Chain plate sizing.

[coopec43]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Besides many other skills and talents, I'm also a licensed Professional Engineer, specializing in structural marine engineering for the past 35 years or so....what's your gig ?

Just for the record, thank you for your past advice: very much appreciated.

It is great to have professional advice on these forums in addition to advice from experienced layman.(Of course you have to be careful to sort out the grain from the chaff)

[coopec43]

Plasma-vs.-laser-vs.-water-cutting

https://blog.swantonweld.com/

[team karst]

Originally Posted by scherzoja

Two attachments failed to upload. Here they are.

That last pix is where 1200BC meets the 19th century. [emoji847]

All kidding aside, its a relief not to worry with crevice corrosion.

[MicHughV]

Coopec43,

I see you are also building a BR boat, A Mauritius no less. I gotta tell you that boat is a personal favorite of mine.

I was looking at some or other video blog about someone building a steel boat, but with modern day autocad and computer controlled cutting technology, all the steel bits and pieces can arrive on your doorstep, precut to precise dimensions. All you got to do is put the pieces together. Sounds easy..right ??

A far cry from my days, when large chunks of steel plate were dropped on my doorstep, form which I had to cut the plates that formed the hull.

Anyhow, my chainplates were all welded on, which simplified the issue. There is much to be said about steel boats, but simplicity and strength is not one of them.

[coopec43]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Coopec43,

I see you are also building a BR boat, A Mauritius no less. I gotta tell you that boat is a personal favorite of mine.

I was looking at some or other video blog about someone building a steel boat, but with modern day autocad and computer controlled cutting technology, all the steel bits and pieces can arrive on your doorstep, precut to precise dimensions. All you got to do is put the pieces together. Sounds easy..right ??

A far cry from my days, when large chunks of steel plate were dropped on my doorstep, form which I had to cut the plates that formed the hull.

Anyhow, my chain-plates were all welded on, which simplified the issue. There is much to be said about steel boats, but simplicity and strength is not one of them.

Well I would have thought that steel boats are the strongest of the lot. But what puts me off is the maintenance. One steel boat owner lamented that he has to be very careful the way he handles gear on the boat as he continually worries about a bit of paint being knocked off and the inevitable rust.

My "experience" with steel yachts is not good. There were three yachts one was a 42ft ketch built in Tasmania (Australia). The owner was a photographer by profession which made me wonder why when he wrote a book about his cruise there were virtually no photos.Then I realized his yacht had no opening ports and the cabin lighting was a kerosene lamp (no navigation lights) I wonder what the toilet set-up was?

The second yacht was being stripped for parts (I wanted the jib furler) and I had to ask if the deck was safe to walk on.

The third steel yacht had sunk off the coast as it had hit a submerged navigation beacon (knocked over by a prawn trawler). After the yacht had been salvaged I inspected it and decided it was barely life sustainable. Sad!

The thing that got me was that the three yachts had done a circumnavigation (or a near circumnavigation)! And where is my yacht?

You say "A far cry from my days" I'll say! Apart from Autocad now they would use "Inverter welders" to weld their yachts. (Apparently far easier to use than stick welders and quite cheap)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLed_AaDr5U

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Coopec43,

There is much to be said about steel boats, but simplicity and strength is not one of them.

???

Am I reading this wrong.

Having owned and maintained a Bruce Roberts steel design for about 30 years I have two points of advice:

(1) Do not put stringers in your steel boat (It should be a criminal offense to do so)

(2) Use stand-offs between the frames and the hull plates on any of the chine plates which are not vertical. Fully welded diamond shaped pieces of flat bar of various thicknesses are probably the easiest.