Some watercraft sit in storage so long people forget who bought them. A property manager called us from Santa Barbara, California, after a tenant moved out and left a 1990 jet ski parked on a small single trailer behind a rental duplex. The hull had a long crack along the bottom, the pump was seized solid, and the tires on the tiny trailer were rotten clear to the rims.
Getting it out meant dealing with a shared narrow driveway. The neighbor in the other half of the duplex needed room to park, so we could not block the passage for long. Before moving the vessel, our crew checked for fuel and oil leaks in the hull. The property owner had already signed the release of liability when booking the boat removal, so the paperwork was complete. We backed our trailer down the drive, winched the small rig up onto our deck, and strapped everything down tightly. A guy who fixes boat trailers knows those old small wheels love to bind up, but we hauled the whole thing away without scratching the pavement.
We brought the vessel to a facility that takes old boats and handles proper disposal. Good metal was set aside so parts could be recycled or salvaged, and the useless shell went to disposal. The driveway sat empty, the property manager kept his signed receipt, and the duplex had its parking spot back. For fast junk boat pickup in Santa Barbara, call 805-429-4366.
How the boat removal process works on our jobs
Typically, we see small watercraft fill up fast during rainy weather. In Santa Barbara County, January storms pour into open hulls, adding hundreds of pounds of water weight and making a non-running vessel far harder to lift. Signing the release of liability before our crew winches any trailer ensures the legal ownership transition is documented before the load hits the public road.
Santa Barbara boat pickup, the short version
| Job | Removal, recycling and disposal |
|---|---|
| Boat | 1990 jet ski, about 10 feet |
| Where it sat | On a trailer behind a rental duplex |
| Who called | A property manager whose tenant left the boat behind |
| What was wrong | A cracked hull and a seized pump |
| Estimate | Free estimate from the caller’s photos |
| Paperwork | Release of liability with the deposit |
| Area | Santa Barbara County, CA |
An example drawn from the kind of boat jobs we do in Santa Barbara County; it is not a specific customer’s job. The pictures are illustrative.
How pricing works for boat removal in Santa Barbara
Can you remove a boat that is in the water?
Yes, we handle boat removal for sunken or partially submerged boats at a dock or marina. Our crew checks the watercraft, secures the hull, and hauls the vessel out safely so your waterfront space stays clear.
Is boat removal free?
No, boat removal is a paid haul-away service with a $400 minimum service charge. The price depends on the size of the boat, where it sits, and its condition. Send a photo to get a free estimate before we come.
Our boat removal service areas in Santa Barbara County
We pick up boats across Santa Barbara County, in Goleta, Carpinteria, Solvang and Buellton. Ocean air and heavy winter rains rot out wooden decks, rust trailer axles, and fill open hulls with dark standing water. That extra weight makes winter boat removal trickier, but our crew brings the right gear to clear your property safely.
Ready to let the boat go in Santa Barbara? Call 805-429-4366 and we’ll walk you through it.