WOW AWESOME video you definitely would be a good person to take with someone to buy a boat! There are so many things that will suffice after you buy a boat. When buying a boat always make an offer that is insulting to the seller. And then assume you will have to put that much money into fixing your new old boat. You definitely got an awesome experience fixing your boat. Again good video!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. It has been a painful yet valuable learning experience that has helped me a great deal in assisting our clients and personally relating to the difficulties many have experienced in their boating experiences. I always do the best I can to ensure folks are not getting into anything over their head, or a purchase they will regret!
Great videos regarding your adventures/trials with that boat. I’ve been following you all from your early SaltWest days sailing down from the Northwest to your excruciating repairs in SFO Bay area and down to Mexico….and the subsequent more hull repairs… I always wondered what happened since then… You all have persevered nicely… admirably as a matter of fact! I’m now down here in the Sea of Cortez myself, heading to the mainland soon…. Mazatlan first.. may see you two someday!!👍👍
I bought a 60 foot 100 year old Dutch barge with the same problem. Doubling the bad spots on the hull was the answer for me. Its common practice in Europe with the old steel barges. Of course I was not planning to go far offshore. Boats are great learning experiences. You guys are tougher than me. Congrats on following it through.
Yes, the Dutch know steel boats and the river boats are very commonly doubled up for the same reasons. It’s obviously way more complicated to have to cut out old steel and weld in new, particularly all that’s involved with removing interior furniture and equipment to get to the hull. I don’t envy anyone who’s had to tackle a job like that. But it does feel good that we’ve renewed the lease on life for that sailboat! I hope to see it cross an ocean someday!
I suspect hiring a professional welder would have been easier and cheaper - experience matters - but a few years ago I probably would have done what you did. Slicing the steel and laying it like planks - more weld but easier to manage is another option, but it looks like you got it done. Compound curves even in 1mm is a challenge, without a shaped hydraulic press with 4mm+ I'd put that into the 'impossible' class. Glad you managed to live somewhere nice too, it provides inspiration and motivation. Maybe worth considering internal anodes too, low down, just to help if water gets in again.
There’s no way that it would have been cheaper, and they would have stick welded, as that’s the go down here with the welders. Not the level of care or quality I would accept on my boat. It was nearly impossible and we still look at what we’d accomplished and ask, “how the hell did we pull that off?! When we were in San Francisco, with a giant steel bridge, where you’d think the ship yards and industry would produce many skilled welders, the number of folks who rejected the work or quoted more than $200/day just in travel…it was the reason I initially bought a welding machine and got to work. It’s a HUGE costs savings to do the labour yourself. And you have quality control this way. There’s a boat in that same yard right now having re-plating done, they’re sticking it, and it looks like dog food 😮
They used wood I and OSB just in the raised "box" section beneath the settee/salon, which I was happy to unceremoniously rip out! There is absolutely no place for such construction/materials in a sailboat. Otherwise, the interior finishing used good materials and methods, but that bit was certainly a short-cut!
@@LearnToSailMexico Well I'm glad you dealt with it. I'm pretty surprised it was still intact, really, but judging by the brand stamp it was recent work.
One of the reasons we bought a steel boat was for how dry they are inside, no leaking deck attachments, hull/deck joints, etc, so interior cabinetry stays in good nic. Especially raised salons, a good 5’ of boat beneath that woodwork, so it’s high and dry. Otherwise, I would think in most any other construction, that osb would absorb so much moisture and turn to shit in short order. I was actually pissed when I saw that crap in the boat 😂The boat in many aspects was brilliant in its construction and systems designs, and then in a few areas, things like this just left us scratching our heads saying “why tf?!”
It’s not that simple…compound curves, without having like a LiDAR model or some cad file, it’s not going to fit the shape of the hull. What would you do, bring in a 100# piece you cut out and have them “copy” it? If there was metal fab place in Guaymas that could do the work, don’t you think I would have talked to them? There’s a channel where a young couple ordered pre formed steel panels from a CAD file from Bruce Robert’s plans, and they still couldn’t get the right fit up and last I saw had given up on the project…it’s a seriously very difficult process and there was no easy answer. I love easy, and would have taken that exit lane had it been available to us.
@@LearnToSailMexico I'm sorry for your frustration, but keep it up! My suggestion to reach a metal shop is because I've once worked with one in long island for an art project and saw they bending the metal piece. It is not science for them, very "analog" process, I would say, but they do get really close. You would have to draw the curvature of the boat on paper and have them match it. Maybe, they wouldn't get 100%, (maybe 99%?) and you would adjust the rest on the boat. Well, good luck!
I would have another steel boat, but I would be so much more discriminating in the survey process and would require removal of paint sections for inspections. I’d do a full ultrasound survey myself. Better still, I’d build one from new and baby it correctly. The PO’s rode her hard and put her away wet, literally. No bueno!
We have a strong bond and it’s all made us stronger together. I would own a steel boat again, but I think it would have to be from new so I know it’s been properly constructed and maintained from the start. The problem is it’s very difficult to see what’s truly going on under paint and fairing. Ultra sounding can help, but it too has limitations. But when it’s built right or repaired right, steel is the strongest and it makes for a very stiff and secure sailboat that will take you anywhere. There are many advantages to a steel boat. Perhaps I’ll do a video on the specific mistakes we made, and how to correctly buy a steel boat.
WOW AWESOME video you definitely would be a good person to take with someone to buy a boat! There are so many things that will suffice after you buy a boat. When buying a boat always make an offer that is insulting to the seller. And then assume you will have to put that much money into fixing your new old boat. You definitely got an awesome experience fixing your boat. Again good video!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. It has been a painful yet valuable learning experience that has helped me a great deal in assisting our clients and personally relating to the difficulties many have experienced in their boating experiences. I always do the best I can to ensure folks are not getting into anything over their head, or a purchase they will regret!
