HarryKrause ) wrote:
: Gene Kearns wrote:
: On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 12:28:49 GMT, "Butch Davis"
: wrote:
: .
: At the time he finished the project he told me it was about four times as
: much work and expense as he had estimated when he began. He told me he
: would never again try to restore a ferrocement boat and that he believed it
: would have been cheaper, faster and easier to start from scratch with a new
: armature.
:
:
: I can't imagine delving into such a repair without significant and
: expensive NDI equipment. How one could determine the condition of the
: "ferro" inside the cement without such is beyond me.... and *not*
: determining it would yield a finished job with no guarantee of
: structural integrity.
:
: There would be enough challenges involved in restoring a fiberglass or
: wooden boat... if you just need a hobby.
:
: If you want to actually go boating.... get a fixer upper. Come to
: think of it, even a new boat, trailer, motor combination has enough
: upkeep to classify as a hobby....
:
: ...YMMV....



: I cannot imagine why anyone would want to build or buy a ferrocement
: tub. Wood is the way to go, if your starting from scratch, and several
: posters here and in other boating groups have shared great photos and
: stories with us of boats they have built of wood, wood-epoxy, wood
: sheathed in fiberglass and fiberglass. Even if you want to build a
: honking big sailboat, you can buy a fiberglass hull, finish it off, and
: have a nice boat.

I think I would like the stability a heavy boat would offer. It would be a
much nicer ride I think. There are lots of pros and cons though.

Tom

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