Georgian Steel boat

I am new to the group and to boat restoration but have done several cars over the years. I now have island property in Georgian Bay and as there is no road access my old car hobby has had to go. I have no experience with steel hulled vessels, or any with a vessel this size. I have several fibreglass boats, the largest a 21' Monterey 210 HP stern drive.

I am considering a 1975 34' (without the swim platform) Georgian Steel boat. It has twin Chrylsers V8s which I am told have been properly prepared for long term storage. It has been out of the water for 6 yrs. It has always been used in fresh water. The vessel is a project and the entire interior with the exception of the head has been gutted. It does come with a number of items, propane stove, ogen (I think) generator etc. I have not seen the vessel in person yet but there is one large section of rust visible in the pictures. It is about the size of the human head and seems to be above the waterline.

My questions are how good are the Georgian Steel boats, I will be using this for freshwater use on Georgian Bay. I suspect the visible rust is very easily repaired and the seller claims that is all the rust there is on it. Is there anything I should be wary of considering this is a steel hull vessel? Any concerns on the Chrysler engines?

I am able to weld and also do a lot of woodworking.

Any thoughts/hints/suggestions, either good or bad would be appreciated.

Thanks a lot

Rob

 

Welcome aboard, Rob.

I'd take a look in person, if I were you. It's pretty hard to tell from photos just what condition a boat is really in. I take it you've got a bit of a drive to get to it?
What this boat needs isn't guesswork from photos, what it needs is a survey. A surveyor (chosen by you, not the seller) can, for a few hundred dollars, poke through every nook, cranny and hidden weld, checking for rust and cracking. He'll also pore over the motors to see if there's any flaws evident there. The survey will be well worth it, if you like the boat but aren't sure about its condition.
Do NOT give the seller any money until you have the results of the survey and have seen the motors run for yourself. With the appropriate flush fittings to connect the cooling lines to a garden hose, they can be run on land (don't start them without cooling water though or you will destroy them!). I'd prefer to do a sea trial, if possible, but that's not always possible with project boats.

 

Hi, Matt. I am going to see it tomorrow so I will be able to tell for myself about rust under the paint etc. With my car background I am not really worried about the engines running or not as they can be rebuilt or replaced but more whether Chrysler had a reliable marine engine. The stern drives I have had before were GMs.
I suppose the asking price would have been an important factor in this discussion as well. It's $1500. I think the scrap price of steel is almost higher than that so I am not worried if the engines run or not as I can get most if not all my money back in scrap value. (Which I hate to do, I have been known to restore cars that really weren't worth it rather than see them crushed)
I have never had a steel hulled vessel before and basically wanted to hear what more knowledgeable people than I thought about it.
The nice thing is the interior is out of it so I can get into all the nooks and crannies myself to look for rust. Being in Ontario I am expecting surface rust on any exposed (unpainted) surface due to the humidity but surface rust is easily repaired.

And yes, a sea trial is out of the question too.

Thank you for the suggestions.

Rob

 

Well, for those of you who have any interest in this thread here is the update. I went and looked at it on Monday and found a 4"x8" rectangular hole in the hull on the port side almost up against the keel. There is no protuding metal to indicate a puncture, it just has rusted thru. Other than that, there were no real surprises.

The engines looked to be in good shape, no oil leaks and all the water fittings had been undone prior to it being stored. There was some surface rust on the upper deck forward of the cabin, but the metal itself was still solid. I also found some water inside the hull 9we have had a wet July) which has caused some rust but beating on those areas with my fist revealed it was all still solid.

So, I got it for $1500 Canadian. No trailer but lots of other spare parts so I am happy. The first order of business is to get the hole fixed and the hull from the waterline down all sealed. And the engines working so I can get it out to my property here on the island. (I looked into berthing and storage prices and I guess it won't be going into the marina that often)

This may be a beginners question but the sealant (epoxy, tar?) that is below the waterline is 95% solid. Willl I have to remove it all once the hole and some other spots of surface rust have been repaired or can the new sealant be "blended" in with the existing stuff?

Also, I hear everyone talking about anti-fouling paint and having to apply it every year. I have never used that on any of my fibreglass boats which are also only in freshwater. Is this needed on a steel hulled vessel or is it only for salt water vessels.

Any help on those two questions would be appreciated. And be aware that I will probably have lots more.

