Can you take this thing off my property if the renter stopped paying his bill six months ago? That was the first question the storage facility owner asked me when he called about an abandoned pontoon in Cedar Rapids. The 23 foot vessel was sitting in a covered stall with a rotted bimini top, a dead motor, and a fuel line cracked wide open. The yard manager was done chasing ghost checks and needed the space back. Since the release of liability was signed by the property owner when the job was booked, the paperwork was set for our crew to move in.
January in Iowa means snow packed around the tires and metal that stings through your gloves. The aisle in front of the stall was barely wider than our trailer, leaving almost zero room to maneuver. Before we even hitched up, our crew checked the pontoon for hazardous fluids to make sure no old gas or oil leaked during the move. I looked at the trailer tires and saw flat spots frozen right into the rubber from sitting on cold concrete, but our trailer took the weight fine. We winched the pontoon out carefully, backed up, and strapped the hull down tight.
We took the junk boat straight to our yard. The aluminum pontoon logs were sent for recycling, usable salvage parts like cleats and steering hardware were pulled for reuse, and the remaining trash was disposed of properly. The facility owner got his stall back ready for a paying customer. If you have an unwanted vessel sitting in Linn County, call our team at 319-419-4151.
Boat removal services, from the first photo to the last strap
Typically, we check every axle before moving a rig, because deep cold freezes moisture inside wheel hubs and turns old grease into thick tar. Dry bearings will weld themselves solid to the spindle after five miles on the highway. A quick look at the rusted rims tells us if the frame will roll or if we need to haul the entire rig on our flatbed.
Job summary: boat removal in Cedar Rapids
| Job | Boat and trailer pickup |
|---|---|
| Boat | 1987 pontoon boat, about 23 feet |
| Where it sat | In a covered storage space whose renter had stopped paying |
| Who called | A storage facility owner tired of chasing a renter |
| What was wrong | An engine that had not turned over in years and a fuel line cracked through |
| Estimate | Estimate first, free |
| Paperwork | Release of liability kept by the owner |
| Area | Linn County, IA |
Shown as an example of our boat removal work in Linn County; not a specific job record. Photos are illustrative only.
Two questions from Cedar Rapids boat owners
Do you handle hurricane-damaged boats?
Yes, we remove storm-damaged boats, whether they are smashed on a dock, stranded on a lawn, or half underwater. Our crew brings the gear needed to handle crushed hulls and snapped frames safely, taking the vessel away so you can clear your waterfront property.
Do you take the trailer too?
Yes, we take boat trailers along with the vessel whenever you want them gone. If the tires are dry-rotted, the axle is snapped, or the frame is rusted straight through, our crew loads the whole assembly onto our trailer and hauls it away for proper disposal.
Junk boat removal around Cedar Rapids, IA
We pick up boats across Linn County, in Marion, Robins, Hiawatha and Mount Vernon. Winter weather in Cedar Rapids fills exposed hulls with ice that adds hundreds of pounds of dead weight. Frozen mud around the frame means our crew has to clear snow and ice just to reach the haul points.
Got a boat that needs to leave Cedar Rapids? Call 319-419-4151 for a free estimate.