Joe wrote:
Herreshoff must be one of thoses dummies bashing into things and going
where bullits fly.


Actually, Herreshoff built a number of steel boats for the U.S. Navy.

So in other words, yep.

Rust is not a problem. It is easier and cheaper to fix than any
fiberglass problem. Thats the facts.

Except that fiberglass can be fixed for good, and does not degrade... a
problem of disposal more than anything else.

Steel will eventually deteriorate to powder.


Your distain of steel is due to your mental images of past morrons
abusing and using steel in ways that rub you wrong.

No, my "distain" (overdue for a scrubbing?) of steel comes from it's
basic engineering properties. It's nice for building bridges out of, or
large commercial ships, but it is too heavy for smaller vessels.

Please note that the America's Cup racers you'd like to point to as an
example of fine steel construction were
1- all very much larger than your boat
2- all built before WW2 when modern materials were not available
3- mostly scrapped very soon after
4- the very few surviving have been entirely rebuilt.

Shortly after recommissioning Endeavor, Elizabeth Meyers pointed to the
transom of Ranger hanging in the main salon and said, "We could have
named the rebuilt boat 'Ranger' since there's just as much of Ranger in
her as Endeavor."



... with
todays epoxies and coatings... steel is the best all around material
for building any vessel.


I don't believe that for a second. The coatings have to be perfectly
applied in the perfect environment to be effective in the long run, and
any slight nick or scratch will destroy them.

You forget Joe, I work around a lot of steel structures and equipment...
rust is a perpetual headache.


But I must admit... Upkeep of a steel boat is almost as labor
intensive as a plastic boat.


Yeah, "almost" like a horseshoe or a hand grenade

But hey, steel makes a great Faraday cage so you don't have to wear your
tinfoil beanie 24/7

DSK