Rob Z
'75 Georgian Steel 34' Cruiser

 

You don't mention looking "inside" the hull. The way you describe the rusted spot, it sounds like it started from inside. This is where most rust starts out, by the way. Ihope you pulled some floorboards.
Coaltar epoxy will blend. You should rough the old edges back a few inches, then recoat your patch & feather onto the old coating. Just like repairing a fender. Be aware of the new rust converting primers, they may solve some restoration time(IF, the steel is sound).
Bottom coats are designed to wear off & thereby shed the marine growth that wants to live there. Every year sounds excessive though. The coal (asphalt) in the coaltar should be fairly repulsive to the organisms. It may do the job alone.
Is this boat staying in the water or being pulled out from time to time?
Use "Sea Foam or Deep Creep on those engines. DO NOT run them until they have cartridge filters in the fuel line. Flush the tanks , if steel, they may be rusty from condensation. Good luck.

 

Personally I would sand blast the exterior of the hull to bare metal and have a known and clean starting point for my coatings. It sounds as if you picked her up for a good price so hopefully you can afford this step which will prove a very prudent one that will add consideribly to the boats life.

Strutural problems that may have escaped your notice may become apparent.
The interior is obviously harder to work with. Getting down and detailed with the interior as to touch up, and prevevtitive maintenence, will prove benificial.

You did much better than me with your "find" of a boat. I live in southwest Pennslyvania. One trip I took to coastal NC to look at a bare hull. First off it was not the design the broker had said. Second, the builder had not even chipped the slag from the welds, which where then, as the whole boat was, painted with what looked to be house latex paint. The welds/slag was all peeling. It felt as if I could kick it apart with my booted feet. Sorta felt like that after a several hundred mile, several day trip.

The next trip took me to New Orleans. The broker quoted 6'9" headroom only applied to 4sq. feet of the boat- under the opened galley hatch. The rest had about 5'8". The "dry" bilges were wet. The "running" engine had been winterized (in "New Orleans"?), and could not be fired up. Most importantly ther was several thousand dollars of welding/fabricating to be done in the cockpit engine compartment areas do to rust.

I hope your project goes well. Your region has always been one of my "someday" objectives. I was born and spent my early years on the south shore of Lake Erie in the Cleveland area. Take care.

TGoz

 

Thank you both for your quick and informative replies.

Yes, I did look inside and located the hole from the inside. From where it is positioned, I don't think it could have rusted from the inside out, although having been out of the water for 7 years I can't see how it could have rusted from the outside in.

The hull appeared to have been assembled from 4ft by 2ft steel sections with the edges of each section bent up approx 2". The hole is about 2-3 inches above one of these "joint". One would assume any hole would have started at the lowest point, where the water could pool, not several inches above.

Could this have been an intake or drain for something? I find it odd that it would rust in an almost perfect rectangle. As the interior has been gutted down to the floor boards I have no idea what was in that area. I know the head wasn't as it is the only thing that is left in place.

There is rust on all the inside steel of the hull. I am assuming that since it is surface rust which has not been disturbed it will have acted like a protectant and helped to stop further rust. (Do you follow what I mean?) My first project next year is to attack all the rust inside. I am open to suggestions there as well. I have read so much about different products that I really don't know what to use inside. I am leaning toward POR15 as I have used that in the past on autos and found it to be an excellent product.

The fuel tanks appear to be aluminium, judging by the colour. I know a lot about automotive engines but very little about marine, so I willl be using a marine mechanic to get them going for me.

The vessel will be in the water (fresh) from mid June to mid Sept. I will be able to winterize it myself and it will be stored on my property here on the island.

Rob
'75 Georgian Steel 34' Cruiser.

 

Sounds like you looked her over pretty good. There are "rhru hulls" of all types on boats. Water intakes, bait tank fittings, discharge, engine cooling, on & on. Usually their location indicates their purpose. A rectangle that big is a mystery.
I would say bottom paint would'nt have to be antifouling in your case.
Lots of mud dauber wasps in the South. They buid mud nests inside every hole they can find. Assume nothing is clean.Watch for the ones that sting (paper nest) also.
Post a picture when you can.

