Steel trawler? pros and cons?

[Sunset]

I am yearning to retire and move up to a "proper" size trawler from my lovely Albin25 and put my feet up for weeks at a time. Now looking earnestly at a 37 ft DC fly-bridge trawler with a steel hull and deck. 80's era, custom made (factory) not a lot of bells and whistles but beautifully maintained wood etc. The small 4 cyl Ford engine, stabilizer fins (bilge style). Price very reasonable. A barn boat.

After all the rocking and rolling the Albin has to offer I have to think the weight and keels of this beauty must keep it relatively steady in a beam sea. It would also diminish the fear of bumping into hard things . . . which I have been known to do if rarely.

But most steel vessels seem to be much larger. What might be the problems associated with a steel trawler of this size? Or is it all roses?

 

[Comodave]

I am not sure since I have never owned a steel boat. Make sure that you find a surveyor that is experienced in steel boats. Are you in fresh water or salt?

 

[Pete Meisinger]

I think a four cylinder F.L. might be a little small for a boat of that weight. They are only 90 hp. A boat that size in steel could run 40,000 pounds, maybe more.

Chris Craft made quite a number of boats in that size range of both steel and aluminum, The were both called "Roamers". The aluminum ones had the word "aluminum" overlaid on the "Roamer" nametag.

There was also a brand called "Steelcraft". I don't remember much about them.

Neither of these boats were actually trawlers, all being designed to get up on a plain. Usually with twin gassers.

I actually know where there are two project boats sitting neglected near Oconto, Wisconsin. One is quite old and looks to be forgotten although the marina owner says the rent is paid every year. He calls it his retirement annuity. The other one is a new construction which has not changed in the last ten years. Sort of has a motor sailer look.

If you are looking for a project send me a PM, I'll point you in the right direction. (Both are MAJOR projects)

pete

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

I am yearning to retire and move up to a "proper" size trawler from my lovely Albin25 and put my feet up for weeks at a time. Now looking earnestly at a 37 ft DC fly-bridge trawler with a steel hull and deck. 80's era, custom made (factory) not a lot of bells and whistles but beautifully maintained wood etc. The small 4 cyl Ford engine, stabilizer fins (bilge style). Price very reasonable. A barn boat.

After all the rocking and rolling the Albin has to offer I have to think the weight and keels of this beauty must keep it relatively steady in a beam sea. It would also diminish the fear of bumping into hard things . . . which I have been known to do if rarely.

But most steel vessels seem to be much larger. What might be the problems associated with a steel trawler of this size? Or is it all roses?

Some more info and a pic or 3 would probably get you a more specific response. Best of luck! I'm a lover of steel boats but certainly in the minority on the forum. As with any type of build, there are good ones and bad ones..

 

[OldDan1943]

Fiberglass does not rust.
Aluminum, without a proper shore power ground.... I am told, over time can dissolve.
I'd still like to have a small steel hull, perhaps a Diesel Duck.

 

[balder8]

Hello,

On the way to Gibraltar from the Netherlands, around french Bretagne coasts ( Brittany coasts), nasty weather with 4 meters swell, we hit a large piece of massive wood semi submerged. We heard nothing, when entering in the marina Moulin Blanc, in Brest, the mariner said me, "Sorry Sir, you have some thing looking like a large table stucked on your bulbous bow". When discovering this OFNI ( floating object not identified), I saw only a little scratch on the paint. Which consequence with a 60 Tonnes fiberglass trawler instead of 7mm steel???
As well, in the midship cabin , no noise and very comfortable whatever it is cold or warm outside and best of it, no vibrations and nasty sounds when underway...
Of course, sometimes, obliged to look for my special paint box in the lazarette to repare a small rusty spot.

 

[Paul in Saudi]

Am I correct in saying steel is lighter than fiberglas? It is certainly lighter than the same strength of wood.

 

[KnotYet]

If two boats are constructed to the same scantlings in regard to strength and
durability, I see no reason one would be much different from the other in weight.
In practice, steel construction tends to be heavier maybe because it is less expensive
per pound as a raw material so there is less effort to use as little as is permissible.
A steel superstructure will probably outweigh a f/g one because it is hard to make it
both lightweight and acceptably strong.

 

[Lepke]

Steelcraft made at least 2 sizes, about 25' & about 30'. All I saw had single or twin Grey Marine flathead gas engines. They were raw water cooled, so the ones used in salt water had the head rust thru in about 10 years. Some owners were putting in Ford Lehmans as replacements.
You don't see small steel yachts often because it harder to make small smooth compound curved plates. Small fishing boats have a series of mostly flat shapes, but not a desirable look in yachts.
Steel is more durable if protected from rusting. Steel will distort when taking damage that would destroy other build types. Years ago, a 60' steel fishing boat was leaving Newport, Oregon and lost steering between the jetties. The swell in the channel picked up the boat and slammed it stern first onto the rock jetty. The boat pounded on the rocks for 30 minutes before the USCG got things under control. I got to see the boat hauled out, before repairs. The 3" shaft was bent 90°, the rudder shaft was broken off, much of the plating was dished in, but the only small leak was where the shaft was bent and distorting the packing. A fiberglass or wood boat would be in pieces.

