Steel boat

[bigbry63 1]

Hi always looking to buy a yacht to live on and sail ,I have seen a 30 ft steel yachtfor 13000,i have worked in fiberglass most of my life which is really irrelevant as I wouldn't be expecting to do much to it ,but was wondering is there any downside to a steel yacht thanks Bryan

[Island Time 1,239]

There are pros and cons to every construction method. Timber rots, glass can delam and get pox, steel rusts, alloy corrodes.

 

If you really like the boat, get it surveyed.

[wheels 543]

And just because a Boat is cheap, does not mean it is a good deal.
If you have worked around GRP, then perhaps look for something in that material. A large part of the effort in maintaining a boat can be reduced by understanding the construction and material.

[Fish 0]

The main problem with steel, in my view, is that it is just about impossible to find anywhere that will let you maintain it, in the form of stripping and painting the exterior, if the paint work happens to need a major. That being in the context of paint systems and prep work specific to steel, as opposed to just normal boat and hull striping and painting. Of course keeping the paint system in good order is fairly important for controlling corrosion in steel, which is obviously fairly important on a steel boat.

 

The other key factor with steel, which is most relevant for living aboard, is that it can produce condensation very badly. If th steel is not specifically insulated, air temp of about 10 degs or below can induce substantial condensation.

[bigbry63 1]

Thanks for the info