessel is worth nothing. This is just a negotiating tactic to get it at a cheaper price. Its IMPOSSIBLE for it to be worth nothing to a junk yard. Remember they will sell the parts off if it and whatever is left will sell for scrap.
How We Remove Boats
For most boats we remove, the best way to haul it away is to winch it onto a rollback truck. This allows us to quickly load that old boat up, and be on our way. It is also the least expensive option as it only requires one truck.
The downside to winching boats onto a rollback truck is the maximum length for the boat & trailer combination can be no longer than 20 long.
Another option if the boat & trailer are roadworthy is to simply tow it away. We have salvage plates we will put on the trailer, and safely transport it back to our facility. A downside to doing this is if the trailer has been sitting for a while, the tires and wheel bearings may be unsafe for transport.
The final option for removing boats is unfortunately the most expensive. For large or otherwise un-movable boats, we will demolish them on-site. This involves us bringing out our excavator, rolloff dumpster truck, and dump trailer for metal recycling.
While the whole process of demolishing and removing a boat takes only 4 hours on average, it unfortunately costs more due to having to bring out multiple pieces of equipment.
Don’t Miss: Missouri Boat Registration Numbers
Disposing Of An Unwanted Vessel
Like most possessions, boats often have a lifespan. At some point, boats are of such little monetary value or utility that they are not worth the cost of upkeep and storage.
Proper vessel disposal is a vital part of clean and responsible boating. Because there are environmental hazards associated with vessels, including oil, solvents, batteries, and other toxic wastes. It is important that all vessel owners properly dispose of their vessels at the appropriate time.
Never abandon or sink a vessel to dispose of it. Not only does it pose an environmental and navigational hazard on our states waterways but it is also illegal with fines up to $3000, plus the costs for removal and demolition.
There are several options for proper vessel disposal: the no-cost Vessel Turn-In Program, recycling/dismantling, or disposing at a local landfill site. Please see below for more information.
If Your Boat Is Unbecoming To You It Should Be Coming To Us
We are a legally run Boat Wrecking yard and Marina in Southern Ontario, Canada. We accept any type of intact boat, run-abouts, fishing boats, aluminum boats, steel boats or wooden boats.Kawartha Marine Boat Wreckers & Recyclers is your green boat solution. We are your one stop source for used and some new boat parts. We recycle old boats and so far, we have recycled over 3000 boats.
Centrally located in the Kawartha Lakes at 9 Wychwood Crescent, Fenelon Falls, Ontario, Canada, we sell quality used parts in our Southern Ontario boat wrecking yard and Dry Land Marina. Our yard intersects with all parts of the Trent Severn Waterway. We are a short driving distance from Orillia and Haliburton and many area lakes.
Boats with operable trailers or motors are usually hauled for free others may be charged by the foot. Some exceptions apply.
Please call to verify 705-559-4191.
No boat is too big or too small. We accept fiberglass or aluminum, etc. If you arent sure, just give us a call. We can accommodate all sizes from run abouts up to yachts!
Dont send your boat to the landfill or to some farmers field! We are a green company that is working on keeping as much as we can of your boats out of the landfill and out of farmers fields!
Call 705-559-4191 for more details.Our email for sending pictures is
We say what we do and we do what we say! We use the 3 Rs reduce, reuse and recycle.
We carry a wide range of used boat parts.
Contact us for more details.
Don’t Miss: How To Clean Mildew Off Boat Seats
Advantage Buying Spare Boat Parts
The best reason to buy used parts is because you can save a lot of money if you have to make repairs. Many used parts are still in great condition since scrap yards need to operate under state government regulations. This gives you some assurance that the used parts you are purchasing are over decent quality.
Where Can You Find A Boat Removal Company For Hire
First, it is very important to note that it is not just about finding a boat removal company to hire it is about finding a reputable company with a track record of excellence.
While several removal commission exists in the US that provides individuals with a list of these companies and where to find them, taking an online survey of various boat removal company can be very helpful as to deciding which one best fits your desires in terms of convenience and affordability. The internet is able to provide you with their information and also reviews and ratings of previous services they have offered.
Don’t Miss: Freedom Boat Club Milwaukee
