How possible is it to build a stainless steel sailing boat?

[comfisherman]

I think the point is to turn money into not rust...

Right now stainless would be super expensive, it's dropped so much slower other materials. Never mind the special skill it would take to get a decent shape out of it.

 

[voodoochile]

I think the point is to turn money into not rust...

Right now stainless would be super expensive, it's dropped so much slower other materials. Never mind the special skill it would take to get a decent shape out of it.

you cant be serious, im going to take that as my inability to perceive your particular brand of irony.
hahahahaha

 

[Janker43]

How possible is it - 100%
The boating industry will soon catch up. The correct stainless grade will provide a hull with higher strength, hence less weight, no need for coatings, no need for maintenance and higher degree deformation hardening (can be good in case of a hit).
Just look deep at the O&G upstream/downstream-, food-, transportation- and chemistry- industry. You find Stainless everywhere.
Even bridges and massive storage tanks are build more and more in stainless.
For a blue water sailboat a grade with the correct PRE (Pitting Resistant Equivalent) must be selected. And for better economy a duplex grade with higher yield strength then the typical austenitic grades (like 304,316) can be selected.
Ideal choice would be EN 1.4410/ Super Duplex / 2507. Twice as strong and will last forever.
The price is ~4 times higher then plain carbon steel. Fabrication is not more difficult once the skills are developed.

 

[Rumars]

There's no need to "catch up" there are plenty of hulls made from DIN 1.3964 aka. Nitronic 50, you just don't know it because they are all painted a lovely grey. Other commonly used alloys in such boats are DIN 1.3952 aka. Magnadur, and DIN 1.3952.

Recreational boats won't go there because it's not very cost effective. No paint and less weight is served well by aluminum, at a much lower cost.
I know of three sailboats in titanium and one in copper nickel, but I have yet to hear about one in N50, so even when money is obviously not a concern, stainless isn't the first choice.

 

[Janker43]

1.3964 has 3-4 times more Nickel (expensive) and 50% lower yield strength compared to Super Duplex. That tells me there is potential. But the duplex grades were introduced during the 1990's so still quite new.