Free Boat Disposal
Free boat disposal on the River Hamble. One of our most recent scrap collections was a small aluminium fishing boat. The best part is that it cost the owner absolutely nothing. As the hull is made from aluminium and it had a running engine we were happy to collect the boat for free. If only all boats were made from ali it could all be recycled.
The boat was a home-build back in the 90s that the owner had made from scratch. He had taught himself how to weld and put the boat together in his evenings after work. The boat was used for his family’s fishing trips along the Hamble river for many years. He came to the realisation that his family no longer used the boat enough. Not to mention marina prices going up, he decided it was time to go.
Fast Solution
After discussing the situation with our team we quickly had a plan. His mooring fee renewal date was the following week and he wanted a fast solution. He was happy that we would offer a free boat disposal option. The owner was also clear that he didn’t want to consider selling the boat. As it was a home build he didn’t want the worry of someone else taking the boat on and having problems. Sometimes the owners of boats just don’t want to see their boat owned by someone else. Initially we thought the boat could be perfect for our new Lonely Boat service.
Luckily for our team the tide was on our side. We went to view the boat in person and the owner talked us through the boat. The plan was set for us to collect the following day on the high tide. Armed with our waders and wellies we dipped the trailer into the slipway at high tide. Her owner then chugged the boat around on her final voyage from the pontoon.
Spanner in the Works
In typical boat breaking fashion there is always a spanner in the works somewhere. Usually this is the case when we offer free boat disposal. They become a bit of a mission to sort out. The slipway we were using was extremely shallow so we having to winch the boat out of the water without the use of the natural buoyancy. There were also some metal fittings on the boat’s hull that were stopping her role onto the trailer as freely. Nothing a bit of elbow grease and effort couldn’t solve.
Eventually the team had the boat on the trailer and back to our yard in Gosport. The Yamaha engine on the back was quickly removed and set aside ready to be sold. We then set about stripping the wooden interior out of the boat to put in our scrap wood pile. This should all go off and end up in chipboard. Once all of the wood was out and the windows were removed we were left with just the aluminium hull. This could then be crushed up and melted down ready for recycling.
Entirely Recycled
In summary our team were able to collect and dispose of the boat without much hassle. Our costs were covered by the value in the ali hull and the potential sale of the engine. The owner avoided having to pay more expensive mooring fee renewals and on going costs. Plus he took us up on our free boat disposal offer. Not to mention the marina, who also get a berth back which they can sell to someone else. Finally the boat material will be entirely recycled so nothing goes to landfill.
