Issue 18: May/June 2001
These days, when you think of boats, you more than likely think fiberglass. Heck, almost all the sailboats out there seem to be FRP. Stop to ponder a bit more and you’ll probably remember wood. It used to be that all boats were wood, but these days they’re the exception. Many folks are leery of upgrading and refitting an old plank-on-frame vessel, what with the potential for finding major decay, replacing fasteners, and such. Wood-epoxy boats don’t suffer from any of these drawbacks, and are most certainly good values, however. Still, the last material you’re likely to hit on is metal. This is a shame as both steel and aluminum (and even the exotic and expensive copper/nickel) make fine boats.
Indeed, old trawlers, tugs, and yes, yachts, of steel and aluminum make excellent choices. Ranging from gargantuan conversion projects to simple upgrades, metal craft are well worth consideration. Of course, there’s the home-building route. As large as such projects are, this is one of the best ways to get your dream cruising machine at a cost you can afford, assuming, that is, that you have the skills, time, and exceptional patience for such an undertaking.
But where do you go for information on metal boats? How can you judge an old metal boat’s condition? What tools do you need to make repairs and modifications? How about paint, rust prevention, galvanic isolation? Should you insulate the hull and, if so, with what materials? Are integral tanks OK, and how do you clean and inspect them? Does metal limit hull shape? What suppliers, designers, and surveyors have the knowledge and experience to help you through your projects?
There are several good books on these subjects, including Tom Colvin’s Steel Boatbuilding, Volumes 1 & 2; Gilbert Klingel’s Boatbuilding With Steel; Ernest Sims’ Aluminum Boatbuilding; and my own The Elements of Boat Strength. There is, however, another useful resource, though it’s little known — the Metal Boat Society.
Founded in the Puget Sound area in 1987 by Sheila Moir and LeCain Smith (who were building their own metal dreamboat, Perelandra), the Metal Boat Society is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization. It’s dedicated to supporting and providing information to metal-boat builders, buyers, and owners. Originally, this information was published in their Metal Boat News newsletter, but for many years now, this has been replaced by the larger and more comprehensive Metal Boat Quarterly, affectionately known as MBQ.
The articles cover a wide range of subjects. Designers such as Tom Colvin, Michael Kasten, and Patrick Bray have shared their knowledge on subjects as diverse as twin keels, surface preparation, speed and powering, plate cutting, and more. Builders, too, have written on everything from insulation questions to deck fittings and paint systems.
Of course, there are also fine and exciting cruising stories of voyages on metal boats, including adventures by Moir, Smith, and the Colvins. Of equal interest are letters from members actively engaged in metal-boat building, repair, upgrading, modification, or cruising. These letters not only give insight into what it’s like to work with metal, but they are a wonderful source of useful information on what’s really functioned well in practice (and what hasn’t). In addition, MBQ frequently features design reviews. Not only have Colvin’s, Bray’s, and Kasten’s designs been covered, but also those of Scott Sprague, Dudley Dix, Laurent Giles, Charles Wittholz, and John Atkin.
Over the years, Metal Boat Quarterly has undergone several changes. The most recent is a change in editors. For about five years, ending in August 2000, designer Michael Kasten was the MBQ editor. As a designer myself, I quite liked the direction Kasten took. He was clearly aiming to include more technical articles and to make MBQ a reference source not only for home builders and repairers but for professional builders and designers as well. I think he struck a great balance.
The new editor, Metal Boat Society president Lynn King, has de-emphasized the professional-level information a bit. He’s returned MBQ to more of a home-builder’s and how-to periodical. Nevertheless, in two recent issues there were articles on precut metal-boat kits, angle grinders, steel masts, appropriate mast sections, foam insulation, electric-system grounding questions, a woman’s perspective on metal boats, tool tips, a Bruce Roberts radius-chine 39-foot cutter design, and a 30-foot radius-chine Dudley Dix sloop, not to mention classified ads, cruising recipes for deep-sea chow, and more. Not bad.
If you’re considering a used metal boat, or even if you’re building a metal boat for yourself, the Metal Boat Society and its Metal Boat Quarterly are well worth a look. The Metal Boat Society holds an annual festival (the next one is on the Columbia River, Wash., in August this year). The festival is open to the general public. And they host an Internet Web site at www.metalboatsociety.com. For more information, contact: Metal Boat Society, P.O. Box 61856, Vancouver, WA 98666; 360-695-4861; fax: 503-286-9991.
Designing yachts and commercial vessels out of his New York City office, Dave Gerr, N.A., is the author of Propeller Handbook, The Nature of Boats, and The Elements of Boat Strength, published by International Marine Publishing Co., Camden, Maine.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
