Ferro in the Cold . . .

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, mtrethowan.

[rayman]

mtreth, I think Nancy is still with us, she had land in Hawaii somewhere. Maybe if you google her name you will find a contact lead.

[Mark1977]

FERRO'S RULE...............................

[Bilger]

Greetings all-
My father, Jeremy Hewett, knew the Griffiths well and helped Nancy with Edna and the operating company Deep Water Ventures based in Kealakekua Bay, big island, Hawaii.
The Griffiths were huge fans of Captain Cook, and settled where he met his end- I recommend reading H.S. Thompson's "Curse Of Lono"
I stayed with Nancy at her home circa 1990 and worked aboard Edna, mostly at anchor, and the following year joined her at Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.
It was fabulous right up to where Edna met her end on the reef on Atiu Island, where her bow is where the waves left it well above high water.
My father phoned me two days ago with the sad news that Nancy has passed on.
Hope to post some pictures someday-
Cheers All!

[kim r]

i have a ferro cement ketch- i love it but i am told it is only worth what can be salvaged off of it ! since no one will insure it except for liability- fab liveaboard and has a great engine ! sails are all very good - i just took pics of the inside if you would like to see them - i am currently painting the deck - and changing the color of the deck to 'Hatteras Off White" - Andiamo an Ingrid Ketch Atkins designed boat in North Carolina

[kim r]

thanks for this info on the Griffiths ! i will certainly find out more about them !

[rayman]

Bilger, could you find out the fate of "Awhanee" I am sure Nancy had her scuttled off a reef somewhere up there. She (awhanee) was very strongly built but oh so rough, built to a price and a deadline. Maintenance must have become a nightmare as she got older. The Griffith's proved that it's the crew as much, if not more than the boat when it comes to ability.From memory it was about 4 months from start of fabrication to launching. I was only involved in tying the armature but that was a good learning curve.
rayman

[ijiraq]

I am also curious as we just purchased a ferro Ingrid and I live in Grise Fiord on Ellesmere Island. Thinking to sail her up from NC USA in two stages... Rimouski QC Canada for her refit, then up the next year via Greenland coast, then north of the Baffin gyre CCW to catch the current. My fear is when I haul her here, after a -40s dry winter, will it hurt the hull? The French ship Vagabond spent 2 winters here 1 out 50 miles iced in and one in town so the kids could go to school. Eric had no trouble, but she was special steel... I am wondering if the boat will crumble.... We don't use cement up here, there must be a reason for it... Has anyone froze in on a ferro?

[atoll]

problems start if you have water trapped in the mesh core,just blasts off the cement when it freezes

[ijiraq]

Originally Posted by atoll

problems start if you have water trapped in the mesh core,just blasts off the cement when it freezes

just like a ferro rust/expansion but sped up to one season... i wonder how the others i have seen have faired in high latitudes on the hard in winter... i know a hull that i believe is still on the hard in ontario, i inspected it about 10 years ago, i should go back and have a look, she had some pretty extensive weepage on the inside, light to moderate outside... next time i am down that way i'll see

[atoll]

Originally Posted by ijiraq

just like a ferro rust/expansion but sped up to one season... i wonder how the others i have seen have faired in high latitudes on the hard in winter... i know a hull that i believe is still on the hard in ontario, i inspected it about 10 years ago, i should go back and have a look, she had some pretty extensive weepage on the inside, light to moderate outside... next time i am down that way i'll see

you see quite a few examples of this here in the uk with boats that have been on the hard a long time,and the bilges have flooded with fresh water.

resulting in exposed core where the outer layer of cement has fallen off due to water seepage into the core.
takes a long time to happen in our mild winters,but something to be aware of.

though a well built vessel should have few voids if layed up properly,but allways a worry as water will travel along the core inbetween the outer and inner layers of cement if there is a leak somewhere.