Small aluminum boats tend to outlive the people who bought them. A self-storage yard owner in Marshall called our crew after a tenant stopped paying rent on a space. Sitting inside the chain-link fence was a gray 16 ft Crestliner Kodiak fishing boat with black trim. The landlord needed the space open for a new tenant, so he asked us to haul it away.
The riveted aluminum hull was light, but it had a fuel tank half full of varnish-smelling old gas. That gas had to come out before we could move the vessel onto the highway. We brought a portable transfer pump and drained the fuel into sealed cans for proper disposal. After pumping the tank dry, we hooked the trailer to our winch truck, checked the tires, and pulled the rig out of the narrow storage aisle.
We brought the boat to our shop, removed the motor, and salvaged the usable hardware. Our crew then cut the aluminum hull down and delivered it to a metal recycling facility. Our price sheet lists boats under 20 feet at about $75 a foot. For boat removal in Marshall or anywhere in Lyon County, call 833-658-4847.
In our experience, leaving a boat outside in Minnesota winter weather causes hidden damage. Trapped rainwater freezes and expands, cracking the floor and breaking seals long before the next spring rolls around. Before we take any hull to recycling, we always drain the fuel line, remove the oil, and pull the battery to keep hazardous materials out of the ground. When you hand over the boat, we take the title or sign a release of liability so it is officially off your name.
This removal in brief
| Boat | 16 ft Crestliner Kodiak 16 aluminum fishing boat |
|---|---|
| Where it sat | Fenced self-storage lot |
| Coverage area | Lyon County |
| Outcome | Stripped for parts, with the hull cut and recycled |
This post describes a typical job in Lyon County as an illustration, not a real customer record. The pictures are illustrative too.
What Marshall boat owners ask us
Can you scrap a boat at a scrap yard?
Most scrap yards will not take a complete boat. They refuse fiberglass hulls, and they do not want fuel tanks or batteries. Our crew strips the electronics, drains the liquids, and separates the metal so the aluminum can go to scrap safely.
What if my boat engine is inoperable?
We take boats regardless of whether the engine starts, leaks, or turns over. Our trucks carry winches and tow equipment to haul broken boats right off your property. You do not need to fix the motor before calling us for boat removal.
Boat disposal across Lyon County
Crews cover Lyon County: Tracy, Balaton, Minneota and Lynd. Summer property cleanups bring in many of our calls in southwestern Minnesota. Property owners often discover old fishing craft sitting behind barns or inside storage units when weather clears up in June, and boat owners need them cleared out to free up space.
Got one sitting in a yard or at a dock around Marshall? Call 833-658-4847 and describe it; photos help.
