55ft steel hull ??s

Well of course all your own decision. And be sure we wish you good luck.
But to start with:

Is a bit away from plain facts! The boats size is substantially above what can be done with the method involved!

Sure Brent will pop up and contradict, but that does´nt change facts.

You fell in love with some piece of scrap, really sorry to say so.

Of course everything can be done, but sensible?

My recommendation remains the same, and even got stronger noticeing you believe to have a solid hull.

BOTH HANDS OFF, LEAVE IT AS IT IS, GET YOURSELF SOMETHING WORTH AT LEAST A POT Of PAINT!
This thingy is just a bit of metal.

Sorry I did rain too hard on your dreams!

A merry Christmas anyway!
Richard

 

its just hard to make judgement over a few online pictures. im not sure what facts your going by..

theres no raining on my dreams, i know its a good boat, from the dozens of people i have talked to that know the boat personally and have seen it in person.. they helped me make the decision to pick this thing up.

just figuring out affordable methods to start working on this, 5 years from now i gaurentee this boat is going to be in much better shape than it is now.

definitely far from scrap. its going to make a perfect glassblowing studio.

getting it up on the beach for a period of time is going to my next step.

i gotmyself a little fiberglass tow boat with a 60 hp evenrud on there to move this beast around.

cant wait to get this thing up on the beach and let the real fun begin.

its gonna take more than that to stop me hehe

thanks for your concern tho. although i would have rather heard some tips on how to push my project forward rather than saying im wasting my time.

the " junk shot" looks a bit rough, but it already looks much better in there since the photo, all the water is out, and cleaning out the last persons garbage made a big difference.

getting my stove inside and burning some scrap wood drying the inside out is going to be good.

and the amount of stock steel inside is incredible! going to make a steel floor to start working on, install some ventalation that will exhust welding fumes, paint fumes, and soon, glass fumes, once i get my torch running inside, its on!

cheers and look forward to proving you wrong

g

 

From the bottom of my heart:

ALL THE BEST !!!

one last hint: give it some internal framing, before setting it on the hard! Can be temporarely for now!
Ah no another one, there was on member here saying he knows the hull, you remember? (that is a very well respected member, I would try to contact him)

Regards
Richard

 

hey thanks bud, i do appreciate the pessimistic attitude tho, you sound like my step dad! heheh

cheers bud and im gonna be in contact with a few people who know the hull. thats the plan anyways.

thanks for the input, there is some internal framing, and it has sat on the beach many times before. dont know if its to much of an issue. we'll se ei guess.

i was just out there today, checking the inside of the hull for rust and it looked pretty damn smooth. there is a few spots on the outside that looks a bit ugly but still solid witha hammer..

g

 

Well.... one way to attach zinc anodes in this part of the "building process", is to use flat steel bars attach anodes to this, and just hang it on the outside of the hull, drill a hole in one of the stringers (far above waterline...), you'll only need to direct the electrical currents... That's not a solution you can use for for a moving hull, but it'll delay the rust process in the period to come.

Regarding your statement that it's not gonna be a nice looking boat, I read that in a way that you're not into putting to much work/ money into this...

Consider this;
You can NOT use the inside as it is, meaning you'll need benches, tiles, walls, kitchen, toilet, tanks.... All these "components will be in your way at a later stage, if the rust is not stopped. (and also; at some later stage in the boats life will have to be removed, make it possible, but what you will need, is to delay these periods as much as possible) So; an easy way out of the accumulated rust problem is not an option any longer...

You'll need a dry environment. Land, close to a workshop, with tools for working steel, You'll also need the dry enwironment to grind/ test the hull for remaining thickness (ultrasonic).

You'll need to use zinc enritched epoxy primer or something like that... (which'll cost you a leg, expensive stuff)

You'll need to apply that to a surface sandblasted down to sa2,5 or something like that, Shops that does that are around, but they are not working for glasspearls (bang, there goes an arm..).

The cleanup, repair (steel repair, the hull may have areas that you're better off with welding and replacing the steel....). The spray applying of the primer... (another leg...).

Then it's the structural issue; The hull is steel, rounded shapes makes it strong, but; We don't know the hull thickness, and I don't like the look of the chosen shape around the keels... Reinforcements are possible, and maybe needed.

In my opinion there are some wague aspects here...

BUT the best advice that I can give you is; DO NOT have a firm opinion on "go ahead" on ANY project like this....

Too many uncertain points.

1. Get it on dry land.
2. Dry it and measure it (thickness)
3. Get to know if it, so far seem structurally intact.
4. Get a price on eventualluy needed reinforcements.
5. Get a price on sandblasting and removal of paint/ used grit..
6. Get a price on painting with (zinc rich) epoxy primer.
7. If the price still is "right".
8. If you have the money and the time and ability....
9. Proceed. (if I calculate correctly; you'll now have one arm to operate the boat with...)

Then you'll be where you probably hope you are today....

There is a saying of throwing good money after bad money.
It may be better than my impression from the photos, but if my gut feeling is right;

you're not the first to fall in love with the wrong boat.

 

Actually, I hate to chime in, but if I may...

The way I see it;

• The boat is a rust bucket and since the purchase price is not known, I would venture and say that you could have bought new steel for the boat to start all over and do it well.

• 55ft boat is a large one that will need a deep wallet to finish it - even to a very basic sail-a-way condition. Just the mast and sails will set you back a small fortune and shoe string budgets are mostly plausible on smaller boats.

• The build quality is unknown and possibly suspect looking at the general condition of the boat. Spend a some worthwhile money and get a surveyors report on the boat before continuing.