 

[Mako]

You haven't offered any solid details on the boat and I have not idea what a "DC trawler" is, but it's most certain that the steel boat will have a more comfortable motion than the typical fiberglass Albins, Mainships, etc.

If your boat is a converted commercial boat then it might displace almost-40,000 lbs, but most likely it's in the low 30's. An engine of 60hp to 80hp should be more than sufficient, but just turn the engine on and drive it, that will tell you how well powered it is.

 

[markpierce]

I have a 36-foot steel boat (made by diesel-duck maker Seahorse Marine) with an advertised weight of 14 tons. It's strong and blistering and inner core issues are avoided. Disadvantage is one must keep up with any rusting. Earlier this year addressed minor rusting on deck and in lazarette.

 

[Sunset]

I am sorry for not jumping back in sooner, but I have been following the (excellent) comments - I just could not seem to rescue my forum password!

DC=double cabin, meaning V-berth and aft-cabin (queen in this case). Will this Covid-19 horror affect pricing, generally? Hmmm.

The comments and examples given about the durability of a steel hull are warming to my heart. Here are a few pics to help in the analysis.

 

[OldDan1943]

In the UK, they have steel canal boats well over 100 years old. Of course most of them are in fresh water

 

[KnotYet]

Nice lines, just be sure you get a thorough survey and can access every inch inside.
Beautiful woodwork can cover a lot of rust - especially under exterior wood trim.
The price will almost always be lower for an old steel boat due to fewer buyers being
interested. To the right buyer, though, a well-maintained steel boat could be
something of a bargain.
I speak from experience having owned a 52 foot steel motorsailer for 15 years.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

good looking boat. Have her surveyed and then decide

 

[OldDan1943]

good looking boat. Have her surveyed and then decide

I like the high bow.

 

[Irish Rambler]

Steel boats are solid and there's no argument there but it depends where you do your cruising. Ideally the steel boat should be sprayed inside with expanded polyurethane down to the waterline to a, insulate, b, to stop any rusting on the interior and c, to soundproof.
Be prepared for a full outside paint job between 8 /10 years.
If moored and connected to shore power then hang a large cylindrical anode (by a properly earthed s/steel wire) over the bow to give full anodic protection.
If you scrape it passing through locks/against jetties try and cover the scrape immediately(even with gaffer tape) within 20 minutes to prevent the air getting to the surface until you can do a proper paint repair.
Steel or fibreglass ?
Its all down to personal choices as each has its pro's and cons but overall less maintenance on glass fibre which, with advancing years, must be a consideration.

 

[FF]

A plastic boat can vary the hull thickness , be lighter where needed and thicker & stronger where needed.

The joy of steel is rust is easy to see and no great skill is required to repaint .

Large repairs can be done with no loss of strength , which is near impossible with plastic hulls..

 

[Steve DAntonio]

It's a truism that steel and aluminum vessels require owners to be more aware of corrosion issues, but less so with steel. I tell those contemplating ownership of an aluminum vessel, "you must be prepared to educate yourself about corrosion, because most dock lore and much of the information you encounter online, is simply incorrect or incomplete, you need to be your own expert". This is true to a lesser extent with steel, but important never the less. Among other things, every steel and aluminum vessel should be equipped with an isolation transformer.

Having inspected many steel and aluminum vessels, their condition has a great deal to do with the quality of the build and electrical system, and coating process, and how savvy their owners are or were, if they were meticulous and conscientious about upkeep and dealing with coating repair, then I usually find few rust-related issues.

A final thought, unlike FRP, steel (and aluminum) vessels require absolute attention to detail when it comes to wiring, and wire routing, as chafe and the resulting short circuits present an ever present danger of electrocution, fire and simple gear failure, which can be an issue for critical components.

Resale with steel vessels, some more than others, can present challenges as well. With the above issues taken into account, there's nothing wrong with steel, just make sure it's thoroughly surveyed, including hull thickness testing in most cases, and the price is right.

 

[allegria]

Be careful when you scrap rust inside hull

Jeff Siegel bought a Florida Coast steel boat ? His one caveat is to not scrape heavy rust when boat is in the water. He got a surprise and had to rush a haul out

 

[gulfstar3659]

Steel trawlers yes or no ?
Pro
far less problems with leaking parts by example railings on decks
No problems with cored hulls and decks
Easy to repair or making changes
Stronger and more flexible
Less problems with hoisting and stuffing up ashore
They will have no blisters !!!

