Advice needed : Survey found electrolytic corrosion

[Goodxcharly]

Run!!!

I never really cared for steel boats for that reason.

[jim ellifritt]

If they want to sale they will wait, if no hard pass. Bet they know there is an issue, survey is to protect you and your investment.

[lestersails]

Originally Posted by Goodxcharly

Run!!!

I never really cared for steel boats for that reason.

You may have missed post #12 - s/he decided to purchase.

[nofacey]

Congrats on purchase - beautiful looking boat.

I’ve had two steel sailboats, both from new, each for years, sailed extensively, and maintained primarily by myself.
- the first drove me nuts with exactly the blistering you’ve described, until I reduced the number of zincs she came with, and sandblasted/repainted the effected areas.
- the second I ensured came with more appropriate anode coverage, isolation transformer, and single point grounding to the hull. Was terrific underwater…..till I unthinkingly “upgraded” an alternator in a rush, with the replacement unit not having an isolated ground. Presto changeo, blistered paint. Had alternator rebuilt to isolated ground configuration, sand blasted, epoxy barrier coat etc…..back to non -issue.

So take a look at your alternator, it’s quick & easy

[Dr.No]

Jorxster, congratulations on the purchase. I recommend that you contact Ted Schwartz at boatcorrosion.com to determine how much, and what type anodes you need. He is The expert, working on primarily military and commercial contracts. It turned out that my French aluminum sloop with exposed lead bulb had minimally sized zinc anodes. Applying the formula, this boat needed roughly 4 times the existing surface area in mil spec Aluminum anodes. We built 5 flush anode pockets of 1/2" 5083 aluminum, to accommodate cast aluminum/stainless anode stands from a Pacific NorthWest foundry that builds primarily for commercial fishing fleets.

[Joe Okros]

Personally, whenever someone wants to buy a steel boat I ask them "Can you weld?".

[skipperpete]

Wow , round bilge Corten hull, only a skilled tradesman could create a shape like that.

[Celestialsailor]

While cruising Mexico for 3 years, I always enjoyed walking through boat storage yards like the ones in San Carlos and Guaymas. It was always painful to watch the the steel boat owners scrapping, grinding and welding in steel plates. "Rust never sleeps".

A friend of mine has a Roberts 43 who constantly worked on his. Even left on the hard, still was barely able to keep up with the maintenance. At one point, while in the water, the water tanks developed a salty taste...you guessed it...electrolysis (I think).

They use it as a place to stay while enjoying Mexico.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Congratulations on your new boat.

As to cause, is the boat perhaps over-zinc-ed? We've a steel keel, lead filled partway, and were at one time with too many zincs, and the bottom paint made bubbles and the tops blew off eventually.

Follow the electrician's advice, both as to cause and to repairs.

Ann

Most likely cause particularly if the blistering is close to the zincs.

[ski69sail]

Hi There

Nice looking yacht.It ticks an awful lot of boxes....It is possible to get the corten steel lab tested to see the quality of the construction metal...Personally corrosion is so incredibly slow that its almost irrelevant.... with a sand blast and correct paint system you can erradicate any rust.......... But rust in the welds which happens during the construction and is a little more persistant.
Of course be extreamly wary of stray currents

And my paint recomendation is to use Carboline/Altex. They offer a full service.

.

[PeterBernard]

Congratulations on your purchase.

If the only thing that was holding you back was this particular blistering issue, then I think you were right to proceed.

We're 8 years into our ownership of a 30 year old steel 50 footer which had circumnavigated twice before us.

We're now 28,000 miles into our own circumnavigation, so I speak with some degree of experience about the following:

- You ARE going to have to deal with corrosion issues throughout your ownership of the boat.
- Unless you bought a crap boat (which you clearly didn't based on both the photos and the overall survey), then these corrosion issues are extremely unlikely to be as serious as you think they are when you first find them.
- Topsides corrosion is unsightly, but the least important - get to it when you can, and brush up on your grinding and painting skills (we had none when we started) so you can do it yourself.
- Below water line corrosion should be professionally diagnosed, and (uness you're highly skilled) also professionally dealt with. If you have a well built boat (which you appear to) this is rarely, if ever, that big a deal, especially if there is shiny steel below the blistering.
- Corrosion inside the boat (and especially in hard to reach or see places) is potentially the biggest issue - you MUST prioritise inspecting everywhere on a regular basis, and when you find corrosion, get on top it it immediately. This is always messy and time consuming, usually awkward, but not at all hard.
- Steel boats require ALL the maintenance of fibreglass boats (more than most of us want to to spend our time doing) AND then a whole bunch of other maintenance that fibreglass boats don't. There will absolutely be times, no matter how well founded your boat is, where you wish you had a fibreglass boat.
- There is a lot to be said for the feeling of solidity and safety that comes from having a steel boat, although it can be overstated somewhat. If you're sailing regularly in reef or rock strewn areas, it's a win. Basically, anywhere where a grounding at speed could be catastrophic. In that sense, a steel boat is indeed much stronger. For most of the time, though, a steel boat is more "delicate". You'll spend a lot more time worrying about the state of your hull than your friends in fibeglass boats, based on the fact that minor damage must be addressed immediately before it spreads, not to mention your subconscious being permanently aware that the hull is in a state of constant entropy.
- Because of these issues, Steel boats are usually priced significantly less expensively that an equvialent boat built in fibreglass, meaning you can get WAY more for your budget.
- Also (and this is a vast generalistion, but nonethless true in my experience), steel boats are often custom designed and built, and so if you buy one where you had similar priorities to the original owner, you can find a boat that suits your needs perfectly - much more likley than with a production boat which, since they are purposefully designed for the masses, usually involve many more compromises in order to appeal to as many people as possible.

This last point is hard to explain in a short post, but means that when you find a steely that meets your brief, it tends to do so more "perfectly" than almost any other boat, and (at least in our case) generates an instant bond which means you'll put up with all sorts of other crap because the particular compromise you've made (ie more maintenance) is more than offest by having a boat that fits you like a glove.

Good luck with your ownership - she looks awesome!

[jorxster]

Originally Posted by PeterBernard

Congratulations on your purchase.
Good luck with your ownership - she looks awesome!

Peter, great advice. I happened to google your boat -- she's a Beaut!! wow!!!

Really appreciate your advice, I feel you understood my situation perfectly!


Thanks again all, I'm going to be making lots of "advice wanted" questions in this forum as I try to formulate a plan for all the work to be done on my steel boat!