Steel Yachts ?

[redbreast]

Hi all, we are curently looking at a Fuller 50 (New Zealand) built and designed boat , which we are very impressed with after an extensive sea trial, but have a couple of questions re Steel boats , she is only 3 years old has been proffesionally built in a reputable boat yard in New Zealand and had all the sand blasting and cleaning done on the steel work prior to having primers and various paint layers applied to the inside . Then the boat has had a layer of insulating foam applied direct to the hull. Should we be conserned about purchase of a steel boat and re sale value re again pros and cons of a stel boat. The inside hull and stringers all look imaculate, clean and dry. Any views please.
Steve

 

[castlevar]

Sounds good I would recomend a steel boat we have a long range trawler yacht steel .
If something bad happens and you end up on rocks you will walk away not the same if it was plastic.

 

[NornaBiron]

Hi Steve, a few things to check: is the paint 2-pack epoxy (preferable for longevity); plate thickness (hull and deck); welding on stringers and ribs (if they've been tack-welded there is a possibility of corrosion in later life); the deck, especially if teak, for corrosion (often occurs underneath the wood in later life).

We have a 25 year old, 50 foot steel yacht (commissioned in 1992ish) and in our opinion she is in excellent condition, thanks largely due to the original owner's care and attention during building, fit out and sailing. We are spray foamed down to the water line and suffer minimal condensation.

We'd recommend a steel boat every time, but be prepared to put the work in to keep her in good condition.

 

[oakum]

Hi - just googled "Fuller 50 yacht" and it came back with boat in nz - nice looking boat - spacious - uncluttered below - nice! Agree with everything above - can you reach all interior parts of the hull? I ask 'cos with the best will in the world there will be areas that trap moisture and can start the rot, and it is oh so much easier if you have good access.

Engine compatments are notorious for inaccessibilty, as are deep bilges - plus obvious places like head and galley. Be sure you can get to these places and check them as a matter of routine. Don't let any of these things put you off, just be aware of them and act accordingly - and enjoy the sense of safety that a steel boat gives you over wood or plastic.

 

[srm]

As mentioned above it all depends on the type of internal paint work "as steel boats rust from the inside" - something I have learnt the hard way. A good looking paint coat at 3 years old could be an expensive problem at 10 years, or may still be as good as new depending on the materials. Its relatively easy to blast and paint the outside, but almost impossible to do a proper job inside without stripping out all furniture and fittings back to a bare hull.

Having owned one steel boat for 15 years, and all but giving it away due to hull plates wasting from the inside in inaccessible areas my subsequent boats have been GRP.

 

[pohopetch]

NZ built steel yachts are generally pretty good but the occasional home built one will have skimped on the paint work so do check this inside and out. Around 1/3 rd of NZ'ers and Aussies cruising in the Pacific choose steel boats (note that is not 1/3 of offshore boats leaving NZ as most coming from Europe or US via NZ are not steel). A steel hull can take a heck of pounding on a reef with no damage and drag herself off in one piece.

In the last 2 years of our cruising in the South Pacific, of the 10 or 12 yachts wrecked/lost in the area that we heard of, none were steel with the split 25:75 between GRP and ferro. Prices are generally lower for a steel yacht compared to the same size GRP simply because of the lower demand for blue water yachts compared to coastal cruisers, so you buy and sell cheaper, but can take longer to sell. However most are also much better equipped that the GRP equivalent because they have generally been through the NZ Category 1 offshore check which is very strict both for the boat and the equipment.

Our only issue in the 5 years we have had our 43ft steel Ganley NZ built sloop was that initially it was over zinced which caused some bubbles in the bottom paint. This was cured by removing zincs and grinding out and repainting the affected spots and has not occurred again. I have spent 2 or 3 days per annum doing spot painting, or overcoating on the deck and topsides to keep things tidy - not a huge effort when you are cruising.

Good luck with her!
(currently in northern PNG about to head for Japan/Alaska)