Wooden Boat Disposal in Brighton
Wooden Boat Disposal in Brighton
It’s always a real shame to be scrapping an old wooden boat as it feels like losing a piece of boating history. They just have more character than the more modern GRP vessels. We were asked to remove an old wooden boat from Brighton Marina. She had reached a point of being un-economic to be restored. Sadly people are reluctant to take on big wooden project boats because of the costs of upkeep. Plus this one was in a particularly pricey marina so it was draining the owner.
The process of wooden boat disposal often involves a collaborative effort, and our recent collection from Brighton Marina exemplified this. An aged wooden boat, destined for dismantling, required a coordinated approach between the marina staff and our transport team.
Loaded by the Marina
The marina team, familiar with the vessel took the lead in preparing the boat for transport. Their knowledge of the marina’s layout and the boat’s structural integrity proved invaluable. They manoeuvred the heavy wooden hull, utilising their own equipment, and carefully positioned it for loading. This pre-loading stage was crucial, ensuring the boat was ready for secure transfer onto our low loader truck.
Our team arrived with the specialised transport solution: a low loader truck equipped with a HIAB crane. The low loader’s design, optimised for heavy and bulky loads, allowed for easy access within the marina’s confines. The HIAB crane, with its precision and lifting power, was essential for the safe and controlled unloading at the disposal site.
Once the marina team had secured the boat on the low loader, our transport phase began. The journey from Brighton Marina to the designated disposal location was carefully planned, considering road conditions and potential obstacles. The low loader’s stability ensured the safe transit of the delicate wooden structure. It can always be a worry when moving an old wooden boat that the hull may be weak. However this is usually common with dried out hulls.
Coordinated Effort
Upon arrival at the disposal site, the HIAB crane came into its own. The unloading process, executed with precision and care, involved lifting the boat from the low loader and gently placing it onto the designated area. This coordinated effort between the marina team and our transport crew demonstrated a streamlined approach to wooden boat disposal, ensuring both efficiency and safety.
The vessel was then broken down and any metal was recovered from the scrap process. She was free of any fuels or oils so it was just a large amount of wood which will go off and be recycled.
If you have an old wooden boat disposal job that needs organising then please get in contact. Just fill in the contact form and our team will work out plan.
Written By: Luke Edney
Luke completed a journalism degree in Brighton University and fortunately for us uses this in his communications, Facebook posts, Tweets and emails to tell all our enquirers and followers what we are up to. Without Luke we would be lost, he runs the office, keeps us organised and is like a terrier and never lets a tricky boat disposal job go un-photographed or Tweeted about.
He also manages all of our enquiries passing them to whoever in the team is the best suited to deal with it. We are teaching Luke how to drive a motorboat or sail a yacht so while he’s learning we suggest you keep out of the Solent!
When he’s not at work he’s a massive football fan (his Dad used to play for Portsmouth FC years ago) and seems to know everything there is to know about any player, anywhere. Next time you ring and he answers, think of a tricky football trivia question and ask him
Date Published: March 2, 2025
Last Modified: March 21, 2025
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