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Old 02-06-2012, 22:34   #166
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Post Re: Intelligent Discussion on Ferro

G'day mates,

Just a question for you Ausies who own and have worked-on your FC boats...Like hull maintenance and such.

Do you think this Wilf Okell is worth a trip to Gladstone to inspect the boat?
From the pictures of someone working on cleaning the hull, there looks to be some blisters at the bow and the stern shots don't look, to me, to be the work of a pro builder of FC boats but I could well be wrong. Here are the pictures.
The Will Okell is up in Qld but the owner lives here in Victoria. I have not contacted him yet as I am still pretty well tied-up with things here in Victoria and I first wanted to get the views from some of you good people who own and have worked-on your FC boats.

Thanks in advance for your views.

Bill
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Old 02-06-2012, 22:52   #167
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BillAU
G'day mates,

Just a question for you Ausies who own and have worked-on your FC boats...Like hull maintenance and such.

Do you think this Wilf Okell is worth a trip to Gladstone to inspect the boat?
From the pictures of someone working on cleaning the hull, there looks to be some blisters at the bow and the stern shots don't look, to me, to be the work of a pro builder of FC boats but I could well be wrong. Here are the pictures.
The Will Okell is up in Qld but the owner lives here in Victoria. I have not contacted him yet as I am still pretty well tied-up with things here in Victoria and I first wanted to get the views from some of you good people who own and have worked-on your FC boats.

Thanks in advance for your views.

Bill
Australia
It looks like a home made to me and the bow has blisters for sure , if it was me I would give it a miss ,but if you have the time and the skill and the price is right it would be a cool boat.
Peter
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Old 02-06-2012, 23:19   #168
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Re: Intelligent Discussion on Ferro

G'day Pete,

Thanks for your views mate, I believe sorting the hull blisters is a straight forward job but as I have never worked on a FC boat, I could well be wrong.

I won't rush into anything, I'll wait and see if I get any more advice on the boat before making any decission.
The boat is located in the area I would like to base myself...and boat...But at my age I don't want to take-on any large projects.

Cheers Peter,

Bill
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Old 03-06-2012, 02:33   #169
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Re: Intelligent Discussion on Ferro

Quick update,

In Colin Brookes book, Ferro-cement Boats, I could find no reference to Hull Blisters but on checking the FC fourm, I did find a post on Hull Blisters, their cause and how to repair them.
The post can be read here.

Cheers,

Bill
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Old 05-06-2012, 04:53   #170
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Post Re: Intelligent Discussion on Ferro

Quote:
Originally Posted by AussieGeoff View Post
I've just closed on a 35' Ferro Hartley Queenslander Ketch. She was built in 1974 (apparently in Port Lincoln, South Australia) Under the name 'Aussie Blue' it appears she cruised extensively with her then owners, probably overseas given she is an Aust Registered Ship (little point in doing that if she never left Oz). The last ten years she has spent as a liveaboard in Sydney, or more correctly, Pittwater. She looks tatty above decks and desperately needs painting, but the fitout below is good and in good order and the rigging and sails (with the exception of one staysail that (in the words of the broker) flogged itself to death on the furler) are in good condition still. Largely due to the fact she has rarely left a mooring or berth in that time. Slipped a couple years back and the antifoul was ok then, but probably getting tired by now.

There is some minor damage on the gunwale on one side that requires repair and naturally I would make sure the exposed mesh is treated etc before replastering. A timber dress strip seems to have split off and I am unsure if the damage to the gunwale is due to deterioration or getting knocked against a dock, but that will be sorted too. I would be interested in the best material to do this with - Australian made/available products please - many of the things our US brothers and sisters recommend are either not available here or have some other name.
The hull itself seems sound and there is no evidence of bleedthrough on the the sides both interior and exterior, so the armature is likely in very good condition. Given that she sailed extensively prior to her career as a flat on water, it's reasonable to assume that if she was poorly built, she would be gracing the bottom somewhere after around 37 years afloat.
Decks and deckhouse are all ferro as well and the decks seem in good condition. In some respects the loss of the paint helps as you can see that the cement is good order, with no significant surface deterioration.
I've paid $14000 for the boat and consider that a fair price given the way she looks and the general (low) value of ferro boats.
I'm well aware of the insurance issues, but at $14k I don't have a fortune tied up in her, so third party will do if I need it. Given what I would have to pay for something that size in steel or GRP I'm happy with the compromise.
It will be a while before we can go and pick her up (possibly as late as February) which is intensely frustrating, but I intend to use the time well to ensure that she is well prepped before her delivery run to SA.

