Practical Pros and Cons of Steel vs. GRP

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I've found a steel boat that ticks most of my boxes but have no experience with steel yachts.

She is a Dix Pratique 35, displaces something over 9t I guess (the wooden deck version is 8.1t) which sounds a lot for her size. I have been told that 35ft is a bit small for a steel boat due to disproportionate weight. I suspect she'd need a fair bit of wind to get her going - is this fair or am I being pessimistic?

What are the maintenance aspects of living with a steel boat vs. plastic? Seacocks, galvanic problems etc?

How do compasses cope in practice? I'm thinking hand bearing + self steering as well as the main compass.

Any other points I should know about?
 
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Have an ultrasound done on the hull before buying. Be careful though some surveyors use kit that also incudes the thickness of the paint (I don't think they realise that) a few have kit that takes out the paint. Most steel boats hulls are three to four mm thick, if some areas are less than that walk away. Hand bearing compasses are fine if you stand up, steel boats use fluxgate compasses. Seacocks should be Marelon. Maintenance is quite high because sooner or later you will get some corrosion often caused by chipped paint or scrapes when docking.

If you aren't going long distance sailing don't buy a steel boat. The reason for buying steel for long distance is because it's only a matter of time before you hit something or something hits you. We got hit twice, the first time it would have punched a hole in a GRP boat.
 
Back in the 90s I cruised for 7 years on a 20 year old steel boat. The bad news is that steel rusts and the work of keeping the rust at bay takes more time than it would on a GRP boat.

But there were two incidents when I was very glad that my heavy slow steel boat was seriously strong, the second would have sunk a GRP boat.
 
http://www.dixdesign.com/pr35.htm

Horses for courses to some extent. Depends on what you are going to do with her & where you're going to sail.

Ive owned a steel ketch for 7 years. RT just over 8 ton but more likely nearer 10 ton. She is immaculate in every sense
because thats the way I keep her.
Maintenance requires a bit more work than a plassy boat for sure .
Rust is NOT a problem as long as you keep on top of it and deal with it as soon as you notice it.
Your weight is about right.
Wind, we need around 10kts to make it worth while raising a sail.
Compasses not a problem. Self steering not a problem.

You will get the doom & gloom merchants telling you to stay clear and repeat their horror stories with plenty of examples.
Yes there are many, as there are plastic, but if you choose a boat that has been looked after & well maintained, and you are going to keep her that way, then the benefits of a steel hull are many,.
Brings confidence just knowing that if you should hit a floating object, at sea, at night, you might just get dented, where as that same object would more than likely sink a plassy boat :D Have heard of it happening, but never to a steel boat :D

Do NOT be put off by the plastic brigade. :D
 
KellysEye said:
Maintenance is quite high because sooner or later you will get some corrosion often caused by chipped paint or scrapes when docking.

If you aren't going long distance sailing don't buy a steel boat. The reason for buying steel for long distance is because it's only a matter of time before you hit something or something hits you. We got hit twice, the first time it would have punched a hole in a GRP boat.
Click to expand...

Chips & scrapes when 'berthing' ?? Only if your carp at steering. Has never has happened to me.

Cant make head nor tail of your other comments.
 
I have a Dix Hout Bay 33. Yes, there are maintenance issues with steel, but I enjoy the maintenance as part of my relationship with my boat. Every interface between steel and another material is a potential problem area for rust, as different materials expand/contract at different rates as temperature changes. for that reason my boat has minimum timber externally, and what there is is painted not varnished. Windows can leak for the same reason.
As others have said, deffo have an ultrasound survey. Steel can easily be repaired, but you really need to be able to access the interior of the hull plating to check for corrosion. A steel boat should be insulated down to the waterline, preferably with sprayed closed-cell foam. Have a good look at the bilge area, as steel can rust from the inside as well as the outside.
Dix designs usually have the engine amidships under the galley, so access can be 'challenging', as in keyhole surgery!
Dix specifies stout rigs with good sail area, and my vessel is a good sea-boat in a blow, I've never felt in danger yet.
He usually puts the heads aft near the companionway where it belongs, he incorporates lots of good ideas.

Some of my comments are Dix specific, but might be useful if you look at the boat you mention.
 
>Chips & scrapes when 'berthing' ?? Only if your carp at steering. Has never has happened to me.

Going on a pontoon in strong cross winds or worse strong downwind winds is a nightmare for any boat, but most boats don't sail in strong winds, long distance boats do and can arrive in them. Try it.
 
