Ferro Cement Hulls ?

[Yachts66]

Yes, and that can also be said for virtually any used boat you buy, don't you think?

Thomas

[Gracies]

yes it can. But what worries me is that you can invest huge amounts of time into a ferro boat and then of course huge sums of cash. And have no resale value. So really if you buy a ferro it may be with you for life. Which may not be an issue but if circumstances change its nice to know you can get some money back.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Yachts66

Yes, and that can also be said for virtually any used boat you buy, don't you think?

Thomas

Not sure what your point is but if you are saying that any used boat regardless of hull material is a big unknown then I have to disagree.

Most hull materials are reasonably easy to check for soundness but with Ferro it is particularly difficult to check the condition of the armature.

[clockwork orange]

With a glass hull you have no more idea of whats under the gelcoat than whats in the armature of a ferro boat, i repair them every day and i dont know whats in there, if i need to know i have to take a core sample with a hole saw and then burn the resin away to find the laminate, you cant exactly do that when buying a boat. I can buy a 30 - 40 yr old glass boat any day of the week as cheap as a similar Ferro boat and the glass boat may have lost more value over that time. Most old boats, Ferro or otherwise have lost most of what they are going to so if you can buy one cheap in good shape and keep it up you will probably not lose much when you sell it.
Steve.

[Yachts66]

No I'm not saying that, after all, there is a lot more to any boat than just the hull. An excellent hull can have really lousy mechanical and electrical systems that place you just as much at risk as having a bad hull. That was and is my point.

Thomas

[foggysail]

$2500??? How much is it going to cost the present owner just to get the thing out of his yard when his local Code Enforcement Officer demands he get rid of it.

He might even give it to you for free and if your wise, you will run as others have suggested

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Yachts66

No I'm not saying that, after all, there is a lot more to any boat than just the hull. An excellent hull can have really lousy mechanical and electrical systems that place you just as much at risk as having a bad hull. That was and is my point.

Thomas

Gotcha, thanks

[Black Wind]

Here's one for y'all. I was talking to a guy a little while ago who claimed he knew a scientist of good education etc and he had come to the conclusion that Ferro boats suffered structural breakdown in extreme conditions (very hot or very cold). Does anybody know of any ferro sailing boats that have closed the arctic or been sat in extremely hot places for long term? James

[Black Wind]

And another. I noticed somebody in an earlier post mentioned that you should not use plastic through hulls on a ferro boat. Why not? I am about to replace all of my old metal ones with plastic. Any reason why I should not do this?
Thanks in advance,
James

[banyandah]

Black Wind, We've had our ferro Banyandah in the tropics, red sea, years at a time, then north japan, south island NZ with snow on decks, after 40 years still going strong.
Regarding trusting your vessel to plastic thru-hulls, forget it. Never knew an unreinforced plastic that wouldn't crack or fracture over time.

Boracay, a bad ferro hull shows signs, the most usual, slight raised areas especially where solid metal has been embedded, or a hollow sound around the frames caused by air entrapment. Those pockets of air get filled with salt as time goes by and cause rust expansion. Sandblasting the hull finds weak areas.

I've been made a "commercial member" because I mentioned our book in the classifieds so no link in signature BUT if you want to see our Banyandah go here

[Yachts66]

Long story (not worth repeating here) but the short version is I need a barge/house boat. After reading this thread, I'm wondering about doing same in ferro. Reasoning: difficult to haul in this part of the world, and ferro seems relatively immune to boring intruders when left in water over extended periods of time. Since the hull would be un-powered there are no props etc. to worry about and so what if there is excessive marine growth, she would spend her life being moored in sheltered bays moved when necessary by towing with another boat. So, basically for a hull form you have rectangle made of ferro and mesh/rebar. The actual structure built on the deck could be made of anything would just need to be securely fastened to the deck. Local labor is very, very cheap here and an abundance of local guys with years of experience plastering walls abound here as that is the primary construction method for house building in these parts. Lay some cement blocks, then cover them with mortar to create a smooth wall. Those who know much more than I, what do you think?

Regards and my thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Thomas

[banyandah]

Hello Thomas,
You have just summed up a perfect situation for ferro. The Chinese built barges as you describe last century, maybe it was the century before last, Google it and you might find an image as some of them are still in service.

Making the deck ferro isn't very hard either, leave starter bars exposed when plastering the hull with starter layers of mesh, then after curing hull, interweave deck mesh with these, add formply under and pour your deck. Cut out hatchways with concrete cutting disc. Sounds crude, but works and lasts, just seal exposed edges before adding combing.

If you use truss frames to form your hull, use these to attach bulkhead.

Best of luck
jack and jude

[Yachts66]

Jack, I noticed in your pics that you didn't seem to use a wood form, you just bent the rebar into place and I'm guessing used overhead support wires to carry the load. True? As to pouring the deck after the hull is mudded (sp? is that the correct term?). Do you worry about the old mud bonding with the new mud? Do you apply an epoxy coating between the two for bonding? What?

Much Thanks,

Thomas

[banyandah]

Thomas,
Banyandah was built hanging from a center support angle iron supported on 6"x2" at every frame, which are spaced 1 metre apart. The bottom of the keel is solid concrete 6" up, reinforced with two runs of rebar. Half of that was poured a few weeks before the hull so we could help support the weight on the big day.

Cold joints are not really an issue if you do your work in say a few months as cement takes a long time to really cure. Either wet the joint line with diluted bondcrete, or brush on a rich cement and water mix. More important is a slow cure for the first month, we recommend wrapping in black plastic with drip lines wetting the entire hull. Gets really hot, and humid inside, makes a strong hull.
Photos here:
Building Banyandah

[banyandah]

Off subject, Yachts66
Looking for a old mate who was with us in Sydney when we built Banyandah, name of Stuart, last we saw of him, he ran a dive shop in Cebu