1960 48' steel Ketch what did i just buy?!?!

Hi all.
I just purchased a Canadian built 48' steel ketch (home build). I couldn't help myself, problem is where do I go from here?
She's on the hard and i need to have someone that knows steel boats go over her and asses what work needs to be done , issues addressed or even if she's worth keeping etc...
There is a fair amount of rust in the engine room and to port of forward freshwater tank. Rust on the outside of this boat is minimal. The hull is made up of "patch work" plating for lack of a better term, Ice breaker bow. This thing is crazy and I would love to splash her but only if it's SAFE!

Thanks
Oliver

 

The typical purchase, particularly with 48' yachts is a serious inspection, by a qualified surveyor. This lets you know before you plop down the big bucks. Now that you have purchased, the survey is still a very good idea. Contact your insurance company and get a recommendation or look for one through SAMS.

 

If not, I think scrap ferrous is about $300 a gross ton-2200 lbs.

Lead may be $800 for a short ton.
There could be a good amount of scrap weight.

Sell the rigging and driveline on Craigs.

Check your local dealer

 

@PAR because it's a homebuild yacht, regulations for that ship is not as though as the regulations for a commercial build yacht. But if the homebuild ship is put up for sale, that ship will have to pass the same requirements as for a commercial yacht. So perhaps youre suggestion is allready been done, but maybe I'm wrong.

 

Pictures, give us pictures, plenty of them.
Pics of the whole boat, pics of the details, pics that show us what a patchwork hull is, (though I have a deep down very dark feeling that "patchwork hull", means that it is a boat on it's last legs.
Patchwork in Dutch, "gedubbelde romp", my guess is that the owner wanted to unload the thing before things got out of hand.

But maybe I'm totally wrong and the hull just has some patches in heavy wear aereas, like the waterline.
For now it's all guess work.

So please give us some pictures to look at.

Cheers

 

thanks for the replies

Sorry for being out of touch. Phone took a swim
Par.
I'm following up with a naval architect/builder/surveyer to go over her w/me.

Beernd.
Sorry, no pics till I get back out to Herington North. I'll take a shot ton first thing though. As to "patch work", this describes the what she was built. Almost like a jigsaw puzzling. No clean line on the boat

Pics are work a thousand words. I'll just have to show u what I mean...
Thanks again and ill get some pic up ASAP.

Cheers
Oliver

 

You got me really curious now,
I am very interested in new (to me) methods
, myself I am building a 25' outboard cruiser, with a criss cross planking method, I think you can call it a mix of strip building and cold moulding.
Originally the design called for carvel planking.

Here is the link to my build

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?147302-First-build-from-DN-Goodchild-plan

 

Steel Away II pics

Here ya go guys. She won't win any beauty prizes but if there's an ugly boat contest....

 

My impression from the pictures is that this is a boat not only built, but also designed by an enthousiastic amateur.

She has been sailing the seven seas since 1948, so apparently there is nothing wrong with her sea keeping abilities.
The construction is a bit of a hodge podge, but as far as I can tell from the pictures, the boat is good and solid.

But than again I am no expert, so I am curious what the expierienced boat builders will say.

Could you post some pictures from the boat's interior ?

Cheers,

Gerrit Jan

 

int.

int. pics from v-birth back to ext. helm

 

Looking OK to me.

What I understand is that the only problem you have is the rust in the engine room.
There is only one question you ask yourself and that is : Where does the water come from.
Is there some small hole in the deck, or is it the watertank that is leaking.
And there is this, rust in a steel boat will soon look like a major catastrofy, but very often can be treated with a good grind down and paint.

From what I have read and seen, I would put my money on a leaking watertank.

Basicly I think you have something that's in pretty good shape.

Let us know what your "hunt for the leaky spot" will bring.

Cheers!

 

It is not really patch work per se but clearly a case of an amateur builder biting off more than he could chew....

First giveaway is the overlap joints with the longitudinal hull plating - nothing wrong with that and perhaps stronger than a commonly used but joints, provided it is welded on the inside and outside joints of the overlap.
The stern is what we say in my language "'n boer maak 'n plan" affair. Because this is a round bilge boat the hull plating from the bow to where the "planking effect" starts have easy curvatures and easily taken up with the narrowness of the plates and using it longitudinally and with overlap joints hides the misfit that may result and eliminated a lot of trimming of laid plates.

However, at the stern he became undone with the tight and compound curvature and switched to narrow strip plating also running fore aft as the rest of the forward hull. Yes, it look odd and strange to some, but some less than capable and honorable boatyards may used the same method and just bevel the overlap joint edges away so it less pronounced and run filler compound over the whole boat, then some long plank fairing and she would have been "perfect"
I'd seen boats by some top SA steel boatbuilders laying on the nasty stuff about 12mm plus thick before fairing to smoothness to hide bugger-ups. One of these was a mega 130 odd feet of aluminum super yacht and the other a Dix 57.

The interior looks presentable and what you have here is a true blue water cruiser - much like a swan in drag Obviously the builder did not bother about detail hence his amateurish way of getting it done. If aesthetics doesn't bother you much either, you may have a bargain on hands depending what you paid for her. Small repairs wont cost a fortune to fix a few leaks if any. Usually steel boats rust from the inside out due to condensation formed inside the hull - in short, a steel boat's worst enemy...

Enjoy your boat and fair winds

EDIT: ""n boer maak 'n plan" basically boils down to the English saying; "necessity is the mother of all invention" or directly translated means one makes a plan....

 

Ha- I knew it..

When you said patchwork I thought that was the one you got into.
I saw her years back in that yard and snapped a few photos of that make up work on the rear.

 

more than just rust

I know where most leaks are... Port lights, vent and one or two deck fittings. Not sure about the tank yet??? Hopefully Not. That sucker is 10 feet long! It looks brand new but I won't know till I pressure test it.
Unfortunately there's a lot of wiring work to be done due to someone "removing" electronics off of her (lots o cut wires). Some of the missing bits are the solar panels, Heartinterface inverter/charger, displays, winches and god knows what else... Also found out that the rudder is locked up today. Thought I might just have to bleed the hydraulics but no dice, they're fine. Must be the monster bearings that r frozen. I.E. My work is cut out for me and with A concrete filled keel the scrap value is WAY DOWN.
I was hoping to find someone to go over her with me but am having no luck. As far as I can tell and I'm no experience, there's only one spot that needs to be cut and welded. Is it as simple as just breaking out the grinder w/cutoff wheel and welding in a new peace???
Thank u guys for the support and responses. U have no idea how much it helps the pain lol.

Thanks
Oliver

 

What regulations are you talking about and for which country?