Sandyman said:
http://www.dixdesign.com/pr35.htm

Horses for courses to some extent. Depends on what you are going to do with her & where you're going to sail.

Ive owned a steel ketch for 7 years. RT just over 8 ton but more likely nearer 10 ton. She is immaculate in every sense
because thats the way I keep her.
Maintenance requires a bit more work than a plassy boat for sure .
Rust is NOT a problem as long as you keep on top of it and deal with it as soon as you notice it.
Your weight is about right.
Wind, we need around 10kts to make it worth while raising a sail.
Compasses not a problem. Self steering not a problem.

You will get the doom & gloom merchants telling you to stay clear and repeat their horror stories with plenty of examples.
Yes there are many, as there are plastic, but if you choose a boat that has been looked after & well maintained, and you are going to keep her that way, then the benefits of a steel hull are many,.
Brings confidence just knowing that if you should hit a floating object, at sea, at night, you might just get dented, where as that same object would more than likely sink a plassy boat :D Have heard of it happening, but never to a steel boat :D

Do NOT be put off by the plastic brigade. :D
Click to expand...

Sorry if my post was a bit doom and gloom as well - Just wanted to show what happens when not keeping to a strict maintenance scheme.
Most important point for me to make was to get the hull gauged, because there are some badly maintained ones out there (as there are of other materials as well).
A well maintained one might be just what the OP is looking for..
/Joms
 
Having had steel boats for over 30 years if you look after them they are not a problem.If I was buying a second hand one before I got a surveyor involved I would take up all the access points to the hull and look inside the hull if its badly rusted don't bother with a surveyor and walk away.
 
Thanks everyone, lots of good info there. Current owner has a recent thickness survey that seems very good.

Fluxgate compass - they're still sensing magnetic field - so where is it usually mounted - masthead?
How does the binnacle compass manage, just careful swinging?
Do steel boats have problems with compasses or is this not an issue in practice?
 
I had the fluxgate compass for the AP mounted about 8 ft up the mizzen. No probs.

The hand bearing and RDF compasses worked fine if I was standing up.

The main compass was a Sestrel Moore. After the compass adjustor was finished the max deviation was 3 degrees.

Little know danger with steel boats, if you are struck by lightning your boat is likely to be magnetised. This totally ****s up the compass. Mine pointed to east regardless of heading. The AP fluxgate on the mizzen was not much efffected
 
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Regarding compass errors I would think in this day of GPS compass error is not a real problem.
However I would not buy a steel boat. If only for resale problems. There is a good reason why so many boats are built of GRP. In fact around here not many boats are built of GRP simply because the old ones are still fine so there is no replacement trade. After a mad building rush in the 70s and 80s.
I love GRP it certainly does not rust. So make the financial plunge to a AWB you will at least be able to sell it again and I don't think you will be disappointed compared to steel. olewill
 
If the boat has been epoxy coated inside and out from new the maintenance is no more arduous than on GRP and it won't get osmosis or burn down to the water-line. In fact steel is the only material that will withstand a serious fire at sea.
 
>Current owner has a recent thickness survey that seems very good.

Be absolutely sure the paint wasn't measured too, anything over 3mm is paint and might hide corrosion or it's steel and corrosion.

Fluxgate compass - so where is it usually mounted

Often in the middle of the boat - beam and length.

>How does the binnacle compass manage, just careful swinging?

We swung our magnetic compass when at anchor and the wind was going round 360 degrees every 3 to 4 minutes. We made notes of the readings on fluxgate compass and the magnetic compass. We made a devation list and only two headings were the same and some of the deviations were awesome.

> before I got a surveyor involved I would take up all the access points to the hull and look inside the hull if its badly rusted don't bother with a surveyor and walk away.

Good advice, we went as far as taking the water tanks out to check for corrosion.
 
PCUK said:
If the boat has been epoxy coated inside and out from new the maintenance is no more arduous than on GRP and it won't get osmosis or burn down to the water-line. In fact steel is the only material that will withstand a serious fire at sea.
Click to expand...
Suspect the reputation of steel boats is influenced by the fact that many are neither well built, nor well maintained, so they end up like the one in the blog posted earlier!
 
PCUK said:
If the boat has been epoxy coated inside and out from new the maintenance is no more arduous than on GRP
Click to expand...

It's certainly a good start, but I can't agree with "no more arduous than GRP". You're always going to have to maintain that coating, repairing any damage and scratches before rust takes a hold. With solid GRP, repairing scratches is a purely aesthetic thing - if you don't care about looks, then maintenance of the hull itself is zero.

Pete
 
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