Ferro Cement
- Thread starter Dennis
- Start date
- Status
The good, the bad, and the ugly
The Good It is cheap to build. Touted as the DIY boat building material. It lasts forever, no blisters, no rust, you basically have a floating rock. The Bad There is basically no resale value on these boats because insurance companies will just not insure them. A lot of this is due to the DIY side of the story. Insurance companies are not going insure a backyard built boat. The Ugly There are lots of stories about how these boats do just great until you hit a reef or bang into something hard.... concrete has very low impact resistance. As you might expect, if you hit it with a hammer it cracks. The reinforcing steel inside holds the hull together but you begin to take on water. As the hull works the cracks get bigger. If on a reef, the reef grinds up the concrete and you get holes where a FG or metal boat would just have scratches. Sooooooo For around the bay in the mud, and assuming all the other "boat gear" is in order, you could have a great boat at a real low price. I'd stay out of Stony and Rock Creeks though.
The Good It is cheap to build. Touted as the DIY boat building material. It lasts forever, no blisters, no rust, you basically have a floating rock. The Bad There is basically no resale value on these boats because insurance companies will just not insure them. A lot of this is due to the DIY side of the story. Insurance companies are not going insure a backyard built boat. The Ugly There are lots of stories about how these boats do just great until you hit a reef or bang into something hard.... concrete has very low impact resistance. As you might expect, if you hit it with a hammer it cracks. The reinforcing steel inside holds the hull together but you begin to take on water. As the hull works the cracks get bigger. If on a reef, the reef grinds up the concrete and you get holes where a FG or metal boat would just have scratches. Sooooooo For around the bay in the mud, and assuming all the other "boat gear" is in order, you could have a great boat at a real low price. I'd stay out of Stony and Rock Creeks though.
There are...
many reasons why you just don't see many of these things except as derelicts around the boat yard or half sunk somewhere. As Bill said, the only "good" thing is they are cheap. You know what cheap will usually get you. There may be a few shining exceptions out there but they would be VERY rare. No magazine I know of out there called "Good Old Ferro-cement Boat"! I just wouldn't go there...
many reasons why you just don't see many of these things except as derelicts around the boat yard or half sunk somewhere. As Bill said, the only "good" thing is they are cheap. You know what cheap will usually get you. There may be a few shining exceptions out there but they would be VERY rare. No magazine I know of out there called "Good Old Ferro-cement Boat"! I just wouldn't go there...
Run don't walk away
I researched these boats several years ago whn my brother and I were thinking about building one. They are a mess!!!! Since the cost of the hull is a relatively small part of the total cost of a boat and the most important part of a boat why try to save a little with ferro cement. Even when they were first concieved during WWI they were considered only because of a lack of steel and most were disposed of shortly after the war. Almost any material is lighter and stronger.
I researched these boats several years ago whn my brother and I were thinking about building one. They are a mess!!!! Since the cost of the hull is a relatively small part of the total cost of a boat and the most important part of a boat why try to save a little with ferro cement. Even when they were first concieved during WWI they were considered only because of a lack of steel and most were disposed of shortly after the war. Almost any material is lighter and stronger.
good material
I had a freind who built an 80' ferro boat.Was doing great until a destroyer hit it in nova scotia.(Larinda)
I had a freind who built an 80' ferro boat.Was doing great until a destroyer hit it in nova scotia.(Larinda)
Dennis, what ups?
I can only think of 'downs'. Sure, you can use the stuff to build your own hull but WHY? There is no advantage to that. Why spend five years building a boat that has little or no value. Just spend the time working at your job, even if it's just pushing a broom. Then spend the money earned on a real boat. That's not just my opinion,,,,,,
I can only think of 'downs'. Sure, you can use the stuff to build your own hull but WHY? There is no advantage to that. Why spend five years building a boat that has little or no value. Just spend the time working at your job, even if it's just pushing a broom. Then spend the money earned on a real boat. That's not just my opinion,,,,,,
Don't build it yourself
To expand upon Fred's comment...don't build a boat!!!! There are too many cheap boats on the market to spend the time and money to build one yourself. At least if your goal is to go sailing. Now if you really enjoy building stuff then go to it and enjoy. But if you want to go sailing you can find a good used boat and go sailing. If you can't afford a boat but are willing to work nights and weekends for years to build one...then get a second job and put all of the money into saving for the boat. The materials for a ferrocement might be relatively cheap but they require a lot of labor. And I read that the hull is only about 25% of the cost of a boat. I have seen a few ferro cement boats on the coast and they are great places to grow oysters and barnacles...
To expand upon Fred's comment...don't build a boat!!!! There are too many cheap boats on the market to spend the time and money to build one yourself. At least if your goal is to go sailing. Now if you really enjoy building stuff then go to it and enjoy. But if you want to go sailing you can find a good used boat and go sailing. If you can't afford a boat but are willing to work nights and weekends for years to build one...then get a second job and put all of the money into saving for the boat. The materials for a ferrocement might be relatively cheap but they require a lot of labor. And I read that the hull is only about 25% of the cost of a boat. I have seen a few ferro cement boats on the coast and they are great places to grow oysters and barnacles...
Nothings up
I have my own fiberglass vessel, that i think is a great boat! I just happened onto a site about ferro cement boats, and wondered about them, as the site said nothing but good things about ferro cement boats! I just wondered if anyone has had any doings with them! No i would personally stick with fiberglass should I ever move up in size too! However I like being a trailer sailor, or whatever we are called, so that in itself limits what you can pull!
I have my own fiberglass vessel, that i think is a great boat! I just happened onto a site about ferro cement boats, and wondered about them, as the site said nothing but good things about ferro cement boats! I just wondered if anyone has had any doings with them! No i would personally stick with fiberglass should I ever move up in size too! However I like being a trailer sailor, or whatever we are called, so that in itself limits what you can pull!
- Status