A runabout in a yard is like a bad habit that gets easier to ignore every spring. The caller in Portland bought this seventeen foot vessel back in 2009, planning to fix the drive leg and get it on the water, but life got busy. The craft sat on its bunk trailer behind a side gate for fifteen years until his wife gave him a deadline to clear the space.
The boat had a dead battery with white crust on the terminals and old gasoline sitting in the bilge that smelled like straight varnish. Getting it out of the Multnomah County neighborhood was tricky because of a narrow gate and soft, wet soil under the tires. Before moving a wheel, our crew checked for hazardous fluids and made sure no fuel could spill onto the grass. The title was long gone, so the owner filled out the release of liability at booking, and we cleared the state registration paperwork and bill of sale. We hooked up our winches, pulled the vessel through the opening, loaded it onto our trailer, and tied it down with heavy straps.
We towed the junk boat off the property, stripped out usable parts for recycling, and hauled the remaining fiberglass hull to an approved disposal location. The side yard was completely cleared, and the owner kept his signed receipt along with his copy of the release of liability. If you have non-running or unwanted vessels sitting in Portland, call 866-994-1769 for our boat removal services.
When we take a boat apart and when we don’t
Typically, we see hulls pick up hundreds of pounds of water weight after a few Oregon winters, which makes a rotten transom give out the moment you winch it. Rain rots the stringers and rusts the trailer axles until the leaf springs snap during transport. We require the release of liability before our rig leaves the curb so the property owners are legally protected from future claims once the registration transfers.
The Portland, OR boat removal in brief
| Job | Boat removal with salvage and recycling |
|---|---|
| Boat | 2002 open-bow runabout, about 17 feet |
| Where it sat | On a trailer along the side of a house, behind a locked gate |
| Who called | A man who bought it cheap fifteen years ago and never got it running |
| What was wrong | An old battery leaking and fuel in the bilge that smelled like varnish |
| Estimate | Free estimate, photos helped |
| Paperwork | Paperwork sorted first, release of liability signed |
| Area | Multnomah County, OR |
We tell this as a typical Multnomah County boat removal, not as a customer’s actual record. Photos are illustrations.
Before you book boat removal in Portland
Are your haulers in Portland licensed and insured?
Yes, our crew is fully licensed and insured for all boat removal and disposal jobs across the state. We bring our own truck and trailer equipment to manage heavy lifting, secure transport, and proper salvage work directly from your driveway, yard, or dock.
Do you handle hurricane-damaged boats?
Yes, we remove storm-damaged boats, sunken or partially submerged craft, and broken vessels from docks, marinas, or waterfront yards. We handle the boat removal process even if the fiberglass hull is cracked, waterlogged, or completely ruined by severe wind and flooding.
Boat removal and disposal near Portland
We pick up boats across Multnomah County, in Gresham, Troutdale, Wood Village and Maywood Park. Continuous rain soaking into the deck transforms an old fiberglass boat into a massive sponge, making the hull far heavier to haul out. Sinking tires in mud mean we have to lay down ramps before we pull a boat onto our trailer.
For boat removal and disposal in Portland, call 866-994-1769 or ask for an estimate online.