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From: Jo Holloway (no email)
Date: Fri Mar 04 2005 - 02:42:58 EST
Well, just to throw in an untechnical opinion if it will help: when we were
looking for our boat, we came across several ferro cement boats (they were
quite popular in South Africa), and since then have been good friends with
three different families living on ferro boats - have had the opportunity to
spend time on them in harbours. None of those we looked at had technical
problems, and a few (at least three) had already been around the world's
oceans and back. It seemed to be luck of the draw as to how clumsy their
lines were; one of them we didn't even know was ferro till we were aboard
(we actually nearly went for this one). Another looked like a dead elephant
floating upside down in the water. And all stages in between. Usually you
can tell a ferro boat instantly; something about the shaping of the decks
and the sturdiness, even on the best designs ...
Later we were taken for a daysail in a ferro boat, and have to say we were
not impressed. She had nice lines and well turned shapes, and you almost
couldn't tell she was ferro, until you sailed her. She handled like a
reluctant cow in the ocean.
Now, whether it's true or not I don't know, but everyone we spoke to told us
that ferro *is* like that to sail, when compared to GRP. Since we have a
very fast GRP hull, and our daysail was taken soon after we'd sailed our own
boat from Durban to Richards Bay overnight in a time that no-one would
believe, the ferro might have been at a disadvantage to start with, but
nothing anyone had said to us about the way ferro boats handle has given us
the impression that we were overly judgmental - even the owners we have
known, have admitted to sturdiness rather than pleasure in sailing. Getting
her nose into the wind in an emergency takes more time than it would with
our Gitana, for instance.
On the pro side, sturdiness can be a good trait, especially if you don't
like being tossed around on heavy seas, I guess! We were also told that
ferro improves with age, if properly built in the first place. It gets
harder and more reliable. It's easy to fix if smashed, and you have to smash
it VERY hard to hole it. Psychologically I know the women with small
children who lived on ferro boats, "felt" secure inside their hulls - felt
protected from what's outside, somehow. I have a recollection of something
to do with rusting of the structural wires if the ferro isn't properly set
but I'm hazy on that one.
If you get an opportunity, try to test sail a couple, or get someone to take
you out in one for a fun daysail. I know this sounds like "bet on the horse
with the pretty eyes", but you have to love your boat, and the way she feels
under you, to my mind. So all the technical pros and cons aside, in the end,
you need to be sure you'll love her when she's yours. Horses for courses;
the ferro boats we met were hugely loved by their owners, had been around
for many years, and were strong as oxen.
Best wishes
Jo Holloway
Yacht "Chamchela"
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