How to scrap a fiberglass boat hull

reelfishin

Captain
Joined
Mar 19, 2007
Messages
3,043
Re: How to scrap a fiberglass boat hull

I scrapped and parted out over a dozen last year alone, the local landfill here takes boats so long as there's no fuel tank. The most I've paid was $42 and that was a 24' cuddy cabin that was pretty well soaked throughout.

I've also smashed up a few with a backhoe and put them out piece by piece with the trash. If I catch the right crew, sometimes they'll crunch up a whole boat in one shot for a few beers. (Beer is an excellent motivator).

It's usually just easier and cheaper to just take it to the landfill. There is a few places that are starting to pay for fiberglass as a recyclable material but they are few and far between. There is on someplace in MD, but it's not worth the haul for me from NJ.

I've seen a few towed offshore and sunk but you can bet that getting caught would be far more expensive than the dump fees. I've also seen a few just ghost launched, sort of a launch and leave deal, if it floats, it usually beaches itself down stream or heads out to see. I've run across a few like that in the river. One of my boats came to me that way, someone had abandoned it and just launched it and set it a sail in the ocean. I found it bouncing in the surf and went through the long process of getting a title.

I've done a few with the backhoe method, I can vouch for the fact that a 15' trihull will fit in two trash cans if properly pulverized with the hoe and bucket. If you have access to a track machine, it makes the boat nice a flat and a few moving turns on top and all you need to do is sweep up the remains.
 

SgtMaj

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
1,997
Re: How to scrap a fiberglass boat hull

Charge by weight.
I asked if there were any stipulations of what it could still have on it and they said no.
Odd considering our landfill is considered very cutting edge from what I am told.

"Cutting edge" for a landfill simply means that it's sealed and they use the methane produced to run a powerplant.
 

littlebookworm

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 30, 2007
Messages
574
Re: How to scrap a fiberglass boat hull

Unfortunately, here on Long Island getting rid of a boat legally is not that easy. I scrapped a 25' cabin cruiser last June. Spent 3 days stripping off most of the stuff I had spent 3 years putting into it. Drained the gas tank and the engine oil. Luckily a friend of mine owns a boat hauling company so it was hauled 15 miles for free. I ONLY had to pay $200 to the local salvage yard to take it and crush it. The town dump wanted $225 and the gas tank would have had to be removed. That's why some boats are just left in marinas or empty lots, a real eyesore. Now you know why I was able to buy my present, project, boat from the marina. It would has cost them too much to throw it away! Hy.
 

kevinrule

Recruit
Joined
Jun 17, 2008
Messages
1
Re: How to scrap a fiberglass boat hull

You are right - it is hard to scrap a boat on Long Island!

Where was the yard that you took yours to to get it scrapped?

I can get mine there without a problem.

Thanks for your help.
 
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