Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, we handle all types of scrap vessels — Yachts, Motorboats, Narrowboats, Ribs, and more. We work with all common materials: GRP, Steel, Wood, Ferro Cement, Aluminium, and Plastic.

As much as possible! All fixtures, fittings, and working parts are stripped and listed for resale, giving them a second life and reducing waste. Wooden boats are often processed for use in chipboard. Everything that can be recycled on the boat is.

The time depends heavily on external factors like tide, weather, and availability of heavy transport (cranes, trailers). Once the boat is safely at our yard, stripping it down takes a couple of hours, and the final scrapping process takes minutes. If payment is prompt, disposal can often happen within days.

One usual hurdle to collection is if a boat is buried amongst others in the yard. From confirmation to collection we usually aim for within a fortnight.

GRP is difficult to recycle. There are two main options for the material. Either the GRP goes to Waste to Energy or some material will go into landfill. While our primary goal is always recycling, landfills play a necessary role in managing waste materials that currently cannot be economically processed or reused—most notably materials like Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GRP).

Modern landfills are highly regulated facilities, operating under strict environmental laws to minimise impact. This regulation ensures that waste is safely contained, lined to prevent soil and water contamination, and managed responsibly until a viable long-term solution for that specific material is developed. It is important to get these old boats away from the waterways where they are actively shedding millions of microplastics that are ingested by marine creatures.

For more information on how GRP is recycled, please read our blog article on the subject.

No, usually not. If the engine is functional, leave it in. Our team will remove it, and its recycling potential allows us to quote you a significantly cheaper overall price. Only remove a completely seized or broken engine to reduce the final weight. Our team can advise you on the best course of action.

Yes. We are happy to part exchange with any items we can get valued. We are happy to accept boats, cars, motorbikes, jewellery and more. We will get the items independently valued and then we will count this towards your payment.

We accept Cash, Credit Card, Cheque, and Bank Transfer. We prefer Bank Transfers but are flexible based on what suits you best. When it comes to making a payment to us we will send an invoice which can also be paid online. If you want to pay in instalment this is an option but you’ll need to discuss with the team on a plan.

The only likely additions are if the boat is significantly heavier than declared in your initial quote (as we pay disposal fees by weight), or if specialised lifting equipment (like a large crane) is unexpectedly required on site. Other extra fees may be lowering the mast or lifting the boat out at a boatyard. These costs can be paid direct to the yards at their going rate.

Sometimes, yes. If we assess that the value of salvageable items (like a good engine or electronics) can cover our disposal costs, we may offer free removal. Effectively, you gift us the boat, and we remove the ownership burden.

Scrapping involves several unavoidable costs: safely removing the boat from the water (towing/craning), transporting it to a breakers yard, stripping out all reusable items, and finally, paying disposal fees per tonne for the remaining waste. We aim to keep this cost as low as possible, often making it cheaper than another year of mooring fees!

Scrapping is usually a paid service, as removal costs are high. However, we occasionally make a trade offer to buy the boat if we assess it has high resale value. We can often find cheap solutions for steel Narrowboats. We generally do not pay cash for scrap GRP boats.

Yes, we can. If the boat is too awkward for crane or low-loader access, we can send a specialised team to dismantle it on-site and handle the waste collection. Be aware this can sometimes increase the final cost slightly due to factoring in overnight stays, extra travel, and site-specific waste disposal call-out fees.

No. For insurance and health & safety reasons, we cannot accept boats being delivered directly to our scrap yards. However for small vessels like dinghies or those on small trailers we can arrange for a drop off at safe location. From there our team can handle the rest.

No, we currently only operate in the UK and Europe.

We collect across the UK and Europe. We have team members across the country that help us to keep the transport costs down.

Sometimes. But we can definitely help you sell them through our Lonely Boats site. We look for genuine “doer-upper” projects. If a boat is essentially a hull full of water with rotten wood and missing major components (engine, mast), it’s usually better suited for scrapping rather than resale.

We list most available parts on our Boat Scrapyard website at bargain prices. Small items can usually be shipped; larger items like masts or engines must be collected from our Gosport location.