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

Not monel...well then u can do what precious posters have said...steel is an amazing, easy material to work with...

regarding your frozen rudder. I asked an old timer metal worker and here was his suggestion...keep in mind i've never tried this...
1. gently heat the outer part of the item..this will cause it to expand some being careful not to heat the shaft going thru it
2. spray on ur favorite penetrating oil...be mindful that the oil is flammable and may smoke some if sprayed on hot metal...so take precautions...he thought wd40 but said the pb blaster is really good to...u might have to experiment to find one that works.

i admire u for taking on the project...you will have a great boat when ur done.

please lets us know how you are doing.

 

Whatever happened with this adventure?

 

Ok, someone has to say it--it's an ugly rusting duck which will chew up your lifes energy and money for the next 5 years and then it will still be an ugly rusting duck. Strip and salvage as much as you can then pray you can find some scrap dealer to haul whats left away for exactly that--Scrap --- I say this out of kindness from one sailer to another

 

Ouch, that kinda smarts.
Do you know Steel Away? Were you a previous owner? Have you been aboard her or is that just the opinion of a grumpy motor/sailer owner???
Just curious as to the origin of such caring words and sound advise?


SamSam
At the moment I'm finishing up the rebuild of an Ericson I began this summer. I hope to have her splashed and heading south to find her a new owner in Feb.

Cheers
Oliver

 

And please take them for nothing else but "Kind Words" A very dear friend of mine did just that --Despite my 'Kind Words" Put 5 years of his hard earned money and all of his lifes energeys into a 55 foot version of Steel Away. He ran out of money -his love one -started drinking after 12 yrs. dry and died one morning of a broken heart (heart attack) at just over 60yrs. old. His "Steel Away" was sold for scrap value. --- Just so god dam Sad.

 

Well, in the meantime you can keep the rudder system soaked in some PB Blaster, or brake fluid penetrates pretty good also. If you can get the rudder post to move even a tiny bit it can be worked back and forth more and more until it's loose enough to remove. Then clean it all up, put in some new seals and it should work good.

 

Just re read my last post --sorry boys didn't mean to knock the sun out of your day, However if thats what it takes to generate second sober thought so be it. It's just, dam, she is a rough looking piece a kit and rough built means multitudes of small water traps that will be forever a much more than normal constant on going battle with rust and it's after effects. That plus tearing apart and rebuilding the way it should have been built will never end. I'm an accomplished welder and been there on a couple of steel boats myself but thankfully saw the law of diminished returns before they got their hooks into me. I'm especially gun shy with metal and cement hulls so take it for what it's worth but if you're determined to proceed do above all engage the expertiese of a surveyer. It will be the best money you ever spent --Good Luck --Geo,

 

I'd agree with that, one proviso. If you can get it back in the water cheaply and quickly, do so, use it until you've had your fun then sell it on Ebay starting at 0.99c. If it sinks in the meantime, so sad too bad.

No matter what you do it's never going to be worth more than the scrap value of the fittings minus the cost of hauling the hull to the scrappers.

PDW

 

Nothing wrong with restoring a metal shipwreck.

The problem is that unless the boat has a unique pedigree, its always going to be a shipwreck...even if you pump thousands of man hours and your life savings into it.

Why waste money when you can cheaply purchase good used boats that have fallen on hard times, then refit them with logical upgrades and a nice paint job.

Ex plastic bareboat charter boats sell for peanuts.

 

I totaly agree

Believe me, I am not delusional.
I know what the boat is worth and that's why I bought it.
I intended to scrap it but then decided to sail her to St. Croix and turn her into a floating condo.
There's a 46' Choi Lee on St Thomas that could use her Yanmar and sails...

Cheers

 

AHhhh --The fix is in --as they say about us Newfoundlanders --dumb like foxes.

 

Keep an eye on the ballast keel of that Choy lee. There was one here in the yard. The ballast is ferrous metal. It corroded at the keel to hull joint and started to pull the keel bolts thru the boat keel. Very expensive to repair. So expensive that the owner gave the boat away to a couple young guys.

 

Hi Oliverj

Was wondering if you still had this boat. My family owned it for a while and sailed it down to the Bahamas a couple times.

 

I just started this account to see if I couldn't get a hold of you Luke, I am actually looking to purchase this boat. My self and a buddy of mine are both commercial divers abnd certified welders and arent too worried about rust, but id like to know more about its history. you sailed it to the Bahamas?

 

I'm a little curious as to how it all played out for the boat. I'm guessing the boat didn't make it to St. Croix...did it ever make it back in the water and see some use or has it been sort of as feared, a money and life force drain still sitting in the yard?