At Boatbreakers, we were recently asked to answer some questions from Asia Pacific Boating Magazine for an article they are writing about boat disposal and end of life boats. Below is a copy of the questions and our answers.

Winter really is coming for Boatbreakers. With the conclusion of the Southampton Boat Show the summer season slams shut and it’s now that boat owners face the decisions on what to do with their boat over the winter.

End of Life Boats are a problem that won’t just go away. During the last sixty years, the marine industry has been churning out increasing numbers of recreational and working craft, the majority being fibreglass (glass fibre reinforced polyester).

Boatbreakers were recently called by a marine surveyor to come and recover a fire damaged scrap boat from Pyrford Marina in Surrey. The boat was a Freeman 22 riverboat which was completely gutted by the blaze.

It’s not an unusual sight to see boats in people’s front gardens, especially on the South Coast. However, when the boat is a 37ft fin keel yacht it becomes quite an imposing landmark. The boat had been in her current position since 2006 when she was taken out of the water and onto the stand so her owner could carry out repair works to her.

Seeing an old wooden boat scrapped is always a sad sight, even for us at Boatbreakers. But sometimes the problems with them and the costs far outweigh the value, so if nobody wants her it’s time to be scrapped.