I've just closed on a 35'
Ferro Hartley Queenslander
Ketch. She was built in 1974 (apparently in Port Lincoln, South Australia) Under the name 'Aussie Blue' it appears she cruised extensively with her then owners, probably overseas given she is an Aust Registered Ship (little point in doing that if she never left Oz). The last ten years she has spent as a
liveaboard in
Sydney, or more correctly, Pittwater. She looks tatty above decks and desperately needs painting, but the fitout below is good and in good order and the
rigging and
sails (with the exception of one staysail that (in the words of the broker) flogged itself to death on the furler) are in good condition still. Largely due to the fact she has rarely left a
mooring or berth in that time. Slipped a couple years back and the antifoul was ok then, but probably getting tired by now.
There is some minor damage on the gunwale on one side that requires repair and naturally I would make sure the exposed mesh is treated etc before replastering. A timber dress strip seems to have split off and I am unsure if the damage to the gunwale is due to deterioration or getting knocked against a
dock, but that will be sorted too. I would be interested in the best material to do this with - Australian made/available products please - many of the things our US brothers and sisters recommend are either not available here or have some other name.
The hull itself seems sound and there is no evidence of bleedthrough on the the sides both
interior and exterior, so the armature is likely in very good condition. Given that she sailed extensively prior to her career as a flat on
water, it's reasonable to assume that if she was poorly built, she would be gracing the bottom somewhere after around 37 years afloat.
Decks and deckhouse are all
ferro as well and the decks seem in good condition. In some respects the loss of the
paint helps as you can see that the cement is good order, with no significant surface deterioration.
I've paid $14000 for the boat and consider that a fair
price given the way she looks and the general (low) value of ferro boats.
I'm well aware of the
insurance issues, but at $14k I don't have a fortune tied up in her, so third party will do if I need it. Given what I would have to pay for something that size in
steel or GRP I'm happy with the compromise.
It will be a while before we can go and pick her up (possibly as late as February) which is intensely frustrating, but I intend to use the time well to ensure that she is well prepped before her
delivery run to SA.
As you can see from the pics, she's a little tatty and there is some growth at the waterline. The
cockpit shows the general state of the
paint above decks. The other pic shows the damage on the top of the gunwale and the split dress timber.
AussieGeoff
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Re: Intelligent Discussion on Ferro
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