The first thing I checked when I walked up was the keel. It was a 1984 pontoon boat resting upside down in a field behind a barn in Hoboken, NJ, where a farmer stumbled across it while clearing his fence line. Aluminum rot had eaten along the seam, and a hole the size of a fist sat near the stern. February cold had frozen trapped rain inside the hollows, but the structural metal was intact enough to move whole.
Because this vessel did not belong to the property owner, we made sure the right person signed the paperwork and the release of liability before we touched a strap. Access meant driving down a muddy farm track and crossing a soft creek bed. My crew rolled the hull upright, raised it onto wooden blocks, and backed our trailer underneath it. I looked at the old pontoon brackets on the deck frame; when those bolts rust thin, the entire top structure shifts the second you winch it forward. We secured the hull using our own straps and hauled it out without tearing up the ground.
Before we moved the pontoon, we checked for leaks and fluids to keep grease or oil off the pasture. Back at the yard, we pulled off usable deck fittings and hardware to salvage what we could, sent the clean aluminum for metal recycling, and disposed of the rotted plywood deck. If you have non-running unwanted vessels sitting on your property in Hoboken or anywhere in Hudson County, call us at 866-994-1769.
When we take a boat apart and when we don’t
Typically, we see deep cold freeze water inside a pontoon or fiberglass hull, which can double its weight and split the seams open. When a non-running boat sits on its own trailer, we check the wheel hubs and sidewalls before moving it. Cracks in the rubber or rusted wheel bearings tell us if the axle will roll down the road or lock up on the highway.
Boat disposal services in Hoboken: how it went
| Job | Boat removal and disposal |
|---|---|
| Boat | 1984 pontoon boat, about 22 feet |
| Where it sat | Upside down in a field behind a barn |
| Who called | A farmer who found it when he cleared the fence line |
| What was wrong | Corrosion along the keel and a hole the size of a fist near the stern |
| Estimate | Estimate first, free |
| Paperwork | Release of liability with the deposit |
| Area | Hudson County, NJ |
Representative example of boat removal in Hudson County, not a record of a single client. Pictures are illustrative.
What boat removal costs in Hoboken, NJ
Is boat removal free?
No. Boat removal is a paid service because of the labor, hauling equipment, and disposal fees involved. We charge a $400 minimum service charge. The price changes based on the size of the boat, where it sits, its condition, and whether we have to cut it apart. We provide a free estimate upfront, and photos help us give you an accurate number.
Can you remove a boat that is in the water?
Yes, our crew handles sunken and partially submerged boats, along with vessels tied up at a dock or marina. We assess how the boat sits in the water, check for hazardous leaks, and use specialized equipment to lift or winch it onto our trailer for transport and proper disposal.
Junk boat removal around Hoboken, NJ
We pick up boats across Hudson County, in Jersey City, Kearny, Secaucus and Bayonne. Winter weather brings freezing rain and heavy snow that fills abandoned hulls, adding thousands of pounds of ice. That extra weight sinks frames deeper into the dirt, making winter salvage work take more rigging and careful pulling to free the vessel.
Call 866-994-1769 with the boat’s size, where it sits and whether it has a trailer, and we’ll take it from there in Hoboken.