What about Endurance 35?
Jay Baugh
Endurance-35 made in 1978. However, the hull is made of "Ferro-Cement"
which I have never heard of. Could someone please enlighten me as to
the pros and cons of a hull of this type.. The other thing that
concerns me is that the masts are made of wood, solid fir. Is this good,
or bad compared with alluminium, or other material? All the wood seems
to be in good condition. My main concern is the hull material, I
just have never heard of ferro-cement...
If anyone out there has an Endurance-35 I would love to hear from you.
The boat is extremely solid, ketch rigged, full keel, and a good deal.
But I sure could use some advice from you "Old Salts." heh heh...
Thanks!
JB
MJClark
the kind of stuff that is best advised as, "If you have to ask what it is
you don't want it."
Ferrocement is a concrete hull troweled (plastered is the technical term)
onto a steel mesh form. They are heavy and for their weight they about
the weakest hull material going. And that's for one that was built
properly. The rest go downhill from there. It is actually a fairly old
way to build boats. The Navy had some many years ago.
Ferrocement enjoyed a burst of popularity twenty to thirty years ago
because people thought they could build boats that way for next to
nothing. They were wrong. Unless the boat is plastered by an expert it
will turn out to be a disaster. Just one potential problem is water
migrating through the concrete and getting to the reinforcing material
which rusts. Since rust occupies approximately 16 times the volume of
steel you can guess what happens to the concrete.
Some builders even went so far as build the deck and cabin with concrete.
Of course this results in way to much weight above the water line--an
invitation to a sinking in rough weather.
On the positive side, there were some good boats build in ferrocement by
conscientious builders. But you have to know exactly what you're doing if
you are considering one, and it should be cheap because there is virtually
no market for them anymore. Be sure to employ a surveyor who is an expert
on the subject--if you can find one.
The endurance 35 was available as plans for homebuilders and also in any
stage of completion from Ferro Boat Builders and Windboats, both of
England. You would have to examine the pedigree of that one to make sure
it was professionally built.
Wood masts are heavier that aluminum; solid wood masts are heavier still.
They require more upkeep than aluminum and are prone to rot if not watched
carefully.
Incidentally, I suspect you would find it impossible to finance or insure
any ferrocement boat. Be sure to check if those are important issues.
But she's sure a good looking design.
MJC
Malcolm Clark
Gilles G. Beauchesne
mattered less
then the fact that you got there...
Bassicaly it is a skelleton of steel blades on wich you shoot cement
layers. It will float.
The problem with cement is that it's strengh varies with the amount of
water or the quality of the "mix" you used. For that reason, in order to
be able to insure it, you would need to contact a surveyer and have him
check your boat at critical stages of the construction.
If water does sip in, salty water at that, it will eventualy corode the
skelleton and make the boat weaker. And I won't mention what bellow zero
temperatures would do to a hull with water pokets in it.
But, if you are looking for a very long haul, months or years of
sabatical, you probably wont be able to insure your boat anyhow ... might
as well risk less as ferro-cement usualy go for less then half the price
of a fiberglass hull.
A piece of advice if you are going to by a ferro-cement, do use a
serveyer knowledgable IN THAT TYPE of boats.
--
I'd rather be sailing ... rien comme la voile!
Gilles Beauchesne, Senior Information Systems Consultant
St-Nicolas, QUÉBEC MLLA & Assoc. 418- 624-4787