Elizabethan 30 Yacht Scrapped

The Boat breakers team were busy dealing with a local boat this week. We were asked to look at an Elizabethan 30 yacht that was on a swing mooring in Portsmouth Harbour. We had hoped it could have been a yacht that we could potentially  save. However, even pulling up alongside the boat the signs weren’t great.

It was clear that the boat hadn’t been used in a long time. Her decks were green and all around the boat there was clear evidence the boat has been left. The boat was unlocked and when we jumped inside her there was a lot of water up and around the floorboards. After a few minutes inside the boat we had decided that for us this one would be a scrap boat. There was just too much to be done to get her anywhere near being seaworthy.

We informed the owner of our thoughts and suggested that he consider scrapping the boat to cut his losses. Her insurance had run out and she was taking on water. If the boat had sunk on her mooring the bills for boat salvage would have been huge. Especially in the shadow of the Portsmouth Naval dockyard and the Aircraft Carriers.  It was now a no brainer for him to scrap.

In discussions with the owner we agreed to let him strip the boat of any recoverable items. This was so he could potentially sell them and offset the costs for disposal. The items he kept included the mast, outboard, clock, barometer, anchor with chain, spray hood and other internal fittings. Of course there’s no guarantee that the items will sell but at least the owner has the chance. If our team had taken on the mast we would have probably just cut it up for the scrap pile. Our team did remove the engine with the assistance of Gosport Boat Yard’s crane.

Our team also removed some of the items that the owner left behind. These included the stanchions, batteries and the tiller. Other than that the rest of the boat was in a sorry state. When she was eventually lifted out onto transport the boat brought a tonne of seaweed with her. It was obvious that the boat hadn’t been out and scrubbed for a long time. The Gosport Boat Yard team scrubbed the hull so that it would be easier for the lorry driver to load.

It is always sad to see the end of these old yachts but sadly if they aren’t looked after this is what it comes to. The costs to repair and refit them plus the storage just makes it all extremely expensive. We’re sure someone out there might have wanted to pour thousands into the boat. But when she’s taking on water and is uninsured there isn’t time to ponder.