Economic pressure to skimp is not by any means, restricted to plastic boats. Many commercially built steel boats have some serious skimping done, such as on Foulkes, Fehr and Amazon boats, which are ten gauge plate, welded one side only, and most of the weld ground off, zero paint inside, foamed over either bare steel or light primer.It takes thick coating of epoxy inside before foaming, to avoid problems there. Lack of paint outside can be rectified far more easily than inside. Inside painting is the most critical thing you can do on a steel boat.Foam alone is nowhere near adequate . Some Foukes ,Fehr and Amazon boats were sold in the bare shell stage ,unpainted, If a conscientious owner bought the boat at that stage, and finished her properly, it could still be a good boat. However, I would steer clear of any such boat "Professionally" finished by the source.
When I fist arrived in the Marquesas in the early 70's, there was an Australian boat there from Darwin, just completing a circumnavigation. When I asked about their maintenance, they said "It was a nightmare from Darwin to Durban."In Durban they hauled out ,sandblasted, and gave her a good buildup of epoxy tar. From there on, maintenance was minimal.
My current boat requires less maintenance after 31 years than my last did after ten years, thanks to what I have learned in ten years of owning a steel boat. Any time maintenance on your steel boat becomes excessive, it is time to sandblast, permanently get rid of any wood trim on the outside of her, and give her a good buildup of epoxy.Then you are good for many years of almost zero maintenance.