Wooden Fishing Boat Disposal

The latest boat into the scrapyard for disposal was a 28ft Wooden Fishing boat in Gosport.

Whenever the team have to collect and dispose of an old wooden boat it’s always a shame. There is something different about old wooden boats as you can see the craftsmanship in the hull. Sadly we were instructed by the insurance company to collect and dispose of this one from Gosport Cruising Club.

The boat had sunk on her mooring and the owner was instructed to have her scrapped. Her engine was removed and salvaged by the owner after the sinking. But the cost to get the boat back up and running far outweighed her value so her time was up.

On closer inspection there were areas of wood rot across the boat but ultimately she was still fairly strong. Some wooden fishing boats that we collect for disposal are extremely soft and rotted through. They can be a liability to lift let alone transport. We’ve had to turn down collecting boats before. Because the hull would have disintegrated on the way to the yard.

As the boat was just around the corner from us it was a straightforward one to prepare for. The first job was to get the measurements. For our plans the most important are width and overall height. If the boat is too tall we would have to deploy a low loader. Then if the the boat is too wide it may need escort vehicles. Luckily for us the length, beam and height weren’t too much of an issue.

Our boat disposal team trimmed down some wooden beams that were there to lay a cover over. Just incase the overall height was close. But again we were very confident that it wouldn’t be a problem.

One thing we always try and do is make the boat as light as possible. The yard had told us that the wooden fishing boat weighed 5 tonnes when it was lifted out. But we assumed that when it was lifted out would have been just after the sinking. Plus the engine has since been removed so straight away we expected her to weigh less. There was lots of pig iron bricks in her bilges which we knew would be worth lifting out. Their scrap value was nominal but reducing the boat’s weight was important for when we lifted her out of the yard. The further the crane arm has to extend the less it can lift. Her propellor was the last item we trimmed off before she was ready to be collected.

Access in the yard wasn’t an issue as the boat wasn’t blocked in and the yard itself had lots of room. The club were also extremely helpful in getting the boat sorted. They made sure that no other boats were in the way and facilitated our team with the preparation work.

We did try and make an effort to save the boat and give it a new lease of life. Our team were contacted by a company who wanted a wooden hull for a children’s play area. However it seemed the logistics of the site they needed it for couldn’t support the boat. So sadly the lifeline was lost.

On the day of collection it was a simple Hiab lift away. All of the prep work and planning meant we grabbed her away without a hitch. As the boat was made from wood and metal fittings it will be fully recycled.

Despite the sadness of having to scrap an old wooden fishing boat there are some positives. The club have a big chunk of space back in their yard. Her owner doesn’t have a costly bill to repair a boat that he probably no longer wanted. Her hull has been fully recycled and the scrap man has a pile of pig iron to sell on.