Pictures Of My Ferro Boat. Advice Sought.

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Ferroever, Feb 4, 2007.

  1. Ferroever
    Joined: Feb 2007
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    Location: Japan

    Ferroever Junior Member

    But the point is, my question in this thread was about asking for advice, not about having strangers who have never seen my boat speculate on it's seaworthiness.

    I didn't ask:
    "So, how many of you Sceptic Steves think my boat is gonna sink?"

    I think I'll stick to YBW over in the UK; very helpful and not once have any of the posters there laughed at my boat for being a ferro and/or ignored the questions posed in lieu of turing the thread into a 'are you sure your boat is okay? I mean, you really can never know with a ferro'.


    Still, I received one decent response out of how many? I should be thankful for that.

    See ya'll and I'll let you know when the boat breaks up.
     
  2. Ferroever
    Joined: Feb 2007
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    Location: Japan

    Ferroever Junior Member

    Thanks, Ray,
    I have saved your advice.
    Much appreciated.

    Sincerely grateful,

    Ferroever
     
  3. safewalrus
    Joined: Feb 2005
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    Location: Cornwall, England

    safewalrus Ancient Marriner

    Fiesty little thing ain't ya! No doubt next week you'll be off saving the world or drying your nail varnish, whichever comes first! Look kid you've set yourself one helluva task especially as you've done nothing like it before! All power to you if you can achieve it, but you must realise what you have set out to do!

    The comments about 'ferro' sinking etc are not just for the fun of it, nobody is trying to get at you. But you did ask for advice and that sort of talk brings out some comments that may not be quite what you wanted to see! Look at it this way if the caustic comments put you off now what the hell do you think it will be like once you get down to the really hard dirty work of repairing the boat?

    Every little bit of advice is useful, even the comment that ferro (being wot bricks is made out of) sinks - it reminds you that if you don't get it right it will do just that! So start with something small and build up, find out about this ferro thing - not by doing what everybody does these days, blogging it, try to build a small box or something. See how it goes together, hit it with a big hammer, repair it - "Wow I didn't realise that" sort of thing. then go repair your boat and you'll do a good job; if you find the box is too much quietly sell the boat on, no face lost, no muscles strained, plenty of experience gained and you'll actually feel good about it - you'll become a better person!

    Your going the right way in somethings (looking at your blog) and if your not going to I really don't give a ........... (I do actually it would be a waste of what looks like a very nice person (in more ways than one))

    So go play and above all enjoy!!!!
     
  4. Ferroever
    Joined: Feb 2007
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    Location: Japan

    Ferroever Junior Member

    The point is, the boat has been built, it has been proven, it is a good ferro and all I am asking for is for advice on the sanding and painting process.
    Simple as that.
    Down the line I might hit some rocks or a submerged object due to either inexperience or bad luck but boats made from other materials might suffer a similar fate in similar situations. But to get back to the point, this boat has been proven.

    Also, I am not averse to hard, dirty work. I have the time, the savings and a bright outlook on life to deal with the dark side of being a liveaboard cruiser that will mean coping with a bit of painting, however horrid it might be.

    People questioning the seaworthiness of my boat is not 'advice'. If they'd read my posts they'd see that I have already said that she is seaworthy and proven. I therefore don't need to hear the naysayers repeat time and time again that being a ferro she's probably doomed anyway.

    There are a lot of ferros out there, usually owned by people who are actually doing it, as opposed to waiting to do it because the prices of other boats are just so high. Ferro owners also usually tend to be a bit more forgiving of having to do the dirty work; we see it as part of the adventure and some of us, like me, aren't married to nail painting whinging wives who'd rather you had a different hobby.

    Believe me, I do not wear rose-tinted glasses, preferring instead to don a good pair of goggles.

    Fiesty? For sure, I have a lot of stigma to brace myself against.
     
  5. Ferroever
    Joined: Feb 2007
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    Location: Japan

    Ferroever Junior Member

    By the way, it's too late to save the planet.
     
    1 person likes this.
  6. DGreenwood
    Joined: Aug 2004
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    Location: New York

    DGreenwood Senior Member

    A number of years ago I repaired a couple of Ferro boats down in the Caribbean. I had the good fortune of the advice of a whole colony of Austrailian Ferro fanatics. They had developed some pretty successful methods for repairing the sort of problem you appearantly have. (I say appearantly because I can't see all that clearly in the photo.)
    Although Ferro is (counterintuitively) quite flexible it can develop fractures for multiple reasons. These fractures can sometimes expose the internal steel to oxidation resulting in expansion and spalling. (you problably know all that already).
    We began the repair by grinding (NOT a fun job) away the loose ferro and rust. Also grind away any paint in areas that are suspect to expose any fractures in the ferro. Then we used a peristaltic pump to pressurize epoxy into the internal fractures until were satisfied that we had filled any voids and fractures. Then we folowed with epoxy fairing to fill the ground out areas.
    I did not have any problems with the grinder polishing the ferro but I was using one really ugly grinding wheel and really tore into the ferro. The Epoxy stays put just fine if it is bonded to a solid base and mixed and applied properly. Both of the boats went on to do many thousands of miles with no problems.

    As they always told me " She'll be alright mate"
    Don't let the job scare you... it's a little painful, but survivable, and it'll take you where you want to go.
     
  7. Ferroever
    Joined: Feb 2007
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    Location: Japan

    Ferroever Junior Member

    Thank you, DGreenwood,
    Your useful and applicable advice has been saved.
    A marble salt and pepper set is on it's way as a sign of gratitude for sticking to the point of my original thread question.

    Three cheers for advice!

    Hip Hip Forestay!
    Hip Hip Backstay
    Hip Hip Mainstay

    :p :D
     
  8. hartley
    Joined: Feb 2006
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    Location: australia

    hartley Junior Member

    Go for it Girl....Never take any notice of naysayers....If YOU think it's right

    get stuck into the job,and get the boat into the water ,don't worry about

    "what if ",by the way great BLog.........cheers and good luck ....Hartley
     
  9. Ferroever
    Joined: Feb 2007
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    Location: Japan

    Ferroever Junior Member

    Thank you, Mr Hartley.
    A ray of sunshine amidst the greater mass of cynics, barnacles and other fauna otherwise cluttering up this thread.
    :)
     
    1 person likes this.
  10. MikeJohns
    Joined: Aug 2004
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    Location: Australia

    MikeJohns Senior Member

    You will find a compressor and a needle gun (sometimes called a descaler) an invaluable tool for preparing the surface and removing the looser blistered material, and for removing any rust scale on the internal steel. Its impacts are small localised and do not cuase fracture to surrounding material. Some hulls have had the entire outer plaster removed this way for the addition of stainless mesh and re-plastering as requested by Lloyds for Antarctic charters in the past.

    There is an excellent book on ferro cement repair, Hartley in NZ have recently released a new book on the repair of ferro hulls, I do not possess it but it is said to be the definative reference for builders and repairers alike.

    Cheers
     
  11. Ferroever
    Joined: Feb 2007
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    Location: Japan

    Ferroever Junior Member

    Thanks Mike,
    Your advice has been 'saved' and is much appreciated.

    :)
     
  12. westlawn5554X
    Joined: Aug 2006
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    Location: home lazy n crazy

    westlawn5554X STUDENT

    Your money your call, u can eat miso noddle for the rest of the year, yeah ferro does float. Good luck
     
  13. Ferroever
    Joined: Feb 2007
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    Location: Japan

    Ferroever Junior Member

    Unfortunately, there is no miso in Mexico and beyond and if there was it would be priced at a premium.

    I rather predict that we shall be supping on beans, tomato puree and fish.
     
  14. messabout
    Joined: Jan 2006
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    Location: Lakeland Fl USA

    messabout Senior Member

    You needn't apologize for your ascetic replies or apologize for your boat. Just about any boatman or boatwoman has a love affair going with the boat that they have. Any sign of deprecation of ones boat is met with justifiable hostility.

    During world war two, the US needed a lot of ships in a hurry. Not necessarily warships but transport and cargo types. They were called Liberty Ships. McCloskey shipyard in Tampa FL built a huge number of ferro ships for the war effort. It should be no surprise that damned near every one of them would float. Of course they would sink as well as the steel ships being built nearby at Tampa Shipbuilding Co. The German subs did their best to destroy as many Liberties as they could. The enemy made no distinction between steel and ferro. At the time the ships were not called ferro. They were simply concrete over a steel armature. Those ships served us well. The concrete ships could be destroy, but they were somewhat safer in a field of magnetic mines. I write this just in case you need some reinforcement.

    Sorry I can not be helpful with the actual repair or maintenance. I'm a wooden boat guy myself, but I respect the other options.

    P.S. Wooden boats sink too.
     

  15. SouthernCross
    Joined: Nov 2006
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    Location: NZ

    SouthernCross Junior Member

    Especially for someone wanting FREE ADVICE!! :)
     
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