The Offshore Voyaging Reference Site

Thinking About a Steel Boat?

For a long time I dreamed of a steel yacht as the ideal ocean cruiser, so much so that I came very close to having one built and looked at many boats on the second-hand market. It was a dispiriting experience in many ways, as amongst the builders there seemed to be complete disagreement on how to keep the paint on and rust at bay, the Achilles heel of steel boats. This was in turn borne out by inspecting many used boats, where the theories proposed by the different builders all seemed to fall down. Every one of them had a rust problem.

Then a revelation

In 2003, my crew and I were sitting in the tiny harbour at Portrush in Northern Ireland, when a yacht appeared in the entrance and made its way to join us on the two-boat pontoon. We helped them alongside, and I found myself looking with increasing interest at this new arrival. Obviously steel, and beautifully built with a host of custom features, she was a beauty, and not a rust streak in sight.


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Wim Vandenbossche

I have sailed on steel boats in a professional capacity. Whilst sturdy, etc… they DO require a lot of maintenance. When you find that you have some time on your hands, there’s always some rust to chip away at.
Like teak decks, a good idea in principal, but not really ideal for the average couple out cruising.
That’s why we opted for a GRP boat. My only regret with that choice is that it will limit our high latitude cruising. However, my wife does not share this regret as she much prefers cruising in warmer climes.

Colin

Hi Wim

Well, it’s the same with aluminium – they definitely require more input from the owner.

What’s intriguing about this boat is that she isn’t new – any boat can look good when new – but that she wears the miles so well. And I’m sure that we’ll all learn a lot about how you can make that possible in this series.

Best wishes

Colin

Wim Vandenbossche

Horses for courses, I suppose.

Whilst sailing on that steel ketch, we had an ample supply of officer cadets to chip away at the rust and to paint.
However, the maintenance would IMHO require quite a lot of self-dicipline from an averag cruising couple.

A love of sailing and cruising does not necesarily equate to an equal love of maintenance.

Jerry Levy

I bought a used steel boat a few years ago. If you want a used, relatively small, metal boat, the choices available in aluminum – especially in North America – are very limited. (huge understatement). The choices for steel are somewhat better, but – of course – very small relative to what’s available in plastic. It took me a year of searching before I found the boat I wanted.

The maintenance is a bit more but I personally find it easier and more pleasant to do than what is required for a glass boat. Rust shouldn’t be a big deal – you see it, you grind out the rust spots, you put Ospho or an alternative on, and then you paint. Pretty simple – usually – in practice.

Where rust isn’t the problem but the topsides or deck need a touch-up repainting, it couldn’t be easier. I’ve found it to be less time-consuming and less physical than waxing the topsides. Of course, untreated topsides on an aluminum hull would be even better – but barring something like a win at Lotto (unlikely, since I don’t play) it’s unlikely I’ll buy an aluminum boat. To buy ANY boat which is NEW – even a “Model T” – is beyond my financial means. But, no matter, my current boat works for me.

Colin

Hi Jerry

It’s the same in the UK – were it not for French builders there would be no aluminium boats at all.

I take your points about keeping on top of the paint – I’ve had the brush out today – and would prefer an unpainted aluminium boat, but steel can look good like Caitlin, and that’s good too.

Steel has many things going for it – and if it works for you, then you’re by no means alone.

Best wishes

Colin

RDE (Richard Elder)

All steel boats are not created equal as the little sweetheart Caitlin proves! In the Pacific Northwest, a company named Amazon built a series of 38 & 44′ sailboats about 20 years ago in Vancouver BC, many of which still look like new. Over on Vancouver Island, Waterline Yachts builds superb boats, properly coated and insulated. Both are round bilge designs indistinguishable from glass. If you are from North America and looking for a steel boat I’d give careful consideration to one of these.

At the Seattle boat show two years ago there was a Waterline 48 about 5 years old sitting alongside the newly announced Oyster 54. If I were given the choice of one or the other til death do us part, I’d choose the 5 year old Waterline, even though the Oyster is twice as expensive. And that is no knock on the Oyster, especially now that they have corrected the little niggling annoyances that I hated on the earlier 53′ design.

Colin

Charlie and John

Treadmaster is great stuff – until you come to replace it. It has to be one of the worst jobs in the world. But it’s super grippy material, and has to be one of the safest non-slip materials there is. The only other drawback I recall from IOR racing days (it was a popular deck finish) was the dreaded ‘gunwale bum’ from sitting on it for hours on end as human ballast on the sidedeck – but that’s another story….

We have recently changed our antifouling from Trilux 33 to Seajet Emperor 034. We haven’t launched yet, so nothing to report so far, but once we’ve had a chance to evaluate it we’ll do so.

Best wishes

Colin

Derek

I will follow this series with interest. I have looked at steel boats on and off for years but could never get my head around the rust issues and related maintenance headache as well. Aluminum is also intriguing and I would prefer a metal boat for high latitude cruising. However, like Wim, my wife has ruled that out!
This has led us to focus on finding another glass boat and we just purchased her. We spent two years searching for the right one, which is about average for us. Coincidentally, our new (to us) boat is an Oyster 53….! As we are just figuring her out – and without getting too far off topic – I would be very interested to hear of the “hated annoyances” in the design that Richard mentioned.
Cheers.
Derek

RDE (Richard Elder)

O no, the dreaded foot in mouth disease!
Fortunately the little annoyances on the 53 are relatively easy to fix. The boat itself is a tank.
1- Start with a major hand hold upgrade throughout the boat. You should be able to move anywhere in the interior with one hand on a secure hand hold. Can your wife, or even you reach the one on the saloon ceiling? Are the companionway handholds properly placed? Getting thrown out of the galley and landing on the chart table is not pleasant. You’ll thank me when you cross the Gulf Stream….
2- Take out every little custom Oyster cabinet hook and throw it overboard. That way when you use the forward head while crossing the Gulf Stream you won’t have a bloody hole in your thigh where the protruding hook embeds itself.

I could go on, but you are already half there…..

Derek

Richard,

Great stuff! Many thanks for the insight and I will work on those improvements. The wife is “vertically challenged” so no way can she reach any of the ceiling handholds.

We are also in the PNW (Seattle).

Cheers.

Derek

RDE (Richard Elder)

Hi Derek,

I’m near Jackson Wyoming, but plan to be in the Seattle area sometime in the next 30 days. If you feel it would be useful I could conduct an offshore preparedness survey, describe my Oyster 53 recommendations. do a few napkin sketches etc.

Fair winds,
Richard
moc.xobni@ratsnoziroh