I had a ferrocement sailboat that I lived aboard and cruised Puget Sound and the Gulf Islands for some years in the 90s. The boat was well-built, sailed well and was attractive. 39’LOA, 27k lbs disp., pilot house ketch, Sampson design.
Ferrocement boat building was popular at that time in Ukraine too, in Kyiv Cruising Yacht Club namely. Thanks for reminding - nice vid! The dinghy at 27:05 looks like Jack Sprat . I still possess one of this design.
The plasterers should have been there skimming the cement as it was being pushed through! It's no wonder it was hard work, the stuff was going green! I helped build several in the late 70's and studied it at boat building college.
I built a 55’ ferrocement schooner at Fambridge Yacht Station in the mid 1970s , it was plastered by Ozzie Edge and his team and I had about 100 people on site for the plastering day ! . Osier and Frank West both built 28’ Ferro double Enders of the Paul Johnson “ Venus “ design. I launched and finished the fitting out at Tollesbury. …would like to hear from anyone around in those days…cheers Bob Gascoine.
I very much doubt that the barges shown in the introductory piece were at Shorts' from 1940. The earliest launch was 1942 but most were launched in the 2nd half of 1944 through into 1945. The open (also known as Dry) barges were built and launched first, to assist with the 'lighterage' issues so around 60 of them were completed in 1941 (but most in 1944/45 as well).
How is the rust prevented when it sits outside and starts getting rusty before the concrete is pouree? Does that begin the rusting process and then it's too late?
Even though it's been 9 months after, I though I might answer this with the correct answer instead of one of the many myths. The rust on rebar is perfectly fine once incased in the cement mix. It's only once that concrete has been breached and new oxidisation starts that the rebar will swell and crack the cement and plaster. Bridges, foundations, buildings etc etc would have had rusty rebar laid before concrete or cement is poured. The main reason that ferro boats are not built anymore is purely expense. To do a ferro boat correctly and to the T is a very costly and long process. The resale value is bad because of the badly homebuilt ones and the myths that keep circulating mainly from other gossipers who parrot on something they heard. Like any boat materials, they all need to be maintained.
@@abcmatt actually, to clarify a little bit. Ferro boats are not expensive materials wise, but they are labor intensive, however one of the beauties is that a couple could build a boat of almost any size fully exposed to the weather out in their back yard and take their time doing it, buying the materials a bit by bit as they went. Even the allegation that all the plastering has to be done in one continuous process is a myth. A couple could do that also, just doing a strip a few inches at a time (either starting at the keel [usually] or the gunnels [if it's being built upside down]) but the hull *must* be kept wet during this entire process, like for example, if it was kept on a wharf or dock on a crane or davits then lowered into the water after each plastering session and kept there until it as time for the next. One could also have sprinklers or use burlap over a shallow pool to wick the water up to the sides. Also, some more amazing things about ferro are: 1. That the longer it stays in the water the harder it gets (unless something dumb happens like it gets coated in epoxy); 2. If it's damaged below, or even near, the water line, as long as there isn't actual water intrusion, small "spiderweb" cracks will eventually heal themselves; 3. Other than galvanic corrosion protection, it normally never needs maintenance; 4. The water that is mixed into the cement becomes permanently entrained in the hull (in that it will weigh the same as the water, aggregate, and cement mix together). 5. Benford did test studies on 1'x4' ferro panels and found that when blocked up one inch from the ends with a knife blade edge weighted down in the middle, a 1/2: thick panel would bend 4" before breaking (with 700 lbs weight), exhibiting a strength of 19,500 PSI (sufficient to withstand pressures at the bottom of the Marianas trench) which weight only 9 lb/sq/ft and was very cost effective to build.
And still no one gives a full reply. Rust is in fact a good thing, it helps the cement adhere to the steel, if it wasn't everyone would have used galvanised mesh and bar.
bet these boats don't last as long as The Mersey Flat Daresbury built in 1772 and was still afloat till 1985 at Northwich and the sunk in 1985 at Sutton lock frodsham uk
I had a ferrocement sailboat that I lived aboard and cruised Puget Sound and the Gulf Islands for some years in the 90s. The boat was well-built, sailed well and was attractive. 39’LOA, 27k lbs disp., pilot house ketch, Sampson design.
great video
Ferrocement boat building was popular at that time in Ukraine too, in Kyiv Cruising Yacht Club namely. Thanks for reminding - nice vid!
