How much do you charge to remove a boat that is high and dry on a beach? (No, not like the one in the picture!) Would you charge more if it was in peril at the time you did the job? (Like, say… the one in the picure?)
A few weeks ago, I promised that I would write about some rates: with dollar amounts and everything! Then I got distracted building this new web site. And then today I got lucky when my Google search brought this link right to my doorstep: The Galveston County Daily News ran this story that begins with this:
Hurricane Ike stranded hundreds of boats on land. Almost six months after the storm hit, you can see them on 61st Street in Galveston, on the county roads of San Leon and across the Bolivar Peninsula. For property owners with a vessel in their yard, getting rid of them can be a frustrating — and expensive — process.
The article is about the problem of boats that are still washed up on land after hurricane Ike hit Galveston last summer. I was reading along, minding my own business when I saw this:
The rule of thumb, though, is that it will cost about $150 for each foot of a boat’s length — at minimum, Alexander said. Retrieval that requires a special crane and crews will, of course, cost more.
There you have it. The minimum charge to remove a landlocked boat and take it to a fenced storage yard is $150/ft. More if you need a special crane or crews. (side note: We have no ordinary cranes.) It’s not hard to imagine that removing a 45′ sailboat could get up over $200/ft, or more. Remember, these boats aren’t going anywhere on their own. The damage has been done. And, this price doesn’t include full disposal, this is just to get the boat to this guy’s salvage yard. Gee, how much harder would the job be if the boat was under water, and you needed a diver?
Or on a beach, at night, in the surf…by yourself.
I’ve heard insurance companies screaming bloody murder for a charge of $150/ft to pull a boat off a sandy beach on a lee shore (not like the picture above, but still…) “Outragous! We only pay what is considered customary – fair and reasonable charges, not these huge inflated rates!” I’ve have also heard insurance guys claim that our rates are way out of line with the national standard. I have friends that are surveyors, but I have heard surveyors make some claim to knowledge of “standard hourly rates” for this kind of work.
And you know why? Because we were on scene in 20 minutes of the grounding, the job took an hour, and when we were done, the boat had no damage. You see, if the boat sits and rots away to a pile of rubbish, they don’t bat an eye at paying $150/ft to move it three or four miles (with special cranes, of course!). But if, through your efforts and your very ordinary towboat, the vessel retains all its value, then they think you deserve $150/HOUR, not $150/ft.
The boats referred to in the article are probably all done – worthless wrecks. The company who is getting $150/ft probably has days, if not weeks to prepare to remove the boat during normal business hours, in favorable weather. With a rested crew. From the street. In dry clothes. In daylight. Without a diver. And without risking having their own equipment suffer the same fate as the boat they are removing.
Based on this news story, and my years of experience, I eagerly endorse the minimum rate of $150/ft to move a worthless boat from where it is stuck to a secure yard. More if you need special equipment, like a crane, or a towboat. Add another $20/ft for a diver. Oh, and this is during normal business hours of course. If the boat can be saved to sail again, I would say that $200/ft might be a fair starting price for beach pulls.
Hey, that’s what they’re getting in Texas.
