A six-foot wooden gate and a low overhead power line were all that stood between a 1996 wakeboard boat and the street in Yuma. The owners were downsizing to a condo where trailer parking was not allowed, so the vessel had to go. It had sat beside the house since the registration ran out, baking in the Arizona sun until the sun-crazed gelcoat began to chalk.
We handled the paperwork first, checking the state registration and helping them complete a bill of sale since the title was missing. The property owner signed our release of liability at booking. Before touching a strap, our crew checked for hazardous fluids and found an old battery leaking acid into the tray, plus ten gallons of stale fuel in the bilge that smelled like varnish. We drained the bilge, pulled the battery, and cleared the low line with inches to spare as we rolled the boat onto our trailer. A rotted winch strap on the old boat trailer nearly snapped as we winch-assisted it out, which is why we always use our own heavy gear.
Any metal fittings or reusable hardware were set aside for recycling and salvage, while the stripped fiberglass hull went to a disposal facility that takes old vessels. The owners kept their copy of the bill of sale, and we swept the side yard clean of rust flakes and dry rot before leaving. If you need boat removal in Yuma County, call us at 970-512-0855.
What fifteen years of boat storage taught me
Typically, we find that boats sitting on dry dirt in Yuma look intact until you try to winch them, because the desert sun rots the tires and bakes the trailer bunks to charcoal long before the hull fails. Signing the release of liability before our trailer rolls away protects the owner from any future claims or fees attached to the vessel once it leaves their property.
Job summary: boat removal in Yuma
| Job | Boat removal and disposal |
|---|---|
| Boat | 1996 wakeboard boat, about 23 feet |
| Where it sat | On a trailer along the side of a house, behind a locked gate |
| Who called | A couple downsizing to a condo with no room for a trailer |
| What was wrong | An old battery leaking and fuel in the bilge that smelled like varnish |
| Estimate | Free estimate, photos helped |
| Paperwork | Release of liability with the deposit |
| Area | Yuma County, AZ |
We tell this as a typical Yuma County boat removal, not as a customer’s actual record. Photos are illustrations.
Before you book boat removal in Yuma
Do you handle hurricane-damaged boats?
Yes, our crew handles storm-damaged and submerged vessels. We inspect the hull structure and clear out water, mud, or hazardous leaks before loading the boat onto our trailer for safe removal and disposal.
Can you take a boat to a junkyard or salvage yard?
We take non-running vessels directly to processing facilities where useful metal and parts are salvaged and recycled, while the remaining hull goes to a licensed site for final disposal.
Boats we pick up across Yuma County, AZ
We pick up boats across Yuma County, in San Luis, Wellton, Somerton and Fortuna Foothills. January brings cool, clear days that make for easy work, though years of extreme summer heat weaken fiberglass hulls and turn trailer tires brittle, making safe haul-away a job for experienced crews.
Want the yard or the slip back in Yuma? Call 970-512-0855 and our crew will plan the pickup.