Etap 26 from Portishead
Our Boat Disposal team were in Portishead marina at the end of June to collect an Etap 26 for breaking. Her owner had been in contact and sent a single photo over of the boat. Our first impression was that she looked quite nice and that she could probably be saved. However after the owner explained her extensive list of problems we agreed that scrapping was probably best.
He had explained that the Etap 26 had major Leaks, problems with the Lifting keel (probable source of leaks).
The boat needs multiple repairs and maintenance with a hull that’s distorted and multiple weak spots. Added to all of this he had the ongoing storage costs with the realisation he probably wouldn’t get the boat back sailing. So he asked us to remove the boat for disposal instead.
Growing Trend in Unfinished Projects
The ETAP 26 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of glass fibre, with wood trim. It has a fractional sloop rig, a raked stem, plumb transom. With an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a tiller and a lifting keel. It displaces 5,084 lb (2,306 kg) and carries 1,568 lb (711 kg) of ballast.
We are sadly seeing a growing trend of people losing the will to complete their project boats and seeing them end up unsalvageable. As mooring fees continue to rise it’s putting more of a squeeze on owners year by year.
Lonely Boats
If you have a boat sat in a marina or boat yard that is beyond economic repair then get in contact. It is usually cheaper to scrap than either store for another year or to fix a problem boat. You never know we might be able to help you re-home a boat through our Lonely Boats service. All you need to do is fill in our contact form and our team will assess what we think is the best option for your boat.
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