• No structural support visible in the boat - how is the keel supported, chainplates and rudder to mention just a few. How would you know how to support it sufficiently without scanting, load etc calcs

• Lastly, the fact that Brent Swain has not chimed in - he regularly does pronto whenever steel boats are mentioned singing the same old origami tune - is something to ponder about. His excuse would possibly be that he was cruising...

Sometime ago some very knowledgeable member who happens to be an engineer pointed out that origami needs some structural support and that anything above 30 odd ft in length cannot be build the origami way without framing or reinforcing of plating. For the unenforced/unsupported plates to carry the strength of the hull it needs to be so thick that makes it impossible to build such a large origami boat due to immense weight.
I would venture by saying that the hull of this boat is probably built from 6mm plate and much to thin for such large unsupported panels and 55ft is in any language a large boat

All this said Glass, I have respect for someone chasing his dreams and try to make it happens, but my honest opinion in this case is that your dream might just become your greatest nightmare.
Some sound advise has been shared with you, but in the end it is still your dream, money and decision.
Good luck

 

Thanks Wynand............

 

Well.... one way to attach zinc anodes in this part of the "building process", is to use flat steel bars attach anodes to this, and just hang it on the outside of the hull, drill a hole in one of the stringers (far above waterline...), you'll only need to direct the electrical currents... That's not a solution you can use for for a moving hull, but it'll delay the rust process in the period to come.


^^ would love some more info on that, copper wire to hang zincs from??

remember folks, im not making this boat a "sailboat"

no masts no sails no kitchen no toilet. im making it into a "industrial glassblowing shop"

im ot going anywhere. and im deffinitly not starting over.

i will tell ya strait up i paid 2,000 bucks for it. including the mooring blocks.the guy i bougth it off paid 10,000 for it 4 years ago, then painted it zinced it and put on the canvas costing around another 2,000

i figure its a good deal. hey mayb not mayb im just a ******* idiot kid who doesnt know what hes talking about??

asides from that im not going to be paying people to do the work for me on my boat. the design of this hull is so i can beach it and do the work myself therefor saving myself arms and legs.

yeah this is going to cost money. but i do make money. and i do have a father who is really smart in these kinda of things, and my partner i went into this project with also has a father who is pumped on the project.

as for bieing able to buy a new boat for the same price i bought this for.. you must be on glue. i havent seen any new steel boats for this price anywhere..

o yeah, and i have allt he time in the world. no rush no time limits.

i live on a rural island and this is going to be the best thing that could have some around. and i think im the right person for this boat.

u wait and see, i'll make sure to post pictures when i fire up my glassblowing torch on board. then its on.

thanks so much for the help. and feedback. im not going to get upset, cry and start over. common now.

thanks folks, burn one down from end to end.

 

oh ps im obviosuly going to be doing all the work myself and that repait book mentioned earlier is gold.
i thought sandblasting was almost illegal nowadays???

cheers

 

I spose there is nothing wrong with being stubborn

Ok if you are hell bent on carrying on
Take a hammer and chisel and see how deep this rust is, be careful you could quite easily punch a hole right through You may find the steel is so wasted that she is beyong salvage Pay attention to places where water lies trapped,
I man(later became a friend) bought a steel boat here 4 years ago, moved his family on, first night he was poking with a scewdriver in a rust spot, next min they had to move all thieir belongs onto the dock
If you find no deep rust, which I doubt will be the case Then you must sandblast, wet or dry depending on where you a re

If you can not do that you must get rid of the rust and neutralise it with phosphoric acid then get a holding primer on it, some thing you can weld through That means max 75 microns dft
Then you need start putting in floors(which are vertical plates which the frames run into) After you have framed the boat , you need to get 250 microns dft good epoxy high build, like altex devoe number one or bar rust or 230
But really you should take our advice, just wynnard and I alone have 80 years exp between us and none of us want to see this evolve into what it will evolve to
Also there is steel and steel, sometimes in Germany adn Holland you see 60 year old boats full of water, but the steel is still ok
Your boat may be melted down honda civics from India

 

That is quite a different story mate!
I´m sure ALL of us have understood, the shop will be part of a sailing vessel!

For your purpose she can be sufficient, why not.

Good luck again ! ! !
Richard

 

thanks folks

what do you think of this stuff for a bottom paint.. it was reccomended to me

INTERLUX BOTTOMKOTE XXX - QUART

it goes for about 35 bucks a can. pretty cheap int he world of bottom paint

theres deffinitly a bit of rust but no where a chisel will go thru.

im going ot be mixing a cement wash for the inside. and cant wait to get my zinc mounted.. this is my next big step.

thanks for the support. cant wait to get some more feedback and show you folks my progression.

cheers
g

 

Thats a good bottom coat.
And the cement wash is a neat idea too.

Merry Christmas.

 

thanks i think the cement wash sounds like a solid idea.

as for that bottom coat. i will clean down to bare metal but it doesnt look like it needs a primer or anything, just a couple thick coats..

wonder how the ddrying time is on it.. and if it could be applyed between tides.

thanks apex merry ho ho ho

ps your im hamburg? i was there last winter, loved it !!! my friend owned a bar there, its called the wash bar.. its the only bar with a laundrymat!! i had such a blast there.!

go st paulie!

 

You cannot apply any paint between the tides! It will not lead to a proper result.
And of course you should primer the metal before you apply the interlux coat.

The cement wash was used for more than a century in commercial vessels. All in all with good results. I have seen water tanks prepared with cement lasting for more than 70 years!

The citizens of Hamburg rarely visit St Pauli (at least my Generation), but I have seen the Beatles at the Kaiserkeller there in 1962.

You look familiar to me, have you been in Germany before?

Regards
Richard