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Design - MaintenanceWe have found that RED requires about the same level of maintenance effort as our previous fiberglass boats. Exterior maintenanceThere's a popular notion that steel boats are prone to rust and require constant painting to prevent it. Nothing could be further from the truth. RED's exterior was completely sandblasted to white metal, and then galvanized above the waterline by spraying her with molten zinc. Next, several coats of Devoe epoxy paint were applied before the Awlgrip topcoat. Because of the spray galvanizing, we rarely have a rust stain where the paint is chipped. Most rust stains, incidentally, are from the stainless hardware, same as on a fiberglass boat. These cosmetic stains are easily removed using a product called Super Iron Out but don't let it sit long on the red paint; wash it off thoroughly as soon as the rust disappears (a few seconds). The Awlgrip paint doesn't require waxing; in fact, Awlgrip advises against it! We always kept the exterior teak varnished on Achates but we got tired of the constant varnishing. So, on RED we used gray UHMW plastic for the rubrails and toerails instead of teak. It's maintