The perfect Passagemaker? II (building material)

Originally Posted by TeddyDiver

And what's more propable to happen.. A boat with leaking shore power installation (or what ever fail) moores next to you. This steel hull doesn't have any corrosion as long as there's any al left on yours.. And there's no way you can protect yourself except being vigilant 24/7..

That was, and is my point. Electrolysis in a marina.

To answer Angélique´s question.

Too many halfbaked tinker with electricity, either marina personal or the boaters on their vessels. The average owner does not even notice if he destroys his neighbours boat by stray current.

In a fishermans port, that is much unlikely to happen, but yachts are in danger.

Originally Posted by mark775

I didn't mean for it to be a distraction.

It wasn´t, thank you!

Originally Posted by Boston

Mark
you make a frighteningly good case for aluminum

Richard
thanks for the most excellent threads concerning the aspects of a perfect passage maker
I apologize for having little to contribute
but reading along has been most informative
my experience level is simply not up a level where I might make a truly informed addition to the topic at hand

I only interrupt and make mention of that in the light of certain posts from a particular individual having no clue of the topic at hand yet insisting on foisting there uninformed opinions off on the group and in a most unruly manor. I'd like to apologize for War Whimper and suggest that all simply ignore his input as it has little relevance to the topic at hand and adds nothing to a most excellent and most appreciated thread. I would hate to see anyone bail on the thread because of one particularly irksome posters insistence on randomly insulting all involved

getting back on topic it looks like our preferred material is steel although from a cost analysis point of view I'll need to read back through and see why epoxy impregnated wood is not better from a long term prospective than steel. The cost of repairing wood laminate is bound to be less than of repairing an entire steel panel ...cheers
B

Nothing wrong with wood / Ep. Boston. You know I like to build in that material and do so for quite long now.

But it was mentioned before, that metal is just the better material when we are exploring coral reefs, or hit a container.
These boats will have a ice strengthening, which is far easier to execute in metal than in wood / Ep., to give you peace in mind when battering on a reef for some hours.
A cold moulded hull is not as easy to repair as a metal one Boston. Although not as weak or tricky, as a FRP repair, it is a task. The only advantage is, that one must not rip out the entire interior like when welding.

Thank you (all) for your comments about the disgusting behaviour of some hijackers, we unfortunately had to stand for some days. Most of the dumb drivel was fortunately deleted. And thanks for all the mails and PM´s.

Don´t go deeper into that senseless FRP debate please (including cores of course), I said it already several times:

I do not build such boat in FRP! Never.

So, lets go ahead.

Regards
Richard

[cthippo]

Originally Posted by apex1

In a fishermans port, that is much unlikely to happen, but yachts are in danger.

That's interesting.

Over here it seems to be the opposite. Many of the commercial fishing boats here have the absolute smallest amount of maintenance possible, and what is done is usually duct tape and wire nuts. Obviously not all fishing boats are run this way, but certainly enough of them to give the rest a bad name.

It wasn't that many years ago that a lot of boats went to sea with a pound of cocaine on the chart table and when you started getting tired you went up and did a few lines and went back to work.

[BATAAN]

Originally Posted by cthippo

That's interesting.

Over here it seems to be the opposite. Many of the commercial fishing boats here have the absolute smallest amount of maintenance possible, and what is done is usually duct tape and wire nuts. Obviously not all fishing boats are run this way, but certainly enough of them to give the rest a bad name.

It wasn't that many years ago that a lot of boats went to sea with a pound of cocaine on the chart table and when you started getting tired you went up and did a few lines and went back to work.

Oh we remember the good old days of commercial fishing. I agree that many smaller US fishboats have very marginal electrical systems due to lack of enforceable standards, but they seem to have few problems.
ABYC does not apply here as few smaller fishboats are financed but if you want to finance a yacht, the bank will insist on it, so the yacht in general has maybe better electrics.
Some NW salmon trollers deliberately charge their gear with an electronic gadget and say it attracts the fish.

[BATAAN]

Steel is the preferred industrial material for a lot of reasons. Repair is not too hard IF you haven't foamed the interior, but if you have, it gets difficult. Foamed interiors are very common, protect the steel, insulate the living spaces and quiet everything down wonderfully.
If you are going to beat ice or reefs into submission with your vessel, a well engineered steel structure is the best way I believe, followed closely by Aluminum, then epoxy/wood, then conventional wood.

[mydauphin]

The small commercial fishing boats around here (and everywhere I have seen), are an eyesore, one step above derelicts and would break every rule in the book. Most of the people running them are barely making a living and don't have any money for maintenance. Yet they go out every day and fish. More power to them. The boats are wood coveed in fiberglass with an old Detroit Diesels or two, dry exhaust, keel coolers. I am sure most of them don't even have a GPS because they don't want anyone to steal it.

[BATAAN]

Ahhhhh, Florida. Pacific NW is an entirely different place. Most fishermen here are pretty good about their maintenance as the environment is unforgiving. Those who try to get by with inadequate boats don't last long. The ferocious tides and currents, lots of rocks and steep-to shores, fog and rain really shake out the competent from anyone else.

Originally Posted by cthippo

That's interesting.

Over here it seems to be the opposite. .

I am not sure we understand each other right. The first part of my statement was as important as the second.

Too many halfbaked tinker with electricity, either marina personal or the boaters on their vessels. The average owner does not even notice if he destroys his neighbours boat by stray current.
In a fishermans port, that is much unlikely to happen, but yachts are in danger.

Many fishing vessels just dont connect to shore power, reducing the risk substantially that way. Most commercial ports for the fishing fleet do not even provide shore power. (seen worldwide)
Fishermen don´t buy new gimmicks every season, and tinker around much.
And most important, no marina staff , screwing with boats or marina wiring. After over 40 years, I yet have to see the skilled electrician in any marina round the globe.

Regards
Richard