 

It seems to me like there could of been a leaky battery sitting on the hull or a rectangular piece of wood. The tannin of wood mixed with the moisture it soaks will eat threw steel, leaving its print. If you are sure it rusted from the outside, could be a craddle pad.
I have seen a boat painted on the inside with POR15 and didn't like it. The recoat time didn't allow multiple coats without sanding. One coat was definitively not enough. I would leave car paints for cars.
If you want your boat to last, the best would be to sandblast it, and paint it with an epoxy paint. The sandblasting will leave you a clean surface with a good grit for painting. You will also get to really know how good your steel is. It is possible for the rust to be hidding some pitting, mostly on the off chance that the mill scale had not been removed from the steel.
My previous boat was painted with Devoe Bar rust235 inside and out. We kept her two years in the water, wintering in the ice and had no problem with the paint. You can use it alone or if you can't bare with the paint going tacky you can top coat it. Many steel boats are painted with Bar rust, we consider it again for the next boat.
What ever paint you use your best bet is to follow rigorously the manufacturers instruction.

 

Again, I am thankful for the replies I have gotten.

I had not thought of a battery nor was I aware that wood could do that to steel.

All the engine intakes are more aft, this is in the first 1/3 of the vessel. There was nothing lying near it to indicate any sort of purpose for it. In fact, I had to lift one of the wooden inspection plates just to find it on the inside.

Speaking of wasps, there was one busily working away at the very front of the vessel while I was there. I considered stepping on it and the golfball sized paper nest but since I had not bought it yet decided not to. It is easily accessible and when I get it hauled up here I will give it a blast of anti wasp spray. We also get the mud wasps too.

What scares me about sandblasting the interior is whether I can get all the sand out. I blasted my first Mustang I restored and when I sold the car there was still sand falling out of places. The problem on a vessel is if I don't get it all out and it piles up somewhere it can hold moisture and cause rust.

All the inside steel is hidden from view, or it will be once the interior is re installed so I am not overly concerned with how it looks. As long as it seals against moisture and oxidation it will be fine.

I am not going to try and do the exterior hull myself, either above or below the waterline. I will pay the bucks and let the experts do that. Same with the initial motor start up. I figure if they screw up, they will also be responsible for repairing it. There are some good boat builders in this area and later today I am going to start visiting them for advise etc, so I can decide on where to have the hull worked on.

I considered leaving her in the water over the winter. What are the risks? We leave the floating docks in, just disconnect them from the shore so they can swing on their anchors with the ice as it starts to break up in the spring.

There is also a narrow channel just to the south of me that never freezes, I might moor her there. Of course I would have to drain as much water out of the engines etc and use RV antifreeze in whatever spots I could not drain.

I am going to put up a pic, but she really doesn't look like much at this stage. Sort of forelorn, sitting on a couple of wooden blocks, paint peeling and fading.

Rob

 

Further update. I spoke to one buillder who came recommended to me (he built my brothers 28' construction barge) and he was wondering if there had been something attached to the outside of the hull of a dissimilar metal. He also thought it odd that it would rust in this shape and not in lower spots.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Rob

 

Way in the past, I owned (and loved) a 30 foot Georgian Steel Cruiser. I t was a wonderful vessel.

Caution: Make certain that you remove any copper based anti-fouling paint. It reacted very negatively with the steel hull.

Have fun!!

John

 

John, I tried to contact you off list but your address is blocked. I am interested in more info on your GS. Would email me via this site or direct to
rzanussi@shaw.ca

Thanks

 

Gerogian Steel

Read with interest your plans for the Georgian Steel. Have just bought a 43.5 footer in very good shape but can't find out anything about its history or where it was made. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

Georgian Steel

Hello! I'm new to the site and have read through a few posts with interest, especially this one. I just purchased a 1969 32' Georgian Steel and am in the process of fixing her up. Not much to do really, just a fair bit of elbow grease and what turned out to be a rather expensive generator problem (Honda 6010 control panel) and a little welding on the keel. I think the boat is very well put together and would like to find out how rzanussi and Anagraph are coming along. I've just finished wire brushing the engine compartment and will be painting it with POR 15 to the water line, followed by bedliner coating and then rust paint from there on up. (I've had great success with this comination on a few industrial applications, so it should work well in the GS32; I plan on doing the entire internal hull in this manner due to some minor rust and pittng). My boat has a single Chrysler LM318-225 with Dana outdrive, unfortunately it does not have a hydraulic trim/tilt, so I am rigging one up from some old parts I have lying around. Any info at all on this boat brand would be greatly appreciated: happy boating!
barrylw11@hotmail.com