Friend of mine is thinking of buying a 42-ft steel hulled boat. I'd like to hear from anyone out there with experience with a steel-hull just what you think the pro's and con's are. Thanks.
Steel hulled boats...
- Thread starter Warren Milberg
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He won't win any races
but he might feel invincible against any floatsom.
I'm with Ross on the new paints that are available, it should'nt be too much of a problem for maintenance. But, I would think that condensation may be a source of "opportunities" for problems.
As for the cold weather and ice, I seem to remember a documentary about the "Liberty Ships" that brought US GI's over to Europe that literally broke apart. Turns out it was the grade of steel - it became so brittle that it literally cracked in two! So, cold weather durability depends greatly on the type of steel used!
I certainly may question the type of steel and the carbon content!
Other issues that I would worry about is the Craftsmanship involved. Someone recently posted that welders are a dime a dozen - I could not disagree with him more. Welding is an art and a science. The welder can make or break a design. Arc Blow when welding into corners is tricky to hold a good weld. So is overhead welding. Was the construction done in MIG welding or SMAW(Stick) welding. Anyone in the trade will tell you that stick welding with a 6010 rod is a pipefitters bread and butter. A good welder can make that rod dance!
Look for warping of the metal to see if too much heat was applied. Long passes need to be broken up frequently and it is the craftsman who can make a long pass look like a continuous bead that looks like stacked nickels.
If you see any slag remaining or porosity at any joint - I would question the craftsmanship.
but he might feel invincible against any floatsom.
I'm with Ross on the new paints that are available, it should'nt be too much of a problem for maintenance. But, I would think that condensation may be a source of "opportunities" for problems.
As for the cold weather and ice, I seem to remember a documentary about the "Liberty Ships" that brought US GI's over to Europe that literally broke apart. Turns out it was the grade of steel - it became so brittle that it literally cracked in two! So, cold weather durability depends greatly on the type of steel used!
I certainly may question the type of steel and the carbon content!
Other issues that I would worry about is the Craftsmanship involved. Someone recently posted that welders are a dime a dozen - I could not disagree with him more. Welding is an art and a science. The welder can make or break a design. Arc Blow when welding into corners is tricky to hold a good weld. So is overhead welding. Was the construction done in MIG welding or SMAW(Stick) welding. Anyone in the trade will tell you that stick welding with a 6010 rod is a pipefitters bread and butter. A good welder can make that rod dance!
Look for warping of the metal to see if too much heat was applied. Long passes need to be broken up frequently and it is the craftsman who can make a long pass look like a continuous bead that looks like stacked nickels.
If you see any slag remaining or porosity at any joint - I would question the craftsmanship.
Steel Boats
Some are very very old and unreliable. IMHO, I would have nothing to do with a steel boat unless it says "US Navy" on the side.
Some are very very old and unreliable. IMHO, I would have nothing to do with a steel boat unless it says "US Navy" on the side.
Here's a link to a buddy's new metal boat.
Quite the story behind it all. What a beautiful boat. Went past me on Sunday afternoon like I was in irons.
Quite the story behind it all. What a beautiful boat. Went past me on Sunday afternoon like I was in irons.
Pros and Cons
I owned a custom built 47' steel boat for 5 years. First of all - I would make sure it was from an well established builder and designer - if not I would be a little wary of it. If it is built right and finished properly with the coatings available today you can expect it will last a very long time. Condensation is also not a factor if done properly - my boat was sprayed with foam insulation - hull, deck, everywhere except the bilge. As long as there are no voids condensation has nowhere to start. I lived aboard in the Pacific Northwest and it was a very dry boat - far more so than the fibreglass boat I had previously. Maintenance wise they do require more attention than fibreglass - however you don't ever have to worry about blisters. Also when it comes to resale it may take longer to sell since there is a smaller cross section of boaters looking for a steel boat - and of course most of them are custom built which creates that bit of "unknown" factor. That said you can often get a lot more boat for a lot less less money. Make sure you get a surveyor who is well familiar with steel boats!
I owned a custom built 47' steel boat for 5 years. First of all - I would make sure it was from an well established builder and designer - if not I would be a little wary of it. If it is built right and finished properly with the coatings available today you can expect it will last a very long time. Condensation is also not a factor if done properly - my boat was sprayed with foam insulation - hull, deck, everywhere except the bilge. As long as there are no voids condensation has nowhere to start. I lived aboard in the Pacific Northwest and it was a very dry boat - far more so than the fibreglass boat I had previously. Maintenance wise they do require more attention than fibreglass - however you don't ever have to worry about blisters. Also when it comes to resale it may take longer to sell since there is a smaller cross section of boaters looking for a steel boat - and of course most of them are custom built which creates that bit of "unknown" factor. That said you can often get a lot more boat for a lot less less money. Make sure you get a surveyor who is well familiar with steel boats!
Thanks to all for comments
on steel hulled boats. Just read, and passed on to my friend, a pretty good article on steel boats written by John Kretschmer. See link. Seems to confirm a lot of what has been said here by owners of such boats about rust, corrosion, and accessibility inside the hull.
on steel hulled boats. Just read, and passed on to my friend, a pretty good article on steel boats written by John Kretschmer. See link. Seems to confirm a lot of what has been said here by owners of such boats about rust, corrosion, and accessibility inside the hull.
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