Surveying a steel hulled boat

[HarlenW]

Considering a 40 year old steel hulled DeFever 42' trawler. Got some questions:

Just focusing on the hull, is it reasonably likely that the hull is in good condition given appropriate maintenance over the years?

What are areas of special concern that I should look out for with a steel hull?

Do I need to find a specially skilled surveyor to do the hull or would most surveyors be able to evaluate it? (Also asked this in the ATC forum)

Thanks!

 

[Kahuna]

I own a 44 YO steel boat. Find a surveyor who knows steel boats. Be with him during the survey. Have the hull ultra sounded. Crawl through the entire bottom of the hull and inspect everything! A steel boat will rust from inside- out. The good thing is, repair is not difficult to do. If replating is required, cut out the bad and replace, Don't overplate.

 

[Al_Prisco]

HarlenW,

Tim has it right. Make sure the surveyor has the equipment to do the job right!

 

[fmoor]

quote:

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Originally posted by HarlenW

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The last 3 steel boats I was involved with the owners and buyers found that all insurance companies were required an initial ultrasound then one every two years. Someone mentioned cutting out.. I agree with this, cut out ,weld in but don't grind down the welds. This violates USCG regulation (law) you are not allowed grind weld beads to smooth the hull.. Ultrasounding can be expensive. The process is to lay out the bottom in a 1 square foot grid, then remove the paint down to the metal where the probe will be , usually a round spinning brush in a drill about 1 inch in diameter. You then then take your measurements.. determine the average thickness, unless you have the build schedule for the vessel. Any thin spots (less than 10% of the nominal thickness must be re-plated. so quarter inch .250 can go down to .225 inch.
Then the bottom resounded again to verify the repairs before it is repainted. One owner (pur-purchase) refused to have any paint removed as this is destructive testing. My website (front page of www.yachtsurv.com) shows some pictures of a screwdriver that with just my hand went through into the sea chests.. this ended it right there as I found another 5 areas of serious concern, so did no sounding and we went no further.. the purchaser walked. Of course the owner didn't want this boat tested.. he already knew..

Make sure you have proper active anti galvanic devices on the boat.

If you find area's of concern make sure what is on the other side before you go any further.. one boat had thin plates below each fuel tanks (2000 each side), the tanks had about 1/4" between the bottom and hull so they had to be empties and filled full with water or removed before welding below them.. This again adds to the expense. Not hard but you need to know that you are getting into.

Steel boats are not a problem again the lack of detail on proper grounding and galvanic protection and careless owners which kills them.. .. Fred

 

[HarlenW]

Thanks, Fred, your information was very helpful. I went to your web site which was also quite informative.

Your “Pre-offer Inspection” was very interesting, I have thought that this would be helpful even for a local boat that I was interested in. Unfortunately, you are located at the opposite end of the country for me to utilize your services.

Thanks again for the insights.

 

[thataway4]

I would think that an airplane ticket and a couple of days time for a top surveyor would be well worth it. Definately the boat must be guaged. I advised a person against buying a certain steel boat--but he purchased it anyway; it was a bargin. He engaged a delivary skipper I suggested, who found that the boat was manafestly unstable, and the engine was basically shot. The boat came from fresh water, and down the Columbia River. By the time it got to San Franscisco--the engine had to be replaced. The delivary skipper felt that the boat was unsafe to take further because of obvious problem with the steel hull. The owner persisted, got another delivary skipper and last I heard the boat's bottom was being replated in Mazatalan, Mexico. The repairs by that time far exceeded the origional cost of the boat. I believe that the boat was sold in Mexico and the buyer declared bankrupty. Yes, this is a horror story. But this can happen in an older steel boat.

I have a friend who has a Corten Steel boat circia 1955--she has multiple thin areas--each year when they haul, the owner takes an 8 lb sledge and if the plates dent, the overweld, mild steel over the Corten--this is also a formula for disaster. So far they have survived, but I suspect at some point this boat will sink.

The points are that 40 years ago, steel boats may not have been built as well as they are today. Coatings are not as good. I am aware of a local builder, who blasts each plate when it arrives in his yard. The plate is epoxy primer coated, and as it is welded in place, the epoxy is ground off at the weld areas, and then the bare areas are recoated. There are no frames which will catch water in any place. These boats last a long time. I was told a long time ago--never drill a hole into a steel boat, weld onto it. If the metal is bared, immediately coat it.

Defever is an excellent designer. However, his boats were built in many yards--some excellent--some not as good. You also need to know the history of the build and maintaince. Good luck--spend the money up front to be sure before buying! This boat has to be "Atlas". She looks like she has been constantly upgraded--but for that same $$ there are comperable and newer glass boats--but my bias is showing...!

 

[HarlenW]

Thanks, Bob for the good information. “Atlas” it is and I looked at her but decided to pass. She needed a lot of cosmetic work and the feedback I received here overall made me hesitant on a steel boat of this age.