Steel Boat Building Price and Advise?

[Boracay]

You'll need at least $150k plus all of the above.

[bobconnie]

I bilt a 40+ ft Colvin finished in 1970, total cost then 47,000 dollars US, no fridge, no stove, and a overboard discharge head ! Thats with masts, sails, good paint but no real frills !! over the next 5 yrs we spent at least another 10,000 finishing the interior with the things that make life better!! Now that was with cor-ten steel, but even with mild steel to day you would spend at least twice that much, to bild the boat we did in 1970!! I was and still am a Machinist-welder, fabricator. Im just sayin it's great to bild your own, cus ya know every part and piece on your boat !! but today it's expensive! Theres a lot of good steel boats for sale out there! Colvins and others are a good buy if they survey well !!!

[Jim Cate]

IMO, the only rationale for building a boat is that you WANT to build a boat, not that you will enjoy any fiscal advantage in doing so.

And for a first time builder, no matter what his technical fabrication skills might be, the chances of everything coming out really well are not so great. For instance, whilst boat searching a few years ago we inspected a steel Van de Stadt Samoa that had been built by a master boilermaker. The steel work was flawless but the carpentry was only ok and the systems were poorly done... electrics and plumbing were a disaster area. Very few people have ALL the skills necessary to complete a complicated yacht where everything is well thought out and properly finished.

Cheers,

Jim

[Matt sachs]

I bought a hull, stripped it to bare steel and started over. To me the build is part of the adventure. I can't retire for a few years so the timing will be just right. Its definetly not the cheap way to go. But it is the way for me. I quit keeping up with what it costs me a long time ago.

[Kinkajou]

Guys, it's not that I love steel boats at all.... I just tough tha with my expertise it would be cheaper and fairly easy and fast .... Otherwise I'm totally fine with a Catalina or a beneteau....

[Teknav]

If you want to build a boat, just be prepared to also make it seaworthy. Engineers spend years configuring a boat design that can handle loads distribution under different sailing conditions. You can collect parts from salvaged boats, and try to put them together; as an engineer, I'd tell you this is not a wise thing to do. When it comes to the main structure/hull design modification, unless you are an engineer specializing in this field, do not attempt it. There are extensive calculations that justify the length of a mast, versus the depth of the keel. Weight distribution is a major factor incorporated in the design; how will you determine that? Marine electrical power generation/consumption and engine propulsion are to be calculated; how will you do that, if you haven't studied these disciplines? In engineering schools, students are taught to design simple designs, pleasing to the eyes and to watch the cost. Unfortunately, boats are never considered simple designs hence they are money holes. Mauritz

[Capt Rottnest]

Building made sense for me because used boats are quite expensive over here. But the type of boat we wanted was not available in the market so build from scratch was the way to go. Not ready to retire here either so the schedule suited.
When you said you wanted rounded steel I thought that Swain fellow with his origami boats would be just the ticket. Also, anyone who has owned a smaller boat beforehand knows you don't really need a huge boat to live on. 35' and under is much cheaper, quicker to build and still huge enough inside.

Of course, the two most important reasons to build is because you have the desire to do it and you want something a little different. I've always been a little envious of people who have built their own anything, whether its house or boat. Shows they had the skills and the passion to do such a task and the individuality to make what they really want, not settling on what the market dictates. The satisfaction must be immense.
Gary

[boatman61]

If your building in steel less than 40ft is a waste of time... under that the weight is to much for you to do more than motor sail.
I've delivered a couple of boats under the magic number and they had to be motored most of they way from Spain to the UK... performance was crap... fine if your not in any hurry but...

Oh... and a request to Cheechako... please stop posting right after me... one of your quotes is getting me a bit touchy...
'Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.'
Starting to wonder if your having a pop...

[gjordan]

I just saw a 44 foot Roberts steel boat on Ebay for a buy it now of 10900. It is actually pretty complete and looks like a CAN DO project. It looks sleeker than most of the Roberts designs , almost like a Van Destate. Of course it will take 3 times as much money and 4 times as much time to finish it,than you plan on, but what the heck, we all do that. More realistic than starting from scratch.____Grant.

[boden36]

My wife and I built the boat we have now (36 ft steel), 25 yrs ago. Took 8 yrs and heaps more work than anticipated. You must love the process as well as want the boat!
One plus though is taking so long means the cost is spread well, like enforced savings, especially if you did not have the cash to buy outright in the first place.
Another plus is the huge satisfaction of sailing a boat built with your own hands.
Very few home builders make it to completion though.

Regards,
Richard.

[foggysail]

[QUOTE=boatman61;1149941]If your building in steel less than 40ft is a waste of time... under that the weight is to much for you to do more than motor sail.
I've delivered a couple of boats under the magic number and they had to be motored most of they way from Spain to the UK... performance was crap... fine if your not in any hurry but...





That is an important consideration Boatman! Tough to ague with actual experience!!

Foggy

[Capt Rottnest]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I've delivered a couple of boats under the magic number and they had to be motored most of they way from Spain to the UK... performance was crap... fine if your not in any hurry but...

Must be why I chose glass over ply for building. Light displacement has it advantages..
Gary

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Kinkajou

Guys, it's not that I love steel boats at all.... I just tough tha with my expertise it would be cheaper and fairly easy and fast .... Otherwise I'm totally fine with a Catalina or a beneteau....

Just to let you know...it is quite possible to find a F/G boat if you lower your size expectations. This is my 6th large sailboat and I paid well under your limit price. A 35 sleeps 3 comfortably. You don't have to compromise quality either.

[micah719]

A very interesting thread. Would the owner-builders of steel boats be so kind as to post a rough breakdown of the costs? Doing it on the cheap means I want to pare off as many non-essentials as possible, and find other ways of achieving various capabilities.

For example, I believe an engine is a luxury, not a necessity. Same goes for on-demand hot water, aircon and flush toilet. Nice to have, but not vital, and one can have almost the same comfort without anywhere near the same expense and not automatically become a floating cave-dweller.

Another great saving I see is the rig. I chose the chinese lug rig for that reason. One does not need harken this and lewmar that, when one is handy at building and scrounging and inventing, and learnining from how others have solved the same problems many times in the past.

OK, the boat won't win races, and it and the simple lifestyle will likely attract sneers and contempt from the kind of folks whose opinions and attitude prove that dung floats in this world. It won't be easy or as convenient as buying off-the-rack, but a valuable experience money can't buy.

I was planning on an initial barebones fitout before heading off to the parts of the world where acquiring raw materials, mainly timber, for final fitout is much cheaper and easier; and the living costs while doing so are much less.

So, some real-world cost breakdowns on construction, fitout and perhaps even maintenance costs, please?

[lostsheep]

Here's an interesting site. This man is building a 75ft origami steel boat in Tulsa, OK. He has quite an extensive video blog. Extremely fascinating.
SVSeeker