Sticky Fingers
Well-known member
Good Q, but TBH I don't remember. Would have been couple of K on the back of a lorry back then. I chickened out due to the (now obvious) levels of commitment, time, skill needed. Just as well.
Steel boat build - Almarine 1200fa
- Thread starter JOHNPEET
- Start date
colhel
Well-known member
If its any consolation my friends boat Bruce Roberts took over 15 years and that's with hired help. This was a 53ft version mind you, twin aft cabins both with ensuite and a level of finish that would put many production boat to shame and its coded for charter up to the Arctic.
Mr Googler
Well-known member
Get your friend to do a thread too! ??
Sticky Fingers
Well-known member
They vary enormously in quality, and 15 years doesn't sound out of order .... ! There was an MBY article last year about one. too, built in a warehouse. Epic DIY stuff, I'm in awe really. Just pleased I came to my senses...
Sticky Fingers
Well-known member
Good idea!
Bouba
Well-known member
It’s always amazing to see someone do a project that you think you could do...but know that you couldn’tThey vary enormously in quality, and 15 years doesn't sound out of order .... ! There was an MBY article last year about one. too, built in a warehouse. Epic DIY stuff, I'm in awe really. Just pleased I came to my senses...
And it’s not just the cost or the logistics or the skills...sometimes it is as simple as knowing that you couldn’t stay healthy enough over the long haul...back goes...shoulders go...knees go..assembling five tons of steel can give your body a workout..hat off to JohnPeet?
Mr Googler
Well-known member
It probably hurts his shoulders when he has to take his hat off these days
JOHNPEET
Well-known member
So at this stage now, the basic hull was nearing completion. It was time to start thinking about other steel detailing that was not included within the steel kit, but was necessary to provide a completed boat.
These included:
Fly bridge helm console
Lockers on the aft deck to the rear of the fly bridge
Pod mounts for bollards on the port and starboard bow
Pod mount for a stem head fitting and windlass
Further detailing of any square edge plate with 1” pipe (around the flybridge) and 10mm solid bar (scupper linings, radar arch edge trim) etc
After finishing the radar arch, I then had to cut it off so that it could be hinged for eventual road transport. The two faces that meet on the hinge are formed from 316L stainless 50mm x 5mm flat bar and are epoxy coated. If the coatings on these faces chip - there shouldn’t be any corrosion hopefully.
Again - just touching on the galvanic corrosion issue and avoiding situations where the epoxy coatings can become damaged at square edge corners etc - there isn’t a single bolt or screw on the exterior of boat which holding anything on (apart from the windlass I think) All items of equipment are fixed to stainless steel which is then TIG welded to the mild steel hull with the epoxy coatings brought 20mm onto the stainless.
In a similar vein, I also have a minimal number of through hull assemblies:
Below the waterline:
Holding tank pump out (WCs only discharge to the holding tank)
Port sea water intake - feeds port engine only
Starboard sea water intake - feeds starboard engine, generator and 2 x WC flush
2 x drive shafts
2 x rudder shafts
Above the waterline:
2 x engine exhausts
Generator exhaust
2 x side deck drains which are also manifolded for all other pump outs
Heater exhaust
These included:
Fly bridge helm console
Lockers on the aft deck to the rear of the fly bridge
Pod mounts for bollards on the port and starboard bow
Pod mount for a stem head fitting and windlass
Further detailing of any square edge plate with 1” pipe (around the flybridge) and 10mm solid bar (scupper linings, radar arch edge trim) etc
After finishing the radar arch, I then had to cut it off so that it could be hinged for eventual road transport. The two faces that meet on the hinge are formed from 316L stainless 50mm x 5mm flat bar and are epoxy coated. If the coatings on these faces chip - there shouldn’t be any corrosion hopefully.
Again - just touching on the galvanic corrosion issue and avoiding situations where the epoxy coatings can become damaged at square edge corners etc - there isn’t a single bolt or screw on the exterior of boat which holding anything on (apart from the windlass I think) All items of equipment are fixed to stainless steel which is then TIG welded to the mild steel hull with the epoxy coatings brought 20mm onto the stainless.
In a similar vein, I also have a minimal number of through hull assemblies:
Below the waterline:
Holding tank pump out (WCs only discharge to the holding tank)
Port sea water intake - feeds port engine only
Starboard sea water intake - feeds starboard engine, generator and 2 x WC flush
2 x drive shafts
2 x rudder shafts
Above the waterline:
2 x engine exhausts
Generator exhaust
2 x side deck drains which are also manifolded for all other pump outs
Heater exhaust
JOHNPEET
Well-known member
The tube in to the chain locker for the chain is 316L stainless, again to hope avoid corrosion issues with damaged coatings.
