A burgundy hull looks sharp on the river, but it fades to brown if you leave it in a gravel lot long enough. The owner of this 18 ft Chaparral 186 bowrider bought it years ago, parked it at a fenced self-storage lot in Elgin, and forgot about it. A June storm knocked a heavy tree limb through the white fiberglass deck, which finished what age started. He needed boat removal before the yard charged him for another month.
The obstacle was the lot exit. The owner lost the key to the main sliding gate, so we had to haul the trailer through a narrow side gate with four inches of clearance on each side. Our crew backed a spotter guide truck to the hitch, locked the winch line, and walked the rig through by hand inch by inch. We lowered the air pressure in the trailer tires by ten pounds to stop the frame from bouncing into the steel fence posts.
The fiberglass hull underneath the storm damage was still solid, so we took the boat to a repair yard that wanted the hull for parts. For jobs like this, our price sheet lists boats under 20 feet at about $75 a foot. Call 833-658-4847 if you need a boat hauled out of Kane County.
In our experience, Midwest winters do more damage than summer storms. Rain gets under the cover, freezes, expands, and splits the fiberglass floor while heavy snow sags the frame. Before proper disposal or salvage, our crew drains all fuel, cuts out oil lines, and removes the battery for recycling.
The boat, the place, the outcome
| Boat | 18 ft Chaparral 186 bowrider |
|---|---|
| Where it sat | Fenced self-storage lot |
| Coverage area | Kane County |
| Outcome | Sold to a repair yard because the hull was still sound |
Illustrative only: a representative Kane County boat removal, not a specific customer’s job. Photos are for illustration.
Before you call: two common questions
How much does it cost to junk a fiberglass boat?
We price boat removal by length, access, and weight. Boats under 20 feet usually cost around $75 a foot. Larger hulls or tricky yard extractions cost more. Call us, describe the setup, and we give you a plain quote before we haul.
Do I need a title to have my boat removed?
Having the title makes the transfer fast, but you can still dispose of the vessel without it. When paper records are missing, we sign a release of liability form with you. That documentation proves you turned the vessel over to our crew so it is off your name.
Boat disposal across Kane County
Crews cover Kane County: Campton Hills, Sugar Grove, Geneva and Hampshire. Early summer storms often rip open tarp covers that survived the winter snows. Once water sits in an open hull for a few weeks, owners start calling us to haul the mess away before rot sets in.
If a boat like this is taking up space in Elgin, call 833-658-4847. Tell us the length and where it sits.
