A homeowner in Gainesville called because he wanted his side yard back to plant citrus trees before spring. A heavy storm had pushed a 17 foot welded aluminum fishing boat through his fence line, leaving it wedge tight in a thick hedge. The owner of the vessel held the title, but he had no way to move a non-running hull that was sitting on its beam in the dirt.
Before we hooked anything, our crew checked for hazardous materials. An old battery was leaking acid near the transom, and two gallons of sour gas sat in the bilge. We drained those fluids into safe containers first. The tough part was the tangled branches locked around the gunwales. We cleared the broken wood, rolled the hull upright onto wooden blocks, and backed our trailer straight under it. Years in boat storage teach you to check the trailer tongue weld before you pull; a rusted drain hole will snap the iron clean off when the weight shifts.
We hauled the junk boat away for proper disposal. Salvage parts like the cleats and bow eye were taken off for recycling, and the stripped aluminum went to a scrap facility that processes metal. The homeowner signed the release of liability when he booked, and we left him with a clean fence line and a patch of dirt ready for his trees. If you have an unwanted vessel on your property in Alachua County, call us at 866-994-1769.
What a trailer says about the boat on it
Typically, we check a trailer before it hits the road. Crusted grease on the dust caps or dry rot between the tire treads tells us those wheel bearings will freeze up in five miles. Our boat removal process handles everything from a pontoon on blocks to a derelict sailboat sitting at a dock or waterfront lot. We bring our own rig to every boat removal job.
What this boat removal in Gainesville, FL involved
| Job | Junk boat removal |
|---|---|
| Boat | 1999 welded aluminum fishing boat, about 17 feet |
| Where it sat | Tossed into a neighbor’s hedge by a storm |
| Who called | A homeowner after a storm put a stranger’s boat in the hedge |
| What was wrong | An old battery leaking and fuel in the bilge that smelled like varnish |
| Estimate | Free estimate before the date was set |
| Paperwork | Signed release of liability |
| Area | Alachua County, FL |
This story is an illustrative example of boat removal in Alachua County, not a record of one customer’s job. Photos are illustrative.
What callers in Gainesville want to know
How do I get rid of my boat?
Call us with the location and boat size to get an estimate up front. Once the owner signs a release of liability, our crew handles the boat removal process, including fluids, trailer loading, dismantling if needed, and responsible disposal at a licensed site.
Do you take the trailer too?
Yes, we take boat trailers along with unwanted vessels. If the tires are shot or the axle is frozen, we load the whole setup onto our flatbed trailer so it travels safely without leaving debris on the road.
Boat removal and disposal near Gainesville
We pick up boats across Alachua County, in Newberry, Alachua, High Springs and Archer. February gives us firmer soil to back into a yard, but months of standing rainwater have usually soaked into the floor foam. That extra weight changes how we balance the hull on our trailer during a boat removal.
Ready to let the boat go in Gainesville? Call 866-994-1769 and we’ll walk you through it.