"ray lunder" wrote in message
Anyone owned a steel hulled sailboat in the 40 foot range and have
some advice on what to look for when buying one?

Yes, of course.
Get hull sonogram when the boat is surveyed. A surveyor who is
knowledgable about steel hulls (and you might consider a commercial/
industrial surveyor, not a yacht surveyor) will know this without
being prompted.


"Steve Lusardi" wrote:
First I have a real problem with anyone responding to queries when they have
no experience or specific knowledge of the subject and yet it happens all
the time in these use groups. Out of all the responders to your query only
Ken Marino should have responded.


So, you know everybody that might be on the internet today or in the
near future? You know all their qualifications and their sailing/
cruising history?

For the benefit of all, steel boats offer the most for the least.

No they don't. That's absurd.

.... The last is ugly, yes, they can be, but they don't have to
be. Did you ever see an ugly Super yacht?


Yes, many. Rich people can have just as poor judgement & taste in
yacht aesthetics as anybody else, and they are in position to indulge
their whims more.

However, you're correct that steel yachts don't have to be ugly.
Ranger (along with most of the J-class) was built of steel, and she
was beautiful.

Steel boats go away from the inside. Condensation is the killer.

Yep

.... The inside of the hull must be sprayed with insulation material.
There are a few materials that work, but not many. The first is polyurethane
foam, another is special cork based materials. All others are suspect and
due dilligence and scrutany is required.

*all* is suspect, even the proper materials can be installed with (or
age can create) a slight air gap that will quickly form a rust pocket.

.... Another problem area is teak decks.

Agreed again, but then I have always had heretical opinions of teak
decks since having some real experience sailing on them.


I could write a book on that subject alone.

No doubt. You've already written at least a chapter.

.... The last area to be mindful of
is dissimilar materials, potential electrolysis and the electrical wiring
system.

Yep.

Hulls that have not violated these very basic rules will outlive you.

Wrong. Maybe you're thinking of a shorter life span than most of us
would be considering reasonable? Or maybe you're one of those folks
that think the U.S. Navy doesn't know anything about steel hull
construction or maintenance, but I suggest you ask them about what the
useful hull life is. They have more experience than anybody... just
about more than everybody else combined.

Steel hulls, given the right sort of great care, can be as long-lived
as wooden boats. We don't know exactly how long, because there are
examples of wooden boats in the 200+ age range and steel ones in the
100+ age range. However you might consider the amount of expert work
they require to achieve that.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King