Great videos regarding your adventures/trials with that boat. I’ve been following you all from your early SaltWest days sailing down from the Northwest to your excruciating repairs in SFO Bay area and down to Mexico….and the subsequent more hull repairs… I always wondered what happened since then… You all have persevered nicely… admirably as a matter of fact!
I’m now down here in the Sea of Cortez myself, heading to the mainland soon…. Mazatlan first.. may see you two someday!!👍👍
I bought a 60 foot 100 year old Dutch barge with the same problem. Doubling the bad spots on the hull was the answer for me. Its common practice in Europe with the old steel barges. Of course I was not planning to go far offshore. Boats are great learning experiences. You guys are tougher than me. Congrats on following it through.
Yes, the Dutch know steel boats and the river boats are very commonly doubled up for the same reasons. It’s obviously way more complicated to have to cut out old steel and weld in new, particularly all that’s involved with removing interior furniture and equipment to get to the hull. I don’t envy anyone who’s had to tackle a job like that. But it does feel good that we’ve renewed the lease on life for that sailboat! I hope to see it cross an ocean someday!
Very cool to see you doing ALL the repairs yourselves.
Thanks, it’s been a tremendous learning experience. Skills that will serve me for a lifetime 👍
I suspect hiring a professional welder would have been easier and cheaper - experience matters - but a few years ago I probably would have done what you did. Slicing the steel and laying it like planks - more weld but easier to manage is another option, but it looks like you got it done.
Compound curves even in 1mm is a challenge, without a shaped hydraulic press with 4mm+ I'd put that into the 'impossible' class.
Glad you managed to live somewhere nice too, it provides inspiration and motivation.
Maybe worth considering internal anodes too, low down, just to help if water gets in again.
There’s no way that it would have been cheaper, and they would have stick welded, as that’s the go down here with the welders. Not the level of care or quality I would accept on my boat. It was nearly impossible and we still look at what we’d accomplished and ask, “how the hell did we pull that off?! When we were in San Francisco, with a giant steel bridge, where you’d think the ship yards and industry would produce many skilled welders, the number of folks who rejected the work or quoted more than $200/day just in travel…it was the reason I initially bought a welding machine and got to work. It’s a HUGE costs savings to do the labour yourself. And you have quality control this way. There’s a boat in that same yard right now having re-plating done, they’re sticking it, and it looks like dog food 😮
Holy shit. Wood I joists, with OSB webs, as structural components on a boat? Hell no. That's just as large of a problem as the rust.
They used wood I and OSB just in the raised "box" section beneath the settee/salon, which I was happy to unceremoniously rip out! There is absolutely no place for such construction/materials in a sailboat. Otherwise, the interior finishing used good materials and methods, but that bit was certainly a short-cut!
@@LearnToSailMexico Well I'm glad you dealt with it. I'm pretty surprised it was still intact, really, but judging by the brand stamp it was recent work.
@@TimTimTomTom almost 30 yrs since that was all put together
@@LearnToSailMexico Wow. I didn't think Truss Joist Inc was even around back then. Pretty surprising it held up.
One of the reasons we bought a steel boat was for how dry they are inside, no leaking deck attachments, hull/deck joints, etc, so interior cabinetry stays in good nic. Especially raised salons, a good 5’ of boat beneath that woodwork, so it’s high and dry. Otherwise, I would think in most any other construction, that osb would absorb so much moisture and turn to shit in short order. I was actually pissed when I saw that crap in the boat 😂The boat in many aspects was brilliant in its construction and systems designs, and then in a few areas, things like this just left us scratching our heads saying “why tf?!”
Man, next time, take the steel plates to a metal fabrication shop (in Mexico or anywhere) and the will bend it for you in 5 minutes. 😢
It’s not that simple…compound curves, without having like a LiDAR model or some cad file, it’s not going to fit the shape of the hull. What would you do, bring in a 100# piece you cut out and have them “copy” it? If there was metal fab place in Guaymas that could do the work, don’t you think I would have talked to them? There’s a channel where a young couple ordered pre formed steel panels from a CAD file from Bruce Robert’s plans, and they still couldn’t get the right fit up and last I saw had given up on the project…it’s a seriously very difficult process and there was no easy answer. I love easy, and would have taken that exit lane had it been available to us.
@@LearnToSailMexico I'm sorry for your frustration, but keep it up! My suggestion to reach a metal shop is because I've once worked with one in long island for an art project and saw they bending the metal piece. It is not science for them, very "analog" process, I would say, but they do get really close. You would have to draw the curvature of the boat on paper and have them match it. Maybe, they wouldn't get 100%, (maybe 99%?) and you would adjust the rest on the boat. Well, good luck!
Old steel boats, you couldn't give me one
I would have another steel boat, but I would be so much more discriminating in the survey process and would require removal of paint sections for inspections. I’d do a full ultrasound survey myself. Better still, I’d build one from new and baby it correctly. The PO’s rode her hard and put her away wet, literally. No bueno!
Main thing is your marriage lasted the experience. Thanks for sharing your dilemma as I may steer clear from a steel boat now.
We have a strong bond and it’s all made us stronger together. I would own a steel boat again, but I think it would have to be from new so I know it’s been properly constructed and maintained from the start. The problem is it’s very difficult to see what’s truly going on under paint and fairing. Ultra sounding can help, but it too has limitations. But when it’s built right or repaired right, steel is the strongest and it makes for a very stiff and secure sailboat that will take you anywhere. There are many advantages to a steel boat. Perhaps I’ll do a video on the specific mistakes we made, and how to correctly buy a steel boat.