I must say, I am exhausted from reading all the posts on ferros !
I have been looking at a old Samson Schooner to buy.
Now first, I will say I am a Lic. Capt. and professional yacht painter and have owned mostly wood boats. I currently own, Captain and live on a 93 foot, 220 ton tugboat. So, I know large boats all too well.
This schooner is 53 on deck which is a good size for Ferro.
I have read all the books I can get my hands on and all the posts.
I am still totally split in my thoughts here.
Since I own large wood vessels, I obviously dont care about dumping money in I will never get back. So resale doesnt matter to me.
Not that I have tons of money, hell, I have too many boats. I am far from well off. But , I do work hard for what I want.
This particular boat is said to have been built IN the Samson yard, not backyard built OR designed !!! The first PLUS.
But she has been neglected and with no decent surveyors around makes it hard. I dont care about insurance. Dont need it where I would keep her.
The books from Samson and Harley of course talk about the great strength etc of the medium. Yet people here say the opposite.
Opinions are like assholes.. as we know. Everyone has one.
So its hard to weed out the sheer truth.
I love wood boats and many hate them.
Mine is 102 years old and doing just fine.
I am probably going to take on that old Ferro Schooner after selling the one I live on now. As my kids grow up I just keep buying smaller boats so they cant move back in with me. Works well.
So what is the general take on Samson YARD built boats, not homemade ones off plans?
I do love her
lines and a couple of her sisters have made several circumnavigations. She is a staysail plan. I dont know her displacement.
54 on deck, 73 overall. 7 in draft, almost 16 wide.
This particular one has a very odd wishbone
rig that goes way up between the masts I dont care much for. Seems to much wt aloft. The others did not have that with the same sail plan?
Also, she is deck stepped and not keel stepped on the masts. They are said to be of steal. Cement deck. Rotted out spreaders.. all of them.
I have NO idea how the heck to attach items to cement. I use Dolphinite to bed everything. Heavy backing plates. etc. I heard
fuel can really ruin them.
The hull looks rough, scrapes and dings. Yet she is 1976 and still floating at her lines. Dry inside with no rust streaks.
What do I make of this boat? I want to sail around the world. Not in a bay.
Many of her design have done so. She is a Samson C-lord.
Andie