We pulled up to a muddy yard in Goshen after heavy spring rain and found a 21 ft Bennington pontoon sitting deep in the dirt. It had a white hull with a faded navy blue stripe, aluminum tubes, and an outboard motor still hanging off the deck hull. A builder bought the property and needed the lot clear before breaking ground.
Low tree limbs and an overhead power line blocked the only way off the lawn. We could not raise the deck on our trailer winch without hitting the wire. Our crew trimmed the smaller branches with hand saws, lowered the tire pressure on our trailer to gain clearance, and guided the rig out inch by inch while one man held a fiberglass hook to keep the wire clear.
We hauled the boat to our shop, pulled the outboard motor, rebuilt it, and resold it to a local fisherman. The aluminum tubes and frame went to metal recycling, and the rest went to a disposal facility. Boats over 20 feet are priced over the phone, because size and setting change the work. If you need boat removal in Goshen or Elkhart County, call us at 833-658-4847.
In our experience, water trapped inside hulls during freeze and thaw cycles splits gelcoat, rots internal wood structures, and makes old vessels heavy and brittle. Before we haul any vessel away, we drain all fuel and crankcase oil into approved tanks and remove the battery to handle hazardous materials correctly. We take the title when the owner has one, or we provide a release of liability so the vessel is off your name.
Boat removal job details
| Boat | 21 ft Bennington 20 SL pontoon boat |
|---|---|
| Where it sat | Muddy yard after spring rain |
| Coverage area | Elkhart County |
| Outcome | Outboard rebuilt and resold, hull recycled |
Shown as an example of how a job like this goes in Elkhart County; not a record of a particular customer. Photos are illustrative.
Questions from the phone this week
Can you scrap a boat at a scrap yard?
Most scrap yards will not take intact vessels because they contain fiberglass, wood, foam, fuel, and wiring mixed together. We dismantle the vessel ourselves, strip out the hazardous materials, and bring the clean aluminum or steel directly to metal recyclers.
Can you get a boat out of my backyard?
We haul vessels out of backyards regularly using winches, dolly wheels, and low-profile trailers. As long as we have a path for our equipment, our crew can maneuver around fences, tight trees, and soft ground to hook up the craft and haul it away.
Our boat removal crews in Elkhart County
Crews cover Elkhart County: Elkhart, Bristol, Middlebury and Wakarusa. Property owners in northern Indiana often call us in early summer when buying lots, clearing land, or finishing spring yard cleanup. Old pontoon craft left in fields quickly become scrap hazards that stall building work.
Call 833-658-4847 about a boat in Goshen. A few photos and the address are enough to start.
