Sunken Vessel Recovery and Removal
A boat on the bottom is a pollution event with a deadline, not just a disposal job.
The clock is different on a sunken boat
Once a vessel goes down with fuel aboard, you are no longer dealing with a disposal problem - you are dealing with a discharge. Florida DEP, the county, and in navigable water the Coast Guard all have an interest, and the owner of record carries the liability whether or not they were aboard, whether or not it was a storm, and whether or not they still want the boat.
The cheapest version of this job is the one that starts the same week. Every additional month on the bottom means more fuel migration, more silting-in, more hull degradation and a harder pick.
How we approach it
- Dive assessment first: depth, attitude on the bottom, bottom composition, hull integrity, and where the fuel is.
- Containment before recovery where there is any active sheen - boom goes out before anything gets lifted.
- Refloat by pumping and airbags where the hull is sound enough to hold, or a straight crane pick where it is not.
- Immediate haul-out and abatement rather than re-mooring, because a refloated derelict that sinks a second time doubles the cost.
Insurance
Most hull policies include wreck removal coverage, and it is frequently a separate limit from the hull value - meaning the boat can be a total loss and the removal still covered. Before you pay out of pocket, get us the declarations page. We work directly with adjusters and can bill the carrier where coverage exists.
28 feet and over is our speciality — not our limit. Larger vessels are what our equipment, permits and yard relationships are built around, and they are the jobs most haulers decline. Smaller boats are welcome too. See what the work costs and how to vet whoever you hire.
Other situations we handle
Tell us about the boat.
Send photos, a location and whatever paperwork exists. We will tell you what it takes to make it go away — and if there is a cheaper legal route than hiring us, we will tell you that too.