Ferro Cement Hulls ?

[stilroaming]

Yes Bill,35 is too small 45 too big 40 is a perfect size for me.
I have spent hours searching the internet,without success,I just thought that I might have some results by posting my search on the forum,
People who actually sail very often hear the scuttlebut first,Something will crop up I am sure.
I still have,nt heard from the guy advertising one on the forum,I see that he is a delivery skipper so could be away on a job.
Full sails & calm seas to all our readers.

[BillAU]

Here's a question for people who have owned for a few years and sailed, in all weather conditions, a FC yacht.
Are yachts built “fully” in FC safe, a sail-boat with the hull, deck and coach-house all built using Ferro-cement?
Some time back I talked with a mate of mine who built his own FC yacht back in the 60's, and he sailed her from AU to the UK and back again, he still owns the boat and he told me, “the only mistake I made while building, I should have built the whole boat in Ferro-cement instead of the timber/plywood coach-house...Doing so would have meant less ongoing maintenance for me".


So what do you owners/sailors of full FC yachts think, are yachts built totally in FC a safe boat, or like some folk think, are they top-heavy and dangerous. i.e. Prone to capsize?


Thanking you in advance for your advice.


Bill
Australia

[awab]

hello me again
Cannot say much to billaus question jet but I think more and more this fc boats are incredible.
I posted some more pics under
Flickr: awabflickr's Photostream

The pics show very good what is under the cement cover. These pics show the broken pice from the front of the boat. I now stepped the mast down and had time to start the front repair. I cleaned up the broken piece. The pics show how the chicken wire look rusty after exposed to weather for almost 9 years but the part I just hammered out the chicken wire is like new. No rust at all. The some times only 3 mm off cement is protecting the wire perfectly.
The mast is after laying down straight. There is only a little damage on the base and surprisingly on the mast head. Both are easy to repair.
I hot water pressure cleaned the mast. 50% of the paint I got of this way. Then I brushed some paint stripper waited 30 minutes and got the rest with the pressure washer. Remain was only a grey primer. After sanding a little bit with 220 grit I got the mast ready for the primer in one day. This pressure washer is a perfect tool.
Hope I can help with this info.
So more I work on this fc boat so more I respect the way fc boat are build. I was very lucky that specially in the states the reputation for this kind of boats is so wrong. This made the market price so low.
More updates later.
I work every day my 8-10 hours but it is pure pleasure.
I have to recommend the two boat yards I am in. One is Anchor away boat yard and the other in boat yard at hampstead. The are both linked together in one location but under separate owner ship. Both have very good people and when somebody is looking for a do it your self yard or storage for his boat they both perfect. So more time I spend in North Carolina so more I like it. Great place with outstanding people.

Thats all for the moment
peter

[DumnMad]

awab you are a great project guy and an example to all who want pleasure without working for it.

[BillAU]

Great pictures and great work on the boat Peter, so good to hear "everything" is comming-up roses for you and your boat mate

I have my eye on a beaut 43' FC motor/sailor, the sad part for me is...I bet I have to pay a lot more for that boat than you paid for yours Peter Still, if I get that boat I will not have all the work to do on it that you're doing to your boat
I look forward to further reports on your progress Peter...Keep at it mate...You'll get there

Bill
Australia

[rpeebles]

How about this one?

Samson 46' sailboats for sale - Guatemala Yacht Broker - Rio Dulce

Any experience with Samson built boats?

Thanks, Roger

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by rpeebles

How about this one?

Samson 46' sailboats for sale - Guatemala Yacht Broker - Rio Dulce

Any experience with Samson built boats?

Thanks, Roger

G'day Roger,

I made plans to go look over that Samson earlier this year when the asking price was 32 grand, or there abouts but before I could get away, things changed for me on the home front, and they have not returned to where I can get away to check any boat/s. (It's a health matter not for discussing on the forum) Samson designed strong, well known FC boats and I believe that Samson, Mixto Listo, going by the pictures, would be a very good buy at under 20 grand but, as in buying anything second-hand, it's buyer beware. Going by the pictures taken in 2010, I'm guessing the boat is quite sound and a good buy.
I firmly believe a Samson FC boat, professionaly build in Holland back in 1976 would be good buying at under 20 grand. It's a long way from Holland to Rio Dulce and the yacht has been around since 1976 so I'm "guessing" she's been sailing around quite a bit between 1976 and 2010 when she arrived in R.D and would be a safe and good buy.

