Wasps had taken over the sail locker under the frame, building two nests the size of baseballs. An insurance company had written the sailboat off after a storm, and the owner needed it off his lawn before the insects spread. It was a 16 ft Hobie 16 catamaran, white with a faded navy blue stripe running down the twin fiberglass hulls.
The sailboat sat deep in a muddy yard after heavy spring rain, and the mud sucked at our boots. We put on bee veils first and sprayed the nests with aerosol foam before touching the frame. Once the wasps were clear, we laid wide plywood tracks over the mud to keep our winch rig from rutting the grass. Catamaran hulls like to catch in soft dirt, so we lifted the front tramp frame slightly to break the suction before hauling it onto the trailer.
Our crew sold the hull to a repair yard because the double fiberglass shells were still sound. For a small hull like this, our job pricing runs roughly seventy-five dollars per foot. Our price sheet lists boats under 20 feet at about $75 a foot. If you have an unwanted hull in Ann Arbor or anywhere in Washtenaw County, give us a call at 833-658-4847.
In our experience, Midwestern winters cause heavy damage when boat owners leave water inside double hulls. Years of freeze and thaw cycles split the outer gelcoat, crack fiberglass, and rot internal wood cores until insurance companies write the vessel off. Before we tow any hull for recycling, we drain every drop of fuel or oil and pull the battery to keep hazardous materials out of the ground.
Quick facts from this job
| Boat | 16 ft Hobie 16 catamaran sailboat |
|---|---|
| Where it sat | Muddy yard after spring rain |
| Coverage area | Washtenaw County |
| Outcome | Sold to a repair yard because the hull was still sound |
Illustrative case: it shows a typical boat removal in Washtenaw County and is not the record of a specific job. Photos are representative, not of this boat.
Questions from the phone this week
Can you take a boat to the junk yard?
Yes, we transport scrap hulls directly to a landfill that takes fiberglass or a metal recycler. Our crew handles the loading, towing, and disposal fees. We break down the frame and motor so the parts end up in the proper disposal facility instead of sitting in your yard.
Can you remove a boat without a title?
Yes, we can tow away hulls even if you lack paper ownership documents. When you do not have a title, we sign a release of liability with you. This simple step ensures the vessel is legally off your name so you are not responsible for it later.
Boat disposal across Washtenaw County
Crews cover Washtenaw County: Saline, Ypsilanti, Chelsea and Manchester. In early summer, boat removal requests surge across eastern Michigan as property owners clear out damaged craft left sitting in backyards. Rain and warm temperatures quickly turn neglected hulls into breeding grounds for pests and turn lawn space into a soggy mess.
Have a boat like this in Ann Arbor? Call 833-658-4847 or send a few photos, and we will tell you what it takes.
