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building a sailboat? Why not use concrete?
By:Paul G. Jacobson
Date: 2/16/2008, 4:30 pm
In Response To: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat? (Doug Smith)

: I'm wondering what the feasibility is of building a large wooden sailboat?
: I'm talking something that is 30'+. Or is this something that is best left
: to fiberglass or metal hull?

Actually, for a "one-man plus friends" operation ferrocement construction makes a lot of sense. Less expensive than building iwth fiberglass, aluminum, or steel. Mostly easy work with lightweight materials.

The basic idea is to start with forms cut from wood, then cover those with multiple layers of thin wire and wire mesh. The layers of wire are held tightly together with twisted wires wot create a dense metal base. This base is then plastered with concrete, which bonds itself to the wires and is in turn reinforced by the wire. Bulkheads and braces are made in the same manner.

When the concrete hardens you have a hull which is one solid piece--no seams to seal or to leak. The boat can be built right-side up, so you won't need to get a crane to flip it over for fitting out the interior.

Check Amazon.com and search their books using the string "Ferro cement boat". Get some titles and use your local library to find copies of these titles through their interlibrary loan services.

Hope this helps.

PGJ

Messages In This Thread

Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Doug Smith -- 2/16/2008, 11:57 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Bill Hamm -- 2/19/2008, 5:22 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Acors -- 2/20/2008, 9:22 pm
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Bill Hamm -- 2/21/2008, 12:58 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Bill Hamm -- 2/19/2008, 5:20 am
Do you want to build or sail?
Steve Phillips -- 2/19/2008, 12:43 am
Re: Do you want to build or sail?
John Monroe -- 2/19/2008, 2:14 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
John Monroe -- 2/18/2008, 5:35 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Bill Hamm -- 2/19/2008, 2:35 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Bryan Hansel -- 2/17/2008, 8:08 pm
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Bryan Hansel -- 2/17/2008, 8:13 pm
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Mike Savage -- 2/17/2008, 8:50 pm
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Björn Thomasson -- 2/18/2008, 1:22 pm
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Mike Savage -- 2/18/2008, 5:16 pm
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Bryan Hansel -- 2/18/2008, 12:44 pm
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Etienne Muller - Ireland -- 2/18/2008, 8:31 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Bill Hamm -- 2/18/2008, 2:04 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Mike Scarborough -- 2/17/2008, 9:41 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
laurent -- 2/17/2008, 4:26 pm
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Bill Hamm -- 2/18/2008, 2:03 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Etienne Muller - Ireland -- 2/17/2008, 8:51 am
Not a ramble at all!
Lloyd of Canandaigua------WebKitFormBoundarydD6K+p -- 2/18/2008, 7:10 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Mike Braun -- 2/17/2008, 7:23 am
Here . . . .
Dave Gentry -- 2/17/2008, 8:31 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
John Monroe -- 2/17/2008, 6:49 am
Sheet Steel Built Sailboat. *Pic*
John Monroe -- 2/17/2008, 9:50 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Bill Hamm -- 2/17/2008, 2:05 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Bill Hamm -- 2/17/2008, 1:59 am
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Bryan Hansel -- 2/16/2008, 7:47 pm
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Charlie -- 2/16/2008, 5:43 pm
building a sailboat? Why not use concrete?
Paul G. Jacobson -- 2/16/2008, 4:30 pm
Re: building a sailboat? Why not use concrete?
Bill Hamm -- 2/17/2008, 2:02 am
Re: building a sailboat? Why not use concrete?
Paul G. Jacobson -- 2/19/2008, 12:04 am
Re: building a sailboat? Why not use concrete?
Bill Hamm -- 2/19/2008, 2:30 am
Re: building a sailboat? Why not use concrete? *LINK*
Björn Thomasson -- 2/17/2008, 12:52 pm
Re: building a sailboat? Why not use concrete?
Paul G. Jacobson -- 2/19/2008, 12:02 am
Very nice looking. *NM*
John Monroe -- 2/18/2008, 5:16 am
Re: Very nice looking. *LINK* *Pic*
Björn Thomasson -- 2/18/2008, 7:02 am
Re: Very nice looking.
Bill Hamm -- 2/19/2008, 2:27 am
Re: Very nice looking. *LINK* *Pic*
Etienne Muller - Ireland -- 2/19/2008, 10:21 am
Re: Very nice looking.
Bill Hamm -- 2/20/2008, 2:01 am
Re: Very nice looking.
Bryan Hansel -- 2/18/2008, 12:46 pm
Re: Very nice looking.
Tom Yost -- 2/18/2008, 10:16 am
Re: Very nice looking. *Pic*
Etienne Muller - Ireland -- 2/18/2008, 8:10 am
Re: Very nice looking.
Björn Thomasson -- 2/18/2008, 9:35 am
Re: building a sailboat? Why not use concrete?
Bill Hamm -- 2/18/2008, 1:57 am
Re: building a sailboat? Why not use concrete? *Pic*
Dan Caouette (CSFW) -- 2/18/2008, 6:21 am
Re: building a sailboat? Why not use concrete?
Bill Hamm -- 2/19/2008, 2:24 am
feasibility of building a sailboat?
Paul G. Jacobson -- 2/16/2008, 4:01 pm
Re: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Doug Smith -- 2/16/2008, 4:53 pm
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Dave Gentry -- 2/16/2008, 3:56 pm
Re: Off Topic: feasibility of building a sailboat?
Kudzu -- 2/16/2008, 2:12 pm