Boat Salvage Services

Marine salvage when time is working against you

Boat salvage is a different game from a routine removal. When a vessel is in peril — taking on water, hard aground, capsized after a storm, or already sitting on the bottom — every hour without a response makes the job harder and the damage worse. Captain Tom's Boat Removal has the equipment and the experience to respond to salvage situations quickly, assess the vessel's condition on arrival, and execute a recovery that doesn't cause additional damage in the process.

We handle salvage for recreational boaters, marina operators, commercial clients, and insurance adjusters. Whatever the context, we focus on one thing: getting the vessel out safely and efficiently.

Salvage situations we respond to

• Sunken and partially-submerged vessels — We use lift bags, pumping equipment, and rigging to recover boats that have gone under, whether in shallow water at a dock or deeper out in a channel.
• Grounded vessels — Hard aground on a sandbar, reef, or mud flat. We assess hull integrity before attempting to refloat — rushing that step is how you turn a manageable grounding into a total loss.
• Storm and hurricane damage — Wind events, surge, and debris can leave boats in situations that are impossible to sort out with a standard tow service. We handle displaced, overturned, and structure-damaged vessels post-storm.
• Sinking at the dock — If your boat is taking on water at its slip, call us now. We stabilize first, recover second.
• Environmental containment — Any salvage situation involving fuel or fluid release gets containment booms deployed immediately on arrival. Protecting the waterway is part of every job, not an optional add-on.

Working with insurance on a salvage claim

Most marine insurance policies include salvage coverage, but making a claim go smoothly requires documentation that most salvage operators don't bother with. Captain Tom's provides clear, detailed records of the salvage operation — photographs of the scene, fluid containment actions taken, condition assessment before and after recovery, and a complete account of equipment and labor involved. This gives your insurance adjuster what they need to process the claim without delays or back-and-forth.

If you're not sure whether your policy covers the situation, call us anyway. We can talk through what we're seeing and help you understand your options before committing to anything.