How To Part With Your Old Vessel Responsibly

31 Mar 2023

A ramshackle boat sitting on the shore.

Does your boat look like it has seen better days? Have you found awful-looking damages to the hull or other parts of the boat that is way beyond repair? Or do you simply just want to buy a new boat and you want to get rid of your old one? Take these as signs that it’s time to replace your boat.  

Parting with your boat comes with such sweet sorrow when the time comes to get rid of it. When it happens, you should know how to properly dispose of it.

Getting your boat is not as hard as it sounds. Gone are the days when a boat is scuttled to get rid of it. Scuttling is extremely harmful to the environment; it disrupts the seafloor and its surrounding environment which can damage the ocean habitat. And some boats are not suitable to be scuttled; some of their parts will disintegrate and create marine debris that can cause navigational obstruction and safety hazards. They could also harm marine organisms as well and even cause marine pollution.

Nowadays, scuttling is heavily regulated by authorities and only a few numbers of vessels are allowed to be sunk at sea. Sometimes, they purposely do this to create an artificial barrier in a certain location to protect marine life.

If you’re worried that disposing of your boat is wasteful or inconvenient, don’t fret. You can dispose of it in a lot of different ways that the boat can still be used while making some bucks.

This article will give you tips on how to get rid of your boat fast, hassle-free, and environment-friendly while earning money along the way:

Recycling

Even though your boat may no longer serve you and you can’t donate or sell it because it’s so dilapidated, it doesn’t mean it’s no longer usable. No matter how shabby it looks, it can be recycled for other purposes.

If your boat has an aluminium hull or if you have any boating equipment that is no longer in use, you can bring it to the scrapyard and sell it there. The scrapyard will use your hull for recycling and refurbish its parts to create new items.   Not only you’re saving the environment but you’ve also put your old boat to good use and you get to earn some cash in return.

However, if you’re disposing of a fibreglass vessel, unfortunately, they have to be brought to a landfill. Fibreglass can’t be recycled compared to aluminium and metal materials. Hire a garbage removal company to remove the boat from your vicinity. They will take care of the dirty part of disposing of your boat.

Repurposing

If your boat has still sturdy parts and is still durable, you can use your imagination and get creative by repurposing or refurbishing your boat and transforming it into another item. You can your tinnie boat as an outdoor sofa for your patio. You can use your fibreglass boat in a flower bed and place it in your garden. You can use a wooden fishing vessel and transform it into a bookshelf or a table. It’s really up to you how you will repurpose your boat. Not only you’re saving the environment but you’re also saving your boat from getting dumped in a miserable landfill.

Donating

If your boat is still usable and is still in good condition, but is unsellable due to some factors, you can donate it. You can contact schools, nonprofits, organizations, and businesses that ask for boat donations. This will help you save from the hassle of removing your boat from your storage. Make sure to keep your boat’s title since you will transfer it to the new owner.

Selling

If your boat still has great value and is in excellent condition, you can always sell it through auctions, direct buyers, marine shopsand boat dealers. Selling your boat is sort of like a return on investment for you. It’s a win-win situation; you’ve used your boat according to its purpose and you get to make a significant amount of money once you sold it.

 

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