Steel Yacht Designs for Blue Water

[Boracay]

With the small amount of stainless (3mm stainless onto 3mm plate) that I've had welded onto Boracay I found the heat affected zone was only an inch or so ether side of the weld.

A quick touch up with the relevant paint and no one would ever know...

[CFR]

Hi from germany, here in Germany and Netherland we ahve a lot of metal boats and i just purchased a 44 feet aluminium one form 1985. Some thoughts:
1) building a boat might need 4-6 years work
2) the hull is only 15-20 % of the investment and the work
3) most people go for aluminium below 50 feet because of the weight and easier maintenance
4) rethink resale value for a complete DIY boat
5) my boat has a professional built hull incl. engine and tanks but DIY internal which i would say it a better quality than many yards can deliver. cost in 1985 250.000 usd for material and 6000 working hours.
6) in the end you spent a lot of money and you will make a lot of faults which is normal if you built your first boat, house or car........

I strongly suggest you look in europe for a proven designed boat like van de stadt and you buy a used boat or a unfinish project, there are several.

I had the opportunity to get a van de stad 40 carribean in Alu , built partly in poland, 90% finished for 100.000 usd...... the boat was only 3 years old but i was too slow and somebody else bought the boat within a week.

[Brent Swain]

Most hombuilt steel boats here in BC are far better built than most commercially built ones, especially Fehr and Folkes boats . Here, commercially built,means those build with a thorough knowledge of how to skimp and minimise the material and work that goes in.
My boat was one month from the arrival of steel to launching.
In a metal boat, the metal work represents a lot bigger portion of the finished boat than a non metal boat, because the metal work includes a lot of detailing that you have to go out and buy for a non metal boat.
Boats like her often sell for up to 3 times what their owners have into them, whereas a commercially built boat re-sells for a fraction of what you pay for them.

[barnakiel]

In this size I do not think there is any difference in the aspects you listed. I do not like the designers you named because they made (too) many heavy designs. But there are other designers I like a lot (Koopman, Zaal, to name only two).

My friends have just crossed with the ARC in a Koopman's designed steel yacht (Momo). You can look up their results on ARC site. I think you will like what you will find there. Their comment was - "we set the twins in Las Palmas and took them down at Rodney Bay". I liked the boat a lot - strong, clean, no spot of rust in or out, lovely woodwork, excellent layout and, too my (relatively experienced) eye - completely trustworthy true ocean design. And fast.

b.

[zjames]

I am looking at steel boats as well. I would look at Kanter Marine in St. Thomas Ontario Canada as well. I never thought I would say this. I have heard all the horror stories. I just read an article from a fellow who owned a 34 Van der Stat and he said it would get him through any weather in safety. He sold it and bought a Halberg Rassy 38 and was comparing the two. The steel boat won hands down. With the proper care a steel boat 40 years old still has another 50 years left. With all the Epoxy coatings today steel maintenance cost is the same as GRP and the minuscule extra maintenance is about being vigilant when you see any corrosion.
I know they are out there.. The Steel yachts are less expensive in the US and more expensive in Europe because they are more accepted there. I found one in Spain not sure if the new Omicron will affect travel there.

[psk125]

Zj- this thread is 16 years old. When was the article from the Van der Stadt 34 owner written? We just sold a 40 year-old fiberglass boat. With the proper care it will last another 50 years too. Vigilance works, but rust never sleeps.

[zjames]

The article was written in 2019

[Manateeman]

We only got a few posts into the thread when we read “Aluminum is hard to repair”
WOW...just about the most inaccurate statement we have ever read .
We have built in every material but steel and with good reason. Steel is the material most unsuited to small yachts. You need good conditions to successfully repair paint scratches. You chase rust constantly and stopping it is a filthy job with multiple steps.
What do you need to permanently fix aluminum. A TIG welder, and argon. It’s not difficult to learn. Repairing fiberglass correctly requires training as well but so does wood, epoxy composites, steel...all materials you use to build a vessel require training. High tech carbon fiber / epoxy infusion? Do you think TIG welding is more difficult to learn?
Aluminum is the material of choice for medium size oil field vessels, Coast Guard boats, professional fishermen and expedition yachts.
Such silly statements about aluminum are made by those who are not professional boatbuilders and have never built a yacht in this material.
As the manatee crew can attest, aluminum beer cans make fine yachts.
Happy trails to you.
Captain Mark