The last time anybody fished off this 22-foot walkaround was back when gas was a dollar a gallon. It spent decades sitting upside down in a Florissant field behind an old barn until a local farmer cleared his fence line and found it tucked in the brush. The transom had pulled completely away from the stringers, and the plywood floor had rot all the way through.
Getting a derelict vessel out of a muddy pasture in February takes some planning. We had to cross a swollen farm creek on a rutted track just to reach the site. The farmer had the original title tucked in a shoebox in his garage, and he signed our release of liability right on the hood of his truck when we took the deposit. Our crew used heavy straps to roll the hull upright, set wooden blocks beneath the keel, and slid our custom trailer underneath. I checked the wheel hubs on our own rig twice before we hauled out, because wet Missouri mud will freeze solid in your rim wells if you let it sit.
We hauled the junk boat out without tearing up his pasture. Before any dismantling started, our crew drained the remaining fuel and checked for motor oil leaks so no fluids dripped onto the dirt. We salvaged the intact stainless deck hardware to recycle it, and the remaining fiberglass hull went to a licensed disposal site in St. Louis County. If you have an unwanted vessel sitting on your property in Florissant, call 314-338-6331.
What I check first on every boat
Typically, we check the condition of a vessel and its trailer long before we put a hitch on the ball. When a trailer sits in the dirt for years, rusted wheel bearings and dry-rotted rubber will fail the moment you hit the pavement. February frost freezes those tires directly into the earth, so we bring extra ramp boards and winches to free the axle without snapping the frame in half.
The facts of the Florissant job
| Job | Boat removal and disposal |
|---|---|
| Boat | 1980 walkaround fishing 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 | Soft spots across the floor and a transom that had pulled away from the stringers |
| Estimate | Free estimate from the caller’s photos |
| Paperwork | Release of liability kept by the owner |
| Area | St. Louis County, MO |
This is how a job like this usually runs in St. Louis County. It is an example, not a customer file, and the photos are illustrative.
Two questions from Florissant boat owners
Do you handle hurricane-damaged boats?
Yes, we do boat removal for crushed hulls, storm-damaged vessels, and boats torn from their moorings. Our crew brings the heavy rigging needed to drag smashed fiberglass out of high water or thick mud, and we drain all hazardous fluids before hauling the debris away.
Can I get rid of a boat without title?
Yes, property owners can clear abandoned vessels off their land without a title in hand. We review your situation first, make sure the proper liability release is signed before work starts, and then manage the entire boat removal process from your yard or dock.
Our boat removal service areas in St. Louis County
We pick up boats across St. Louis County, in Wildwood, Chesterfield, Maryland Heights and Hazelwood. Winter ice collects inside exposed hulls and weighs them down, while deep ground freezes can trap a non-running boat fast in the soil. Our boat removal services handle these cold-weather hauls safely all through the winter months.
Call 314-338-6331 with the boat’s size, where it sits and whether it has a trailer, and we’ll take it from there in Florissant.