Thoughts on this ferro boat...

[jf1973]

I've seen this in a local harbour for a few years and never realised it was ferro. Looks pretty nice. I've been reading up on ferro boats, and it seems to me that if they're well built they can be a good buy. Found an insurer that will do 3rd party insurance, but not comprehensive. We're willing to chance it with just 3rd party.

Any thoughts? Worth a closer look? We go past it pretty often on a friend's boat, so is there anything I can look for? Is there something obviously dodgy that we've missed?

Cheers

[Sasha_V]

I do not wish to offend, but the only way this boat could scream FERRO louder is if it had a concrete mixer parked on the foredeck...

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/attach...3&d=1201602135

I wouldn't.

[gtod25]

if you never plan to sell it (or are prepared to write off most of your investment). As you said, some are very well built but the potential market is VERY limited. I looked at a professionally built one many years ago and the owner was selling if for less than what he would have gotten for scrapping it and selling the fixtures, fittings and equipment. I knew one in the Rio Dulce called "Mixto Listo", very apt name.

[chucklesR]

Boat's aren't investments, even 'working' boats are expenses at the best of times.
Boats own you, wallet and soul.

Jf1973, yes you can probably get more boat for the buck with this one, but eventually it will get more bucks from you on maintenance, and selling it could take a long time and not net much at all.

[lharmon]

jf1973;

The only thing dodgy is that it is ferro. Dead end street.

It's too bad that it is ferro. This may draw screams but I kind of like her lines. Especially if you like the pilothouse thing.

But you must get over it. Any other boat at least gives you a fighting chance with your investment. Ferro gives you NONE.

I'm very sorry.

Best regards,

LH

[Gryzio]

I learn, when about 8 years old. Not all wood boats float. Long story not for now.

The first time I ever heard of Ferro Cement I was shocked! How the heck can a cement boat float?

Well, true, we know Buoyancy in the design of any material used for boats we can make float.

I really not know a lot about Ferro Cement. I asked a man one day who knows a lot about boats. I said; "What is Ferro Cement in boats?" He said; "It is concrete with a metal reinforcing that rusts away over time and falls apart".

Well that was all I wanted to learn about Ferro Cement.

I not going to say it not a good boat building material because as I stated in my short education of this, you see what I learned and I stop there going no further. The boat in the pictures looks nice enough and it looks to still be floating after 30 years.

If the price is right for you and it what you want? Here how I do with these type boats. I buy them with the mind set that one day I will strip/rob the parts I want; Lead Keel, Engine, Winches etc. I can use that stuff on other boats I build or fix up. The rest of the boat I take to the land fill (Garbage Dump).

Here my example; I am considering buying a 24 foot (About 7.3 meters) Bayliner Buccaneer. I not hear a lot of excited talk of these boats and their production line is not something of a Record Breaker.

The Outboard 4 Stroke engine is well worth the price of the boat. So, "IF" I buy this boat I buy for the engine and have some fun experimenting with some ideas I not want to try on an expensive boat.

After a year or two; I will take my engine and give the boat to some Teenagers around here. If, no one wants the boat? I have already talked with the State and know where to Dispose of it legally.

I hope this helps. This is my perspective on this and what I do when I buy something I may not be able to sell.

[Valiente]

Ferro is not a deal breaker to me, because it can and has been built properly, with care and such that the reinforcing mesh was never exposed to the elements and has remained that way.

However, I would say that of the five ferro boats I've seen locally, four were wrecks and one was amazingly beautiful, particularly for 30 years old.

Yours might be one of those ferros. If not, it's a future artificial reef.

A survey is critical here, and ferro surveyors aren't common. On the other hand, if it floats and sails and has decent equipment on it, you might get such a bargain that "salvage rights" and three years' worth of local sailing make sense, economically. An engine with only 50 hours on it (new or "from rebuild"?...big difference!) of that size might be worth $10K by itself. You might have a situation where the hull is irrelevant compared to the contents.

I nearly went to see a 50-footer in Mexico going for $30K, which looked in great shape, having been in charter for dive trips. There was way more than $30K in gear aboard...have you priced teak? The eventual buyer of this boat is looking to sell because it's too much boat for her...could be a deal itself:

http://www.ihaveaboat.blogspot.com/

I can guide you to two books on ferro, one a memoir, and the second a Don Casey type book on building and maintaining ferro.

http://www.amazon.com/Water-Between-.../dp/0385498845

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-136322535.htm

Good luck. While there's plenty of bad, backyard-built trowel and beer jobs, there are also some amazingly fine ferro boats out there, but I would say the ratio is 4 to 1 against finding one.

[sailingdog]

The key words are "if it is well built" and most ferro boats weren't. Valiente's point about getting a surveyor that understands and knows ferro-cement construction is key.

[Robby Barlow]

Being European & male I have to ask: How does the price for this compare to a proper yacht of the same size?

[chucklesR]

RB,
Define proper yacht - not a trick question (in intent anyway).