Send dimensions, photographs of the vessel and approach, and any deadline through the estimate form. Ask which operator, insurance and facility documents apply to the proposed work. An enquiry starts review; it does not confirm a collection date or final price.
Explain a canal or dockside position precisely
Give the marina or property operator contact, berth or dock layout and current working rules. This page establishes no pickup relationship with Loch Lomond Marina or another facility. Ask where equipment may stage and which recovery activities are permitted.
Report known depth, bridge or berth constraints for assessment rather than assuming a general local service description resolves them. For a sailboat, identify mast position, keel configuration and cradle ownership. Photos help equipment review but do not guarantee first-visit completion.
A grounded or partly submerged hull may need specialist stabilization, towing or lifting before road transport. Ask which stages are available and separately included. Do not enter the water, board an unstable boat or pump unknown liquids to prepare it.
Show the land route and support condition
For an ashore collection, photograph gates, bends, slopes, overhead obstructions and staging space. Explain shared access and heavy-vehicle limits. Let the contractor determine utility clearance and surface-bearing needs; do not test them yourself.
Show visible hull damage, water inside and failed blocks or stands from a safe position. Do not walk on weakened decking or move supports. Poor condition can limit feasible methods and is not merely a pricing variable.
If a trailer is included, photograph its coupling, tires, axles and corrosion. Ask who assesses roadworthiness and what alternatives might be considered if it cannot travel. A flatbed, lift or winch requires its own access and equipment review.
Choose the outcome and resolve authority
State whether you want transport, disposal or a salvage assessment. An inspected engine, fitting or trailer may attract an offer, but no local buyer or credit is established by a component list. Record any accepted offer and ownership of recovered parts explicitly.
Identify the owner, liens and any estate or storage interest before destructive work. Permission to enter the site differs from authority to sell or destroy the vessel. A boat left by another person needs the applicable process resolved rather than assumed to belong to the landowner.
Use the cost guide to compare recovery, loading, transport, receiver charges and dismantling. Ask whether trailer collection, loose contents, liquid handling and cleanup are included and which findings could require a revised scope.
Confirm acceptance and evidence of completion
Ask the actual receiver whether it accepts this hull, size and remaining contents, how it calculates charges and which preparation is required. Identify fuel, oils, batteries, bilge contents and suspected hazardous materials separately. Foam is not automatically a hazardous-waste category. Agree who assesses and handles each item; do not drain unfamiliar systems yourself.
The disposal guide helps organize questions about handling and records. Destination acceptance does not by itself establish every environmental or ownership requirement is complete. Ask which collection and receiving evidence will be supplied.
Keep the agreed scope, authority documents, receipts and DMV reporting instructions. For Novato, Fairfax, Sausalito or another actual storage address, provide its site and operator rules directly. The California directory helps route enquiries while availability remains specific to the operation.