Steel Boats

[fastinated]

I've tried to research old posts/internet. I'm still trying to come up with costs of steel boat maint. It's either extremes one way or the other or the always "well should buy plastic, I'd stay away from steel" But what are some costs for replating. Looking at some trawlers in the 50' range. I'm sure some of the one's we've looked at will need work now or down the road for all of them. And it would be as much as possible DIY at a DIY marina. I know interior would have to be removed is said place to prevent fires. And nothing I've looked at are as "pretty" as wood/FG so no extreme compound curves or anything like that. I can weld and have welders. Thanks.

[Gazelle Family]

My Corten steel hull is fifteen years old and a recent ultrasound showed one hundred percent (no loss) I dont know anything about re plating trawlers but my steel hull
is not only unique in a marina of plastic boats with blue sail covers...but it is tough in the waters around the columbia river and the PNW area with more logs than i can believe

[red_sky]

IMHO, if you can weld, steel is the stuff. I have a plastic boat and a steel yawl, soft chine, I live on that is 52 years old. Older than me and probably tougher. Plastic boat is for sale. As for replating it depends of course on the extent and all. Ultrasound is very helpful when assessing what needs cutting. Of course hammering a screwdriver though the hull is crude but just as helpful.

[hpeer]

I have two steel boats - 33' and 44'.
I have two plastic boats - 8' and 12', dingy's for the steelies.

I watch what the plastic boat guys do and I feel my work is comparable. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less.

[Gazelle Family]

Hpeer
your two steel boats look really sharp

[misty]

I have the same kind of boat red sky has and maint. is minimal if properly built in the first place. Rust is your problem. Get a survey and sounding of the steel. once ur on top of the rust it is really good. when u run aground u will love it.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by Gazelle Family

Hpeer
your two steel boats look really sharp

We had also been fans of the Gazelle junk rig. Nice boats.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by misty

I have the same kind of boat red sky has and maint. is minimal if properly built in the first place. Rust is your problem. Get a survey and sounding of the steel. once ur on top of the rust it is really good. when u run aground u will love it.

I wacked a submerged piling at 6knots in the 44, picked the boat up a foot.

Must have taken it square on the bottom of the keel.

When we haul her we will see if there is a dent.

PO hit a reef or something in the 33 and put a nice dent in the keel.

Either incident could have been fatal to a lesser boat.

I saw a steel boat in Annapolis a few years ago, must have weathered a gale or better laying on a jetty. Yet, it was an older live aboard couple who were unimpressed.

[Richard Jordan]

Originally Posted by hpeer

I wacked a submerged piling at 6knots in the 44, picked the boat up a foot.

Must have taken it square on the bottom of the keel.

When we haul her we will see if there is a dent.

PO hit a reef or something in the 33 and put a nice dent in the keel.

Either incident could have been fatal to a lesser boat.

I saw a steel boat in Annapolis a few years ago, must have weathered a gale or better laying on a jetty. Yet, it was an older live aboard couple who were unimpressed.

Wow. Geez hit a reef or something. Submerged piling. Makes me want a metal boat too. It's unpredictable out there. Cannot do anything to avoid some collisions.

[red_sky]

Originally Posted by misty

I have the same kind of boat red sky has and maint. is minimal if properly built in the first place. Rust is your problem. Get a survey and sounding of the steel. once ur on top of the rust it is really good. when u run aground u will love it.

Well that's just a bit of awesome!! Not too many of these boats around afaik. Met a guy last summer doing a gut and refit of one of these but that's all I know of. Very cool! Sent you a PM

[hpeer]

Now Richard, be nice.

Aluminum is good too but just not for us, that time around. (If you remember us. )

But, yes, the skipper (me) screwed up on that one.

The 'piling' was shown on the charts, just not as a "submerged piling."

Perhaps that would have made a difference, perhaps not.

I was a bit distracted by the barge and tow and other boats at the moment.

We all make mistakes sometimes, having a cushion for when we do is not a bad thing.

[Nadejda]

I will go ahead and put in my two cents worth here.

From the perspective of one who just purchased a older steel boat in the last year and am currently working through the areas that need attention. Our boats hull was in fairly good shape with most of the needed repairs being on the deck and superstructure. Many of the problem spots were the result of extremely poor design and execution of the pilot house. Like mentioned above with a proper design steel is great, but when the design is an afterthought rust will rule. Two things I have learned (and read somewhere else) are: Never ever put wood over steel (especially exterior) and weld everything down don't bolt it.

Steel is still fairly cheap, around a dollar a pound or cheaper depending on where you get it. I bought a wire feed welder and a plasma cutter when I got the boat and both have had a lot of hours put on them. If you do the work yourself I think it is fairly cheap. I have spent about $800 dollars on steel so far and am getting pretty close to being done with the repairs. Once they are done I don't foresee buying steel for sometime to come.

For paint I have found that Pettite Rustlock works good for a primer, Amercoat 229t is good and at a reasonable price. If you need to paint when it is cold Zero Rust works well also. Just for the record, the above is my opinion and I am sure there are many other fine coating systems available, and would like to hear what others have found to work well. I am always open to new products.

Hope that helps,

[symagellan]

Originally Posted by hpeer

I have two steel boats - 33' and 44'.
I have two plastic boats - 8' and 12', dingy's for the steelies.

I watch what the plastic boat guys do and I feel my work is comparable. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less.

Similar situation here: One steel boat (49'), one plastic boat (26'). Over the years, the steel boat seems to need a bit more of work and money, but maybe due to bigger size. If i had to sell one, it would be the plastic boat.

[fastinated]

Wow thanks guys. What would be a no go as far as rust goes on a boat you purchase? I'm particularly interested in the hull itself. What does too bad of rust look like. Alot of times steel will look worse than it it, but not always. I plan on using a boroscope in the hard to look at areas. Or maybe some pics from you steel guys with rust you've found. Thanks again!

[Richard Jordan]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Now Richard, be nice.
Aluminum is good too but just not for us, that time around. (If you remember us. )
But, yes, the skipper (me) screwed up on that one.
The 'piling' was shown on the charts, just not as a "submerged piling."
Perhaps that would have made a difference, perhaps not.
I was a bit distracted by the barge and tow and other boats at the moment.
We all make mistakes sometimes, having a cushion for when we do is not a bad thing.

I was serious! Had another friend talking about submerged shipping containers offshore. Cannot see them on radar. What do you do? Some collisions are just unavoidable.