As you can see from the pics, she's a little tatty and there is some growth at the waterline. The cockpit shows the general state of the paint above decks. The other pic shows the damage on the top of the gunwale and the split dress timber.

AussieGeoff

Attachment 31961

Attachment 31962

Attachment 31963
G'day Geoff,

How's the work coming along with your Okell, I'm guessing we won't reckoniser her as the same boat now
If you have a few pictures of her I would like to see them mate. As for myself, I'm still looking at boats and asking questions but things on the home front are still the same, so I still can't make a move on a boat but that could change at any time.
I have been thinking of buying a boat in NZ and keeping it there, move to NZ and fly back to AU every four or six months for a week, then back to the boat in NZ but, as I have said, I can not yet make a move

Let's have a look at your FC Okell as she is today Geoff, bet she's looking good

Bill
Australia
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Old 27-06-2012, 23:38   #171
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Re: Intelligent Discussion on Ferro

Perhaps a Ferro Cement boat would be a good buy as a working mans boat I wonder...Could a plastic boat be treated like this FC working boat
As you can see from the pictures below, they are pretty tough...When built right.
The following pictures are those of a working FC fishing boat

Resting on the rocks:



Resting against the wall and on the rocks>



She's off for a days work at sea.



So what do you think mates, would a FC power cruiser be a good buy for the working man...Or woman After all, these pictures show just how tough a FC boat can be...When built right

Bill
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Old 15-12-2012, 16:31   #172
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Re: Intelligent Discussion on Ferro

I friend of mine holed his 35 Cotton in Alaska in the 80's and she was totally tidal for two days. Tug and pumps overcame 24" hole(!) towed him to BelaBela and hauled on the railway, tokk everything out to dry in the hotel boiler room, fixed the hole with sledgehammer and a bag of readymix pilfered from the power company, relaunched and left under her own power in 3 days. And all she lost was one(1) light fixture and personal photographs. Try that with any other type of boat!
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Old 26-05-2022, 01:41   #173
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Re: Intelligent Discussion on Ferro

Hey mate my name is Joseph I currently own this boat mate I believe it was the same one U own did U ever find and details on who built it
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Old 26-05-2022, 02:11   #174
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Re: Intelligent Discussion on Ferro

I have a Harley 35ft ferro yacht named Aussie blue
Same as the one I found on this forum now I've been restoring her in the last 3 mounths that I've owned it
I've noticed a few things on it like a plaque saying the name of the Hartley designer him self Richard Hartley
Just wondering what dose this mean if it was built by him as a personal vessel cause I've read on a Sydney Form that Richard Hartley built a 35ft for him self as one of the last boats he built could this be the one if so would anybody know how I could fine the document to see if it was built by Richard Hartley him self
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Old 26-05-2022, 03:03   #175
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Re: Intelligent Discussion on Ferro

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Aussieblue.
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Old 26-05-2022, 04:25   #176
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Re: Intelligent Discussion on Ferro

Richard Hartleys own boat was the first Golden Cowrie, a flush deck boat around 37ft. Not sure if he actually built it himself or had it built.
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Old 28-05-2022, 12:30   #177
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Re: Intelligent Discussion on Ferro

Sullivan,

When we started looking for a boat, the same questions came up. In the end, we did settle for ferrocement and I can say personally it was the right choice. I would like to clarify first though, that any boat well built and taken cared of can last years, regardless the materials.

But, back to ferrocement. We have a 63ft ferrocement cutter ketch and she is solid. The deck and hull is all ferro, so there are no leaks. The downside to a ferro deck is that is makes her a bit top heavy, so she is prone to be a bit more rolly.

Speed and weight wise, she is light and fast for her size. Design is key. Her walls are an inch thick. The nice thing about having a ferro hull and deck is that you don't get the same flexing and noise that boats made from other materials get. She is quiet as a mouse inside when sailing.
As long as you don't take any damage that exposes the rebar and mesh, you can't go wrong. When well built and finished nicely, they can be hard to tell apart from fiberglass once painted. We have gotten many people telling us how beautiful our boat is, then asking what kind of paint we used on the fiberglass . . . . .

In heavy weather, she has been relatively comfortable ( depending on what we where dealing with) and as said in other posts, they can take a beating.
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