Crack in Ferro Keel

[Chiroeurope]

Originally Posted by irgnz1000

They bare only asking $8000.00 NZ. Not a lot with boat prices over here. I know that should be the fist sign to run but you need to research things before making the decision.
With all the work he's done on it and all the bits that come with it, Laundry,Stove, Shower, Hydro steering ETC and $3000.00 worth of electronics. Got to wander!!!!!!!!!!!!

On first impressions I to thought it was a joint crack and that they had done half the boat one day then finished it a few months later.

Getting my running shoes on NOW!!!!!!

From working with cement in Industrial and military back grounds and happen be a strong supporter of it as a boat material; you are doing the right thing by not getting anywhere near this boat and water. That has all characteristics of an expansion crack. Which means that at some point in construction the spine of the keel was allow or has an ingress point for water.

Bad business, but a very good example of what happens when FC is done improperly.

Good luck on your boat hunt and hope you find the one you are looking for.

Michael

[TOM]

Originally Posted by Geoduck

I still advise running like hell but on the other hand - how brave are you?
A little stone set or speed crete in the crack then a fiberglass patch epoxied over that and go sailing for cheap! (invest your money in a good life raft and epirb)
Look at it this way - you can sail off to where ever and when you get there(if)
you can give the boat away (sink it or pile it up on a nice sandy beach) fly home and be done with it except for the book writing that will make you rich and famous! All for only $8000? Sounds like a good investment to me!

When its blowing 40 knots and you are 500 miles offshore with water around your knees and your wife ,girlfriend screaming obsenities at you that $8000 will not seem such good value in fact you would gladly pay$80000 to be out of the situation .I would run.

www.byamee.com

[krazy koala]

i may be wrong here, but could you smash the plaster away well above the crack and check the condition of the armature, surely a repair could be done with confidence if the metal is still good. i think the owners would allow you to open up a section and have a look rather than condem the boat with out investigation.

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by irgnz1000

They bare only asking $8000.00 NZ. Not a lot with boat prices over here. I know that should be the fist sign to run but you need to research things before making the decision.
With all the work he's done on it and all the bits that come with it, Laundry,Stove, Shower, Hydro steering ETC and $3000.00 worth of electronics. Got to wander!!!!!!!!!!!!

On first impressions I to thought it was a joint crack and that they had done half the boat one day then finished it a few months later.

Getting my running shoes on NOW!!!!!!

G'day mate,

The last cheep FC 36'er I looked at in Sydney was the waste of a trip...I told the agent the boat was not worth $10 in my humble opinion.
There are a number of "well built" FC yachts for sale in NZ, most come with "build certificates" but they are all priced well over eight grand but still not what I would call expensive.
I'm looking at a few FC yachts in NZ, one is a 50' Willacott, one is a 36' Herreshoff Neria Ketch and the other is a 33' Herroshoff Motor sailor. All are priced under $40,000NZD and all come with build certificates...I just need to find the time to get down to NZ and I'll have one of those FC yachts for myself...After having the boat checked-out by Hartley of NZ.

As for the $8,000 bargain you've found...Give her a wide berth mate...As I have said...There are a number of well built FC yachts in NZ just waiting for a buyer.

Good luck with things,

Bill
Australia

[Dulcesuenos]

So how much faster does a FC mono sink than a frp one? Lol....

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

So how much faster does a FC mono sink than a frp one? Lol....

Not anywhere near as fast as a cat turns turtle would be the answer. Lol...

[zeehag]

a ferro with an interrupted hull can sink in under 8 minutes. that i believe is faster than a turtling cat...the cat will stay on surface for a long time. frro sinks fast. if you are considering buying--RUN AWAY. gooodluck. frros are never same after cracked hulls....difficult to fix right.
ferro can be good stuff, but it needs to be uninterrupted in integrity.

[Sand crab]

The running joke is that a cats most stable position is upside down floating on the surface while a monos most stable position is right side up sitting on the bottom of the ocean.
Pick your poison.

[zeehag]

sand crab--sounds good--what is most stable for formosa???? is mono, but is special--lowered ears and all...LOL...love yer avvie---cute CAT...

[Sand crab]

Zeehag The nice thing about Formosas are the leaky teaky decks. You can take a shower anywhere inside. I always wondered why they bothered to put a head in them.

[sailronin]

To OP
As stated above, RUN AWAY from cracked Ferro hull. If they paid you to take the boat, still run away!

[BillAU]

G'day again irgnz1000,

I've been researching FC boats for quite some time and, after two years or more of research, both in FC books, talking with FC boat owners and having a look at their boats, on the hard and on the water, I have come to believe a FC boat would be a good buy...For me anyway.
So after thinking things over on the subject of "Repairs and joints in ferro cement boats" I...Like a number of other FC novice boaters on here giving unhelpful but well intended advice, like "run away fast", decided to do some further investigating into your original query

Originally Posted by irgnz1000

Hi Guys, New here.
One question or more depends how the answers go.
We are looking at a 12m (38 foot), Hartley south seas ferro hull boat.
A lot of boat for the money they are asking.
Now this boat has been on the hard for nearly 12years-previously in the water sailing around New Zealand, It has developed a crack down the length of the keel, Almost dead center and 1/2 inch deep, smaller than 1/8 accross.
Is this a stress crack from siting to long and easily repaired?? OR is it caused by the steel rusting and blowing the concrete apart. It is a straight line therefore I am thinking it is running along the line of the reinforcing.
All ideas gratefully received.

My advice now is for you to check the following link for information on repairing the crack on that FC boat keel: This is the link.

If you reside in NZ or AU, I further advise you to contact Hartley FC boats of NZ and have them do a survey on the boat you're referring to. You never know, that crack may not be as bad as it first sound to be (After all a crack in a plastic boat can be repaired so why not a crack in a FC boat) And Hartley say,
Quote:
One of the great advantages of a ferroboat hull is....if it was built reasonably well in the first place, almost any damage is repairable.
End Quote:

You could be buying a real bargain but do check with Hartley FC boats of NZ...Before you buy

Good luck with things mate.

Bill
Australia

[Wand]

Originally Posted by BillAU

If you reside in NZ or AU, I further advise you to contact Hartley FC boats of NZ and have them do a survey on the boat you're referring to. You never know, that crack may not be as bad as it first sound to be (After all a crack in a plastic boat can be repaired so why not a crack in a FC boat) And Hartley say,
Quote:
One of the great advantages of a ferroboat hull is....if it was built reasonably well in the first place, almost any damage is repairable.
End Quote:

You could be buying a real bargain but do check with Hartley FC boats of NZ...Before you buy

IMO, this is the best advice for the OP. I once had the good fortune of watching an extensively damaged ferro being repaired and returned to the sea as strong as it ever was - and it was a cheap, logical and fairly quick process. So I'm with Hartley rather than the other 'experts' on this. It seems a strange fault but I'd wager that a full repair could yield a bargain vessel.

[BillAU]

irgnz1000 if you decide NOT to buy that Hartley South Seas ferro hull boat, how about posting a link to the boat so that other readers have the chance of buying it ...Or not

Bill

[Pete7]

Bill, he hasn't logged in since early Feb, so someone needs to do bit of googling because we need to see the photos of this boat.

Pete