JOHNPEET
Well-known member
I mentioned in one of my previous posts that prior to final welding of the windscreen panel, I had to lift in the larger items of kit that wouldn’t be able to be passed through a single window opening or the cabin entry. So today’s photos are of the fuel tanks being constructed and installed. The tanks were fabricated from 4mm mild steel with the mill scale ground off (horrible job!) They have internal baffles as can be seen with an access hatch in to each section. The access hatches can each now be accessed through access points in the saloon floor for inspection and or cleaning. The tanks are coated with Jotun’s 2 pack Tankguard - inside and out. The tanks were fabricated upside down with what would be the upper half finished and coated first, then turned over and the tank bottoms welded on with the internal sections coated through the inspection hatches. The tanks were tested/pressurised with a few pounds of compressed air prior to the external coating being applied. Each tank has two connections low down - drain and balance pipe. All other inlets and outlets are on the top of the tanks.
The section of the hull was coated with four coats of Jotun’s Jotamastic 87 in alternating colours as an aid to making sure no bits were missed prior to installing the tanks. The tanks have doubler plates welded on at the attachment points to help spread the load. The tanks have a strip of neoprene rubber as a slight cushion where they sit on the hull frames and the stainless steel fixing bolts have nylon shouldered washers to prevent the bolt coming into contact with the hull and tank steel. The tanks hold about 450litres each.
The section of the hull was coated with four coats of Jotun’s Jotamastic 87 in alternating colours as an aid to making sure no bits were missed prior to installing the tanks. The tanks have doubler plates welded on at the attachment points to help spread the load. The tanks have a strip of neoprene rubber as a slight cushion where they sit on the hull frames and the stainless steel fixing bolts have nylon shouldered washers to prevent the bolt coming into contact with the hull and tank steel. The tanks hold about 450litres each.
Greg2
Well-known member
I am really enjoying this write up of what is an incredible project. Having spent the winter finishing off a mini-refit of our boat, with a week off work flat out every day recently, I am feeling the aches and pains that are an inevitable consequence of the disconnect between my brain and body when it comes to thinking of my age. Keeping up twenty odd hours a week on top of everything else for a prolonged period is most impressive. Oh, and the quality of the work looks to be excellent too! ???
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Bouba
Well-known member
This I found most interesting as I’m doing a mini thread on fuel tank repairs myself....good fuel tank access (especially to each side of the tank and the ability to remove a tank without disassembling the boat is a very good idea)
JOHNPEET
Well-known member
Yes, I’m following your fuel tank repair thread. Looking forward to seeing the photos of the actual leak, to understand how and why this has occurred.
I have good access in to the tanks to inspect and clean the however, if i had to repair one, then I would have to remove an engine up into the saloon, but not out of the boat. A mini gantry in the saloon would suffice for that. I’m hoping not to have to go there!
Mr Googler
Well-known member
Sorry….must correct you…..”Fuel tank repair avoidance thread“ is the correct term
JOHNPEET
Well-known member
Ok, so I’m sure that many will see the content of today’s instalment as being controversial! But I did say at the beginning, that I have made many decisions and choices that others would not agree with or have made! This one was on the basis of the available budget and having something that was affordable to maintain and being able to undertake that maintenance myself and no electronics or complicated control systems. Yes, of course I’m aware of the short comings of these engines and the parts availability situation.
Engines - Perkins HT6.354 came out of a boat in Chichester. Stripped down to the last nut and bolt and rebuilt by myself. Test run (off load obviously) prior to installation. I also rebuilt the BW gear boxes too but later decided to swap them out for a pair of PRM500 at 2:1 reduction. The engines are not contra rotation, so one of the gear boxes is configured to run the opposite way and I have handed props.
Engines - Perkins HT6.354 came out of a boat in Chichester. Stripped down to the last nut and bolt and rebuilt by myself. Test run (off load obviously) prior to installation. I also rebuilt the BW gear boxes too but later decided to swap them out for a pair of PRM500 at 2:1 reduction. The engines are not contra rotation, so one of the gear boxes is configured to run the opposite way and I have handed props.
JOHNPEET
Well-known member
The first engine is shown in a temporary position here. They were moved a number of times whilst mounts were sorted and the bays painted out with the usual multiple coats of Jotamastic 87.
Bouba
Well-known member
John, you are obviously a handy guy to have around...I have a spare room in my basement...would you like to live with me?
JOHNPEET
Well-known member
?? It seems that my Boatywife doesn’t think that would be a good idea as apparently, I have 11 years of house and garden neglect to catch up with - starting very soon! ???
Bouba
Well-known member
But your wife and my wife sound exactly the same....we could be a match made in heaven?? It seems that my Boatywife doesn’t think that would be a good idea as apparently, I have 11 years of house and garden neglect to catch up with - starting very soon! ???
Hurricane
Well-known member
This is all truly amazing.
Fantastic.
Fantastic.
