Boat Removal Service

Full sailboat removal and disposal: mast, keel, and hull

Full sailboat disposal — mast, rigging, keel, and hull — handled start to finish.

Licensed &
Insured

Nationwide
Coverage

Fast
Response

Why is sailboat disposal harder than standard boat removal?

A sailboat isn't just another type of boat to haul off a trailer. Before any boat removal can happen, the mast has to come down — and on a vessel anywhere from 24 to 50 feet, that mast can run 50 to 60 feet tall with standing and running rigging attached at a dozen connection points. All of that has to be torn down and staged before transport. Then there's the keel. Depending on the boat, you're adding 1,000 to 5,000 pounds of lead or iron bolted to the bottom of the hull. And the hull itself on most boats built after 1965 is fiberglass reinforced plastic, which requires composite recycling, not a standard landfill drop.

Hansons Boat Removal handles the full removal process from start to finish. That means mast unstepping, complete rigging removal, keel separation from the hull, hull dismantling, and transport to a licensed facility for environmentally responsible disposal. We remove boats of any size and coordinate every step — the owner doesn't have to arrange separate contractors for the marina crane work or the salvage haul.

DIY boat disposal falls apart fast. Bridge clearance alone rules out towing a stepped mast on public roads. Keeled hulls need special trailers and weight permits that most people don't know how to pull. A junk boat sitting in a marina slip or taking up space in a boatyard needs professional boat removal — not a borrowed flatbed and a phone call to a general hauler.

We remove boats in any condition

Eco-friendly disposal when possible

Nationwide service in all 50 states

Fast scheduling and pickup

Paperwork and title assistance

Licensed, insured, and professional team

What We Remove

Junk Boats

Old, unwanted boats taking up space.

Abandoned Boats

We remove boats left behind anywhere.

Sunken Boats

Specialized equipment for sunken vessel removal.

Damaged Boats

Wrecked, broken, or non-operational boats.

Sailboats & Yachts

Sailboats, yachts, and large recreational boats.

Jet Skis & PWC

Personal watercraft and jet skis.

How does the sailboat removal process actually work?

Photos and boat specs confirmed

You send photos and tell us the length overall, beam, mast height, keel type, and whether the vessel is in the water or on the hard. That information drives the pricing — every type of boat sits differently in our quote.

Free written quote, no surprises

Hansons Boat Removal sends a written quote covering haul, transport, and disposal. If the boat is in a marina slip, crane fees for mast work are included in that number. No pricing changes when we show up.

Mast and rigging come down first

Before we remove boats from the water or haul them from storage, the mast gets unstepped. Standing rigging, shrouds, stays, and lifelines are torn down separately. Aluminum and stainless go to recycling as salvage, which can offset your disposal cost.

Hull haul or tow, then dismantle

We haul the vessel to a licensed dismantling site or tow it if it's still afloat. Keel separation happens at the yard. A junk boat or old yacht of any size gets processed there, with environmentally responsible disposal of the fiberglass hull.

Disposal certificate delivered

Once the boat removal and disposal are complete, Hansons Boat Removal sends a disposal certificate. Marina operators, yacht clubs, insurers, and lien holders all accept it for title release and slip clearance.

Why do owners choose Hansons for boat disposal services?

Mast and rigging certified

Our riggers dismantle standing rigging, shrouds, and turnbuckles the right way. Unstepping a mast on a 40-foot vessel isn't guesswork — it's a sequenced tear-down that protects the boat, the dock, and the crew doing the removal process.

Marina coordination handled

Hansons Boat Removal contacts the harbormaster directly, schedules crane access, and stops the slip-fee clock. You don't make calls. We remove boats from the water and get the marina cleared without putting that burden on you.

Keel separation and disposal

Lead and iron keels on a sailboat or yacht can run 2,000 to 8,000 pounds. Hansons Boat Removal disconnects, hauls, and routes each keel to the right metal recycler — and lead keel salvage value factors directly into your pricing.

Bridge and road logistics

Towing an old boat with a stepped mast isn't legal on most routes. Hansons Boat Removal knows which roads and bridges accept an unstepped vessel and plans transport accordingly — no last-minute reroutes, no regulation surprises.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Hansons Boat Removal dismantles and hauls the mast and all standing rigging as part of the removal process. Both are aluminum and stainless steel, so they go to separate metal recyclers rather than the landfill. We coordinate the unstepping if the vessel is still rigged — you don't arrange that piece yourself.

Hansons Boat Removal works directly with marina staff to schedule haul-out, crane time, and yard access. We remove boats from slips, from dry storage, and from the hard. If your boat is taking up space in a slip that's costing you monthly fees, we can usually schedule within 7 to 14 days depending on marina availability.

It depends on what the keel is made of. Lead keels carry real salvage value, typically $0.40 to $0.80 per pound, and that recovery can offset your disposal cost directly. Iron keels have less scrap value but still go to metal recycling. Hansons Boat Removal factors keel material into your pricing upfront, so you know the number before we touch the boat.

Pricing on this type of boat runs $600 to $2,500. What drives cost is vessel length, keel material, whether the boat is in the water or already on the hard, and how accessible the marina or yard is. A 28-foot boat on the hard with a lead keel costs less than a 44-foot yacht still in a slip with an iron keel. Hansons Boat Removal gives you a firm quote before any work starts.

Hansons Boat Removal handles sunken vessel recovery, though an abandoned boat or junk boat that's fully submerged adds complexity and cost to the removal and disposal process. We assess the situation, pull the required marine regulation permits where needed, and give you an honest quote. We don't take on jobs we can't finish cleanly.

Not necessarily. For a straightforward boat removal service where the old boat is on the hard and we have yard access, we can haul and dismantle without you on site. For boat disposal services that involve towing or water haul-out, someone with site access helps things move faster. Either way, Hansons Boat Removal provides a disposal certificate confirming environmentally responsible disposal, which you'll need for title release and marina clearance.

How do you get a sailboat disposal quote from Hansons?

Send us a photo of the boat along with the length overall, mast height, and whether the vessel is in a slip or sitting on the hard at a boatyard. That's all we need to put together a written quote that covers crane work, trailer logistics, haul-out, and the full removal process from start to finish. No obligation, no surprise fees when we show up.

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