Bestevaer 49ST

[Seaworthy Lass]

Our mast arrived today. Anodised Seldén C321.

Countdown is on .

[JPA Cate]

Great pic, Ange, it almost looks as if you're looking down on it from aloft! Cheers, guys!

Ann

[Jim Cate]

Query: is there any issue with galvo chain in an aluminium box?

Jim

[Panope]

Jim:

I have only 6 months of use with my new aluminum chain locker, and so far - no problems.

It is certainly not very pretty, and I expect thef aluminum to SLOWLY develop some pitting.

I reckon that anything (paint, rubber, plastic sheet, plywood, etc) applied as a protectant will be more trouble than they are worth, as they will trap moisture.

Regular maintenance of these coatings might be more work than simply welding up a new box every 50 years.

Steve

[Matt Johnson]

From what I've seen, yes, there is an issue. Our boat had dry chain sitting in the bilge (I dont know how long) but there was enough corrosion below this that we cut that 2'x3.5' section out and replaced.... I can't imagine the typically wet anchor locker being better off.

We added plastic sheets to our locker to keep the chain elevated (dry) and separated from the aluminum.

SL- Every photo makes me drool even more! I can't wait for my lottery win so I can start K&M working on mine


Matt

[noelex 77]

The chain locker is an area that needs watching on an aluminium boat.

The combination of a very large amount of dissimilar metal (the anchor chain) mixed with mud and gunk which can cut off the oxygen supply to the aluminium reducing its corrosion resistance, is the very worst combination.

On most boats the chain locker is formed by the hull sides so even minor corrosion is of concern. Many aluminium boats, especially those constructed from the more corrosion resistant 5 series alloys don't worry and simply store the chain in contact with the hull. This is often fine, but it is an area that at least needs inspecting. On our previous yacht the chain locker was lined in timber which kept the chain from touching the aluminium and therefore eliminates corrosion. This worked very well.

When I purchased the boat the false wooden floor was suffering some rot in the timber. This was not a great concern, as this timber was not structural, just a means of preventing the chain having electrical contact with the aluminium. Nevertheless, I replaced the floor with marine ply that had a thick coating of epoxy and fibreglass. With heavy chain landing on the ply I expected it would need replacing every five or six years but 10 years later it still looked fine.

The advantage of the Bestevaer design is that the chain box does not form part of the hull sides so these problems are of much less of concern, but I think I will add some protection for the bottom at least. The other nice thing is it is a very easy anchor locker to clean out. The accumulated mud etc that can build up in the bottom of the lockers is the cause of lot of the problems and this should be easy to remove, without the contortions that are often required to reach the bottom of the chain locker.

[a64pilot]

I’d adhere a thin rubber sheet to the box with aircraft fuel tank sealant.
It’s meant of course to line aluminum aircraft fuel tanks, and is at least as good an adhesive as 5200 and it has decades of history on aluminum.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I’d adhere a thin rubber sheet to the box with aircraft fuel tank sealant.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I am always a little cautious with rubber. The carbon used in some rubber products can potentially react with aluminium. My understanding is that very few modern rubber products present a problem for aluminium, but it difficult to know.

Obviously anything used for aluminium aircraft tanks would be fine. Aircraft are typically built out of aluminiums that are much more prone to corrosion such as 7075. The other option is to use products such as Treadmaster which has been used on aluminium decks for many years, or prehaps an offcut of one of the artificical teak compounds. These also often glued to aluminium decks.

Interesting, on the smaller Pure line KM solved any problems by storing the chain in a big heavy duty plastic barrel that was plumbed with drains etc. I thought this was a great solution, but it would have been hard to find the correct size for our chain storage. Still, it is an innovative answer that could be used on many aluminium boats.

This is the chain storage on Pure. A great solution. Note the detail: they use a long hawse pipe to keep the salt water away from the anchor winch motor:

[Matt Johnson]

That's the way Garcia has been doing it since at least the mid 80s (plastic barrel).... Our neighbors 1985 42' had the same blue barrel, but with a diaphragm bilge pump sucking water out the bottom and pumped way above waterline. Simple and prevents any of the issues we've spoke of.

Matt

[Matt Johnson]

Also, i'd think that if the windlass and anchor roller is isolated well, the plastic would help prevent a potential electrical issue.

Matt

[a64pilot]

Or get a water bladder tank made to fit and cut the top off of it.

I like the plastic barrel idea myself, I used to carry fuel in those exact barrels to go deep sea fishing on the swim platform of a Sportfisherman. They were used to carry fruit juice concentrate and after the fruit juice was emptied, they were trash, so we got them for free.

[a64pilot]

Maybe not where the boat is being built, but in the US down South on Commercial fishing boats, Rhino liner is often used on deck where the nets etc. go. I think it would work well here too.
Rhino Lining is the truck bed liner, but it has to be applied by a dealer that has the equipment as it’s sprayed on hot, but it is very, very tough, it very rubbery and is an excellent sound absorber too.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

That's the way Garcia has been doing it since at least the mid 80s (plastic barrel).... Our neighbors 1985 42' had the same blue barrel, but with a diaphragm bilge pump sucking water out the bottom and pumped way above waterline.

Thanks Matt. It is good to know other boats have used the system.

We had dinner on a very nice Garcia a few nights ago, but we spent the evening talking about how to protect yourself from polar bears and how not to get trapped in the ice .

The early Garcia factory just built aluminium hulls. The interior and technical installations were completed by various companies, although this was often arranged and supervised by Garcia. They encouraged considerable input from the owners, so the details vary quite a bit. They are always interesting boats to look at with lots of great ideas, especially the boats that were finished by their owners. This boat had a prop shaft alternator for example. The northern latitudes are a new cruising ground to us and the owners were kind enough to give us lots on information about the cruising area so we spent the night pouring over maps and photographs which sadly left little time to discuss the technical details of the boat, which I always find interesting. I don't think we even talked about anchors .

Garcia have been taken over by Grand Large and now do all the interior and installations in house along side the Allures range. The latest Garcia models have gone back to using an all aluminium anchor locker.

[noelex 77]

Some of the deck gear was seen for the first time today.

We have tried to avoid any timber or plastic outside. Timber needs work and plastic deteriorates and looks grey and chalky after a few years in the tropical sun. In addition, it becomes brittle and the part needs replacement.

We have not quite managed to eliminate all exterior timber and plastic, but we have come very close.

We have always admired Anderson winches. The normal Anderson winch is beautiful in stainless steel, but has a very small amount of plastic on the top. As an option this can be replaced with an stainless top, which we specified.

In the flesh they do look stunning.

[Joli]

I understand the reason for not wanting to paint raw aluminum, maintenance, but how hot does raw aluminum get in the tropics? Is it a concern? All the alu boats I've been aboard had painted decks. Just curious.