Hi tim,congratulations on buying c-shell.there appears to be a few of them dotted around the world .my c-shell has ferro hull and decks and then ply cabin sides and cabin roof.There is another c-shell close to where mine is moored and his cabin sides are varnished teak which looks good.
I have a book written by richard hartley and he notes that cabin sides and roof can be ferro or timber and shows black and white photos of boats being built both ways.
ferro cabin sides and roof make boat stronger and more water tight but adds a lot of extra weight to boat.
I did have a ferro hartley rorc32 that had ply cabin sides and roof and I did have to cut rot out of the cabin sides .
I have sailed my c-shell single handed from mooloolaba to sydney and to new caledonia and back .the c-shell design is strong and sea kindly,wont win many races but you will always get there.
regards bruce

Hi Bruce
It looks like im going to be buying a Samson C Shell in Brisbane as the price is very right and she had a full survey three years ago with the surveyer commenting on how good the hull was and reacons it was pro built or a very good amatuer build . The story goes that she was built in Mackay and was used for trips out to Daydream althoug its all anecdotal. As i see from the Ferro thread you have the same type and was after any pointers or information you would be willing to impart. One thing springs to mind and that is that the deck and the cabin were also in ferro .Was this usual for this model or an amatuer add on ? Again any info you can impart would be much appreciated.
Cheers Tim