Feedback on Ferro Cement Hulls

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Landcruiser

. . . My conclusions:
Fibreglass must require significantly more maintanance than ferro.

To be fair you should have said, "Fiberglass hulls must require . . ."

The topsides, insides and rest of the boats, be they FRG or F-C are pretty much the same and dependent upon the quality of the woodwork/fiberglass/metal work.

- - F-C hulls are basically a "mineral" like a rock or ceramic whereas FRG is a petrochemical product subject to chemical, heat and UV decay.

- - But boats are purchased as a package - hull, insides, outsides and rigging and historically F-C are very economically priced as they are outside the "mainstream" of recreational vessels being largely un-insurable and sort of the "ugly duckling" of the boating world.

- - That doesn't mean that a knowledgeable cruiser cannot find a good F-C boat, but for the average cruiser needs, F-C has too many negatives when compared to FRG boats.

[knottygurl]

another way to check the ferro cement is to have the hull and deck scanned with thermal imaging, this will spot the rebar and also delamination and moisture both inside and outside. there is some setup to create the right conditions but a good thermographer can do this easily. Home inspectors do use thermal imaging so start there, find one that sails and you may get more looked at as well.

[jeffreyC]

On the steel hull, wire brush the loose rust away then treat the rest with phosphoric acid, it will turn the rust into a hard rust preventative coating which makes an excellent base for primer/paint.

Phosphoric acid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[jeffreyC]

I have not dealt with frg boats but have had friends who are pilots and fiberglass lasts a long time if you keep it out of the sun.

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

It's obvious that people that invested in a ferro hull boat would be so defensive about their value. Truth is a ferro boat will sell for about 50% of what a comparable steel or glass boat will and virtually no one still makes them. Listen to the market.

Yes Sir! Just do that! Listen to the market...After all, the market is never wrong!

Quote:
In the boating world you will from time to time hear the comment 'the problem with ferroboats is they don't sell for as much'. Or 'I couldn't get as much for my ferro boat, as some of the other boats around her size were selling for'. And that's usually where those statements end, without any further quantification. In many cases their comments are quite true because......a/ they are generally trying to compare an amateur built ferro boat with the value of a professionally built one of GRP or aluminium or wood etc.... or b /they have forgotten that the ferroboat usually cost considerably less to build than most other boats, so why consider it to have a greater value ! And for the buyer, that means that generally you will get a lot more for your money (when talking of over 25ft)
End Quote:
Quote taken from: This site...Warning Will Roger... That site is part of the Hartley group and Hartley have experience with selling plans for and building FC boats only since around 1938! That should be enough experence to stop the FC nay-sayer experts on here giving bum advice when they know nothing about FC but...I bet it won't
My boat is a plastic Corell 22, and a great little boat but...I know my next boat will be Ferro Cement...My problem is...Will it be a FC Powerboat or a FC Sailboat

Good luck with everything.

Bill
Australia

[krazy koala]

Originally Posted by jeffreyC

I have not dealt with frg boats but have had friends who are pilots and fiberglass lasts a long time if you keep it out of the sun.

what do pilots have to do with it .

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by krazy koala

what do pilots have to do with it .

Well, most probably it is that "pilots" bring ships and vessels into and out of harbors all over the world and have probably worked with vessels with all the various kinds of hulls from Steel to FRG to Ferro-Cement. I also have a few friends who are pilots and they have a lifetime of experience on the seas.

[Pete7]

Right, but what we really need is someone who has spent a life time repairing the things not sailing or piloting them.

Pete

[krazy koala]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Well, most probably it is that "pilots" bring ships and vessels into and out of harbors all over the world and have probably worked with vessels with all the various kinds of hulls from Steel to FRG to Ferro-Cement. I also have a few friends who are pilots and they have a lifetime of experience on the seas.

fair enough, but i agree with pete on this .

[bobconnie]

Ya know I just saw yesterday, a ferro Dry dock bilt in 1942 thats still working ! and it was towed from Fla to down the bayou in Louisiana. and it looked pretty fair !! The stuff lasts a goodly long time if done right and properly maintained. Just my observation

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Right, but what we really need is someone who has spent a life time repairing the things not sailing or piloting them.