The dinghy at 27:05 looks like Jack Sprat . I still possess one of this design.
The plasterers should have been there skimming the cement as it was being pushed through! It's no wonder it was hard work, the stuff was going green! I helped build several in the late 70's and studied it at boat building college.
I built a 55’ ferrocement schooner at Fambridge Yacht Station in the mid 1970s , it was plastered by Ozzie Edge and his team and I had about 100 people on site for the plastering day ! . Osier and Frank West both built 28’ Ferro double Enders of the Paul Johnson “ Venus “ design. I launched and finished the fitting out at Tollesbury. …would like to hear from anyone around in those days…cheers Bob Gascoine.
I very much doubt that the barges shown in the introductory piece were at Shorts' from 1940. The earliest launch was 1942 but most were launched in the 2nd half of 1944 through into 1945. The open (also known as Dry) barges were built and launched first, to assist with the 'lighterage' issues so around 60 of them were completed in 1941 (but most in 1944/45 as well).
How is the rust prevented when it sits outside and starts getting rusty before the concrete is pouree? Does that begin the rusting process and then it's too late?
Excellent question! That is exactly the reason concrete boats arent made any longer!
Even though it's been 9 months after, I though I might answer this with the correct answer instead of one of the many myths. The rust on rebar is perfectly fine once incased in the cement mix. It's only once that concrete has been breached and new oxidisation starts that the rebar will swell and crack the cement and plaster. Bridges, foundations, buildings etc etc would have had rusty rebar laid before concrete or cement is poured.
The main reason that ferro boats are not built anymore is purely expense. To do a ferro boat correctly and to the T is a very costly and long process. The resale value is bad because of the badly homebuilt ones and the myths that keep circulating mainly from other gossipers who parrot on something they heard. Like any boat materials, they all need to be maintained.
@@abcmatt actually, to clarify a little bit. Ferro boats are not expensive materials wise, but they are labor intensive, however one of the beauties is that a couple could build a boat of almost any size fully exposed to the weather out in their back yard and take their time doing it, buying the materials a bit by bit as they went.
Even the allegation that all the plastering has to be done in one continuous process is a myth. A couple could do that also, just doing a strip a few inches at a time (either starting at the keel [usually] or the gunnels [if it's being built upside down]) but the hull *must* be kept wet during this entire process, like for example, if it was kept on a wharf or dock on a crane or davits then lowered into the water after each plastering session and kept there until it as time for the next. One could also have sprinklers or use burlap over a shallow pool to wick the water up to the sides.
Also, some more amazing things about ferro are:
1. That the longer it stays in the water the harder it gets (unless something dumb happens like it gets coated in epoxy);
2. If it's damaged below, or even near, the water line, as long as there isn't actual water intrusion, small "spiderweb" cracks will eventually heal themselves;
3. Other than galvanic corrosion protection, it normally never needs maintenance;
4. The water that is mixed into the cement becomes permanently entrained in the hull (in that it will weigh the same as the water, aggregate, and cement mix together).
5. Benford did test studies on 1'x4' ferro panels and found that when blocked up one inch from the ends with a knife blade edge weighted down in the middle, a 1/2: thick panel would bend 4" before breaking (with 700 lbs weight), exhibiting a strength of 19,500 PSI (sufficient to withstand pressures at the bottom of the Marianas trench) which weight only 9 lb/sq/ft and was very cost effective to build.
And still no one gives a full reply. Rust is in fact a good thing, it helps the cement adhere to the steel, if it wasn't everyone would have used galvanised mesh and bar.
@@hooptierescue2540 I have all the books too and there's no way I'd want one that wasn't plastered in one hit.
Btw the steel can be replaced with bamboo
bet these boats don't last as long as The Mersey Flat Daresbury built in 1772 and was still afloat till 1985 at Northwich and the sunk in 1985 at Sutton lock frodsham uk
CAUSE I’M YOUR LAAAAAADYYYY
Audio is simply atrocious
Why is that awful music playing? It detracts and distracts from a virtually inaudible voice-over.