Against
Mostly not build in series but one off , so much more expensive if you want one wich is just as luxury / beautiful like a polyester ship of the same size
Not many can build a round bilge steel hull wich would be the best design for a small seagoing trawler
Older boats are mostly not painted with an epoxy paint in and outside the boat so they rust alot special on places you cannot reach from the inside , if not properly buil they will rust till they get a hole on certain spots in the bilge
They will have more condens water inside the hull so you must have a good painting system inside
They will have more problems around your window frames rust!!
If used on salt water they will need more attention than a grp boat
Salt water in the bilge or any other spots can give many problems if you have not got a proper painting system
You need to changes your anodes more often and have to take care with power supply from the shore
In your country there will not be many well build small steel trawlers so you have to search longer to buy a good boat
In your country there are a lot of very well build grp build boats mostly more beautiful and luxury than the steel ones
I had many steel boats in my days but bought an american build gpr boat a few months ago
Hope it helps a bit

 

[BrianSmith]

We've had our 52' steel trawler (Kristen Yachts - small builder in British Columbia that built a handful then went out of business) for 4+ years, full time liveaboards for most of that. Are now returning from Grenada (one island at a time) after starting in FL 2 years ago.

The ONLY issue we have is external rust, due to poor prep with previous paint jobs. It's all cosmetic, but if you don't want rust tracks down the hull, you have to have a perfect paint job on all external surfaces.

Oh, there was that one issue of one of the portholes having to be cut out and a new piece welded in, because it wasn't originally sealed properly. Rather a pain.

We have an isolation transformer so when we're using shore power (which is rare), we don't worry about electrical issues.

Your biggest issue may be that, when you are finally ready to sell it, most prospective buyers will never give it serious consideration because it's steel.

 

[Comodave]

Your biggest issue may be that, when you are finally ready to sell it, most prospective buyers will never give it serious consideration because it's steel.[/QUOTE]

How true! I never really gave it a thought but whenever I am searching for a boat, I always search for fiberglass.

 

[pelicanme]

Some advice from a slow learner

I purchased a steel trawler from a deceased friend's estate. It was a beautiful 42' Vripack designed ship, with typical problems of steel neglect. I knew it had issues of rust and leaking decks, and I thoroughly checked the boat in all VISIBLE areas. The interior was nice, and the mechanicals sound. Nearly new electronics and new diesel generator had been installed.I low-balled and got it.

10 years of seasonal work later, I'm now finishing out the new interior (old interior destroyed getting to all the hull problems and rust areas). I've learned a lot of new skills including grinding, cutting, sand-blasting, forming, welding, prep and painting. Doing all of this myself was a necessity to make any financial sense. The boat is now beautiful again, solid, and next season I should complete the project.

I am quite proud of the nearly finished vessel, and and have (sometimes) enjoyed the process. Would I do it again? HELL no!! I should have purchased a fairly priced sound cruiser and gone sailing. If you find a steel boat that has been meticulously cared for and you are well-versed on the care and maintenance of the metal, go for it. Otherwise, walk away.

 

[timb7734]

/I have a second boat that is steel, a Florida Coaster at 42 feet. Boat built in 1998, so 22 years old. Brought from Guatemala on its own hull to the Great Lakes where it has been in fresh water ever since. Painted originally in basic enamel I repainted two years ago with PPG paint used on bridges and naval vessels. Paint is slippery enough that nothing sticks to it except more of the same paint, even spray cans of paint just wash off. I had the hull thickness tested at that time and all the test points were still original steel thickness. The boat weighs 40 tons. This paint can be touched up by an amateur anytime necessary and is very durable. While I have not crashed into anything, on occasion I have had other boats come close and their skippers get real nervous contemplating a collision with a 40 ton steel boat. This vessel has a flat bottom, hard chines, twin skegs and twin JD 4045 engines at 80 hp each. Draft is 3.5 feet, and it rolls little taking beam seas with an easy motion. IMHO steel boats are a lot easier to maintain in fresh water and I have had no reason to rush to recoat scrapes and dings. In the past I did so at haul out with OSPHO primer that converts rust to a paintable surface, but now I use the correct PPG primer. I still have some OSPHO for priming interior surfaces especially in the engine room and bilge areas, but seldom need to apply any since I dried out the boat switching from packing the shaft seal to an oil based shaft sealing set up.

I think it would be a great boat for fresh water wit a proper survey and thorough thickness testing. Actually not all that hard to weld in new pieces if there are some hull issues.

 

[OldDan1943]

/each.

I think it would be a great boat for fresh water wit a proper survey and thorough thickness testing. Actually not all that hard to weld in new pieces if there are some hull issues.

Yup, got a thin rusty area, weld a plate over the area after cleaning and prep the area.
Those canal boats are a prime example ..... They live a hundred years with proper bottom paint and welding plates over the necessary areas.