Good luck with your final decission Roger and please do keep us informed on what you do

Bill
Australia

[awab]

hello rpeebles

the boat is sitting on the rio dulce for some times now. What you need is recent pics.
The climate is very humid there. Lot of things can happen to a boat sitting without use. You have to talk to the person in charge there. The price would be very good and the location is very nice to start cruising.

all the best
peter

[rpeebles]

Bill, Peter, Thanks for the thoughtful replies. Peter have you fixed that house up yet? My dad who was 100 in August lives on Lake Bracciano, a nice place for a sail! Cheers, Roger

[awab]

hello

I am just doing the 5 hatches. new pics at Flickr: awabflickr's Photostream
Now is the question what material I am putting on the cover between the frame I restoring. Plexi, lexan or tempered glass. Nearby is a place can do custom measurement on tempered glass.
For a little bit more then plexi.

If you have any comment on this.

Hello roger.
Seeing the lake no wonder he is 100. In places like this you don t want to die.
To your question. The house is still work in progress. Every summer a little bit more.
We have no windows and doors jet. More a camping situation. But there is no rain in the summer and no crime. Very little settlement. Very romantic with 3-5 little downs not to far. We can see a lot of lights in the evening from the downs around us over the hills. Perhaps a place to get hundred years old with a donkey as transport.

By the way.
Just got my paper work back. Got a title from the state North Carolina under my name and payed 60 us for registration valid 3 years. As address I used the boat yard.
This is very good I think and thanks that this was possible as a foreigner in this country. It was easy and fast. USA at its best.

[BillAU]

Looks like things are comming along Peter, I would go the extra expence and get the tempered glass but that's just my choice.

So you have the boat now registered in your name, in the States. I have always been told by others (Americans) that a foreigner could not register a boat in the States...Good to know that is not true, because you have done just that. i.e. Registered a boat in your name in the States

Bill
Australia

[smuggler]

If I could perhaps give some insight into Ferro, having been involved in the Industry in a galaxy far away.. Ferro was / maybe still is a very cost effective method for the "home builder" to produce a hull & deck, where labour costs are not really an issue. Probably some of the best ferro boats came out of NZ (Sayers) where the hulls were not subject to extreme temperature changes during the "curing" process.

Ferro has been around for eons & if memory serves, a Frenchman built a dinghy in the late 1800's. In the mid 80's there were quite a number of various designs built here in Oz, most notable boat being Helsal - which won the Sydney to Hobart Race.

HOWEVER, while the boats are intrinsically strong, they have NO impact resistane. Testament to this is Helsal is now a reef in its own right after hitting one, and a number of bars on our coast are homes to trawlers that hit hit & broken up.

The other aspect is that, basically they have NO resale value, and in looking to the cost of building a Ferro boat.. only the hull & deck maybe a little cheaper to produce - but all of the equipment that goes in her & on her is identical to other hull materials.

When looking to a 2nd hand purchase, I guess one has no guarantees as to who / how the hull was produced. There is no way of gauging the quality of the original cement job (curing process & air pockets).. so a good marine surveyor conversant with ferro should be engaged to have a "knock" around the hull.

And I guess that at the end of the day - there does not seem to market / resale value for ferro boats - eg the Samson (which were usually well built & designed for Ferro)..

Anyway - just "Food for thought"..

Rodger
Australia

[Auzzee]

Perhaps a different Helsal, Rodger, but the Sydney Hobart winner (AKA 'The flying Footpath') which until recently was being chartered in the Solomans, was tied up next to me in the Cullen Bay Marina in Darwin. In 2010 (?) she left to sail the Melbourne Hobart race and, as far as I am aware, she is now sailing out of Melbourne. Did it sink just recently?

I owned a 55' ferro boat which was Helsal's younger sister. Very strong, quite fast and comfortable. While I am a great fan of well built ferro boats, I also understand that they are given to catastrophic failure in a prang which would merely dent a steel boat, or puncture a glass boat. I remember seeing a video of a rescue from a FC which flew to bits when it was rafted against the larger rescue boat.

The trick of course, is to not hit anything...then the FC boat is king.

When I bought my Adams 55 ferro, I employed a technician with a mobile x-ray machine to spend a day 'looking' into the hull. Cost a few bob, had to restrict access to the finger on the marina, but in the end well worth the $ for the sake of peace of mind.

[smuggler]

Apologies Auzzee.. I kinda thought she thrown against a wall in Manilla during a cyclone - tried to repair her but sank later.. But nevermind.. as we know, they don't really suffer a bang too well..

Rodger
Australia

[DumnMad]

It doesn't pay to hit a reef no matter what the hull. The wrecks I've seen on reefs had steel hulls. So Helsal's nearly 40 years old - lotta steel boats don't last that long and if they do its not without a lot of expense and then they still might not have good resale value.
If I was planning to hit a reef I'd probably choose a light-weight unsinkable plastic boat and hope it got washed over into the lagoon or up the beach.