Pete

I don't think there's any chance of getting the views of someone with a lifetimes experience of building/repairing FC boats on the forum. I figure such persons visit the forum once, read the post from "armchair" FC boat designer/builders/repairers and decide we have enough experts on the forum.

I bought Colin Brookes book, Ferro Cement Boats, (3rd addition) and I go by what he says in his book on the subject of FC boats. Mr Brooks has over thirty-five years under his belt in working with FC boats, both building and making repairs, by the pictures in his book, some of those repairs were not so small, so I'm sure he knows much more about FC boats than people on this forum...Myself included.

I have also had a long chat with Mr Wilf Okell in Qld, Australia, on the subject of FC boats. (Wilf is Australia's FC boat designer/builder equivalent of Mr Jim Brown of the USA and his Trimaran range) Wilf has failing eyesight and is no-longer designing and/or building FC boats BUT...There are still a fair few number of his FC boats sailing around Australia and a number of those boats were backyard built!

When I do buy my FC boat, power or sail, I will have Colin Brooks, or one of his associates, do the survey on the boat, and I'll take the advice given by that surveyor.
BTW: If you own or are thinking buying/building a FC boat, I can recommend CB book, Ferro Cement Boats, it contains a boatload of information on building/repairing or doing cabinetry on FC boats. A all-round very informative book and well worth the money asked for it.

Cheers mate,

Bill
Australia

[osirissail]

+1 for BillAU - - I agree that given that the FC recreational boat market is so small that you will most likely only find the information you are looking for in some good books on the subject as BillAU mentions.

Beyond that you will - as most of the owners that I personally know who have FC boats - be learning "on the job" with your own FC boat.

You may find some useful information on special interest groups like:
ferroboats : Discussion Group For Ferrocement Boat Owners

Forum subject list

Ferro Cement hulls - Boat Design Forums

[Wattsailing]

Hi ok I have read a lot about FC boats and there is a lot of rubbish said ,,,, my back ground is in building I know wood and steel and concrete I know there strength and short commings I owned a wooden boat once and some time in it's life in was coated with fiber glass, Argos is a tops,l schooner complete with square sail she is 20 ton 60foot from bow sprit to davit. It has cement hull and deck now being 1st time sailors we hit a lot of things like sand bars,wharfs, pylons and sometimes the wind likes to bash us up alone the wharf , don,t get me wrong I don,t think myself a bod sailor just honest, no damage has been done to Argos her hull is intact I drilled a hole in her deck and in was so hard that had to use 2 drill bits to get though the deck as for maintenance I have had her for a year and have not had to do a thing on her ppl should not condemn FC all mediums that we use to build boats with have there issues my boat was professional built and I got a lot of boat for my money. I you want to know more about Argos check out our blog on sailblog.com/member/wattsailing/

Peter

[GT1961]

Your right Bill,
There is quite a few of Wilf O'Kell FC yachts around.
My Wilf O'Kell, Zuess 44 Sloop was professionally built at Hemmant Boat Industries
I wish I had 2 cents for everytime someone had said to me nice lines for a FRG hull, I laugh and grab my camera to take a picture of their jaw when it hits the ground LOL, sorry its a ferro !!!!!! they are shocked
Its all about maintenance FRG, wood,,,,,wotever, the uv and water takes a toll on everything we all know that
Go the stahl bitton

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by GT1961

Your right Bill,
There is quite a few of Wilf O'Kell FC yachts around.
My Wilf O'Kell, Zuess 44 Sloop was professionally built at Hemmant Boat Industries
I wish I had 2 cents for everytime someone had said to me nice lines for a FRG hull, I laugh and grab my camera to take a picture of their jaw when it hits the ground LOL, sorry its a ferro !!!!!! they are shocked
Its all about maintenance FRG, wood,,,,,wotever, the uv and water takes a toll on everything we all know that
Go the stahl bitton

G'day GT,

I seen your in my old stumping-grounds, Gladstone I hope you don't mind but I sent you a PM about a yacht for sale in Gladstone. She's a Wilf Okell FC yacht and before going to the exspence of bringing in a surveyor I thought I would try seeking advice from people who may know the yacht.

Cheers,

Bill