How Do I Scrap a Fiberglass Boat?

Scrapping a ship means delivering the ship to people -- called ship breakers -- who run it ashore, then swarm over it like an army of ants, carrying off everything they can, then cutting the ship up into steel scrap. Scrapping a fiberglass boat might mean the same thing, but your city dump may not accept such donations. Strip your boat, like ship breakers do, and divest yourself of it by "scrapping" it to charity, or by giving it to a scrap yard.

Things You'll Need

  • Adjustable wrench
  • 2-foot length of galvanized pipe
  • Screwdriver
  • Wire cutters
  • Bucket
  • Boat title
  • Bill of Sale
  • Sign saying "Free to Good Home"
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Instructions

    • 1

      Insert the handle of an adjustable wrench into a 2-foot length of galvanized pipe, to lengthen the wrench's handle. Remove the bolts holding the stainless steel fittings -- bitts, cleats, or other deck hardware -- to the boat, using the adjustable extended wrench. Strip the rails, if any, from the boat, if they are stainless steel.

    • 2

      Remove the knobs holding the marine radio in place and lift the radio from its mount. Use a screwdriver to remove the two screws holding the mount in place. Remove the screws holding the marine compass in place and remove the compass from the boat. Remove the screws holding the rest of the various instruments in place. As you lift the instruments from the panel, cut the instrument wires with wire cutters.

    • 3

      Place a bucket under the hydraulic reservoir for the trim and tilt system. Turn the tap on the bottom of the hydraulic reservoir and drain the hydraulic oil into the bucket. Remove the bolts that hold the outboard motor -- if the boat is so equipped -- and lift the outboard from the boat onto its storage stand.

    • 4

      Donate the boat to charity if you do not want to strip it. Charities that accept boats as donations will give you a receipt so you may take a tax deduction for making a charitable contribution. Compare charities that accept a boat as a donation -- not to determine which will give you the largest tax-deductible receipt, but to ensure the charity to which you donate the boat is one recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 503 (c)(3) charitable organization so you can write off the donation.

    • 5

      Load the boat onto its trailer and pull the boat to the local office of the charity you select. Transfer the title to the charitable organization immediately and file the title transfer with the state in which the boat is titled or registered. If you live in a state that does not title boats, provide the charity with an original bill of sale, keep a copy and deliver a copy to the state.