I sure cannot figure out why some people insist on such heavy,
slow boats made out of maintenance intensive steel and impossible
to repair copper, nickel. Maybe one could melt down a bunch
of five-cent coins and get the hull cheaper.

Bottom line is nothing beats plain old fiberglass with polyester resin
when it comes to strength, longevity and maintenance free operation.

S.Simon


"Joe" wrote in message om...
Scout wrote in message . ..
Check out Scientific American (Oct 2003) article "Alchemy of a
Supermetal" A new process for wresting pure titanium from ore may
soon make the affordable titanium hull and other sailboat components a
reality. The pure form of the ninth most common element on earth is
expensive now only because of the chemical reduction process currently
used to extract it. A few bright metallurgists at Cambridge have
found a significantly easier way to produce it. The challenge now is
to produce it in commercial volume. Might be worth investing.
Scout


Titanium might be nice hull material. But my next boat will be made of
90-10 copper nickle. One called Pretty Penny launched in 1979 and
never hauled
until 1995. No growth barnicales or loss of metal at all. A perfect
hull.

She is stillperfect and moored in the river Swale, at Uplees off the
Thames
estuary in the UK if anyone wants to see a maintenance free boat.

Still you need deep pockets, It cost about 10 times the cost of Steel.

It's all in Bruce Roberts Book The complete guide to Metal Boats;
McGraw Hill

Joe
MSV RedCloud......Made of the finest English Steel money could buy!