Next message: Rick Bradshaw: "RE: [world-cruising] Steel Boat Purchase"
Anyone out there with steel or knows about steel? I'm sure Gerad
would _really_ love to have some first hand info about what buying
and living with it is like; just like you would have when you
purchased/built.
I think people are staying away from this issue because of the recent flame
war - also it's summer vacation (cruising) season for many of us.
I would ask, where are you planning to cruise? And for how long? Steel
makes sense for very long term cruises to some areas, like artic/antartic.
In my opinion, a good solid heavy (previously cruised) fiberglass boat makes
more sense for the traditional areas.
Pros of Fiberglass
Cheaper to buy, survey, outfit
lower maintenance on your voyage
easy to work in fiberglass if something breaks
easier to sell when the voyage is over
well known cruising boats have predictable performance
Cons of fiberglass
blisters
hull deck joint
deck delamination (take care of these 3 in survey)
greater catastrophic damage potential upon hard grounding, hitting reefs,
rocks, or floating containers
Pros of steel
stronger hull, pound for pound
you can make the rigging and deck hardware bulletproof
easier to repair serious damage (holing)
easier to engineer watertight bulkheads, etc.
Cons of steel
more expensive to buy, survey, and outfit
you better learn to weld (anyone can work with fiberglass)
paint, paint, paint, 7 coats per year, inside and out!
special hull coatings and bottom paint required (can not use copper bottom
paint)
zinc anode protection is critical
rust inside the hull in places you can't see or paint
many of the available boats have been backyard built - construction and sea
worthiness maybe good, maybe not
steel boats usually do not have as deep a keel, and are usually heavier
displacement, not known for upwind abilities or speed
can't really build a small steel boat. Usually steel sailboats are in the
40 - 45 foot range. Usually, cruising sailboats are in the 34 - 38 foot
range (in my experience)
If you really want to go with steel, read Bernard Moitessier's "A Sea
Vagabond's World", and find a boat like Joshua. However, Joshua was lost at
anchor in a late season hurricane at Cabo (although salvaged).
Someone should add pros and cons of aluminum construction.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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