“I bought a newer boat and I need this old one out of my garage today.” That was the message from a boat owner in Cudahy, WI. He had an 18 ft white Stratos 186 bass boat with a red boot stripe sitting in a tight detached garage. The craft took up every inch of the bay, leaving no room for his new rig.
The main obstacle was the trailer under the fiberglass hull. The trailer winch was seized solid and the crank handle had rusted clear through. Rolling the rig out by hand was unsafe because the strap would not hold tension. Our crew used a heavy-duty portable come-along attached to our tow vehicle to secure the bow eye. We choked the trailer tires, applied penetrating oil to the hubs, and slowly winched the entire rig straight out of the door frame into the driveway.
We hauled the boat to a salvage yard where workers stripped the usable outboard hardware for parts. The stripped hull was then cut down for proper disposal and recycling. For boats under 20 feet, our rate sits around $75 per foot. If you need boat removal in Cudahy or anywhere in Milwaukee County, call us at 833-658-4847.
In our experience, Wisconsin winters take a heavy toll on hulls left in storage. Freeze and thaw cycles allow trapped moisture to split gelcoat surfaces and rot internal wood structures. Before we tow any hull for recycling, our crew drains all fuel and oil and removes the battery to keep hazardous materials out of landfills. We take the title when you have one, or we sign a release of liability so the vessel is officially off your name.
Quick facts from this job
| Boat | 18 ft Stratos 186 bass boat |
|---|---|
| Where it sat | Detached garage that it barely fit into |
| Coverage area | Milwaukee County |
| Outcome | Stripped for parts, with the hull cut and recycled |
This is an illustrative case built from the kind of work we do in Milwaukee County, not a record of one customer’s job. The photos are illustrative as well.
Boat removal questions from Cudahy owners
How to get rid of a broken boat?
Call our crew to haul the boat away directly from your yard, driveway, or garage. We bring the heavy trucks, winches, and straps needed to load non-running vessels safely. We handle the transport, salvage stripping, and final disposal so you do not have to tow it yourself.
What if my boat engine is inoperable?
An inoperable engine is not a problem for our boat removal team. We pull boats with dead, seized, or missing outboard motors off trailers and blocks every week. We use our own winches to haul the entire rig onto a flatbed and transport it for scrap or recycling.
Where our crews work around Cudahy
Crews cover Milwaukee County: Franklin, Oak Creek, Wauwatosa and Greenfield. June brings many boat removal requests as owners pull their setups out of storage for the summer season. Many discover winter snow loads tore their tarps or cold weather cracked the hull, prompting them to upgrade and clear out old equipment.
Have a boat like this in Cudahy? Call 833-658-4847 or send a few photos, and we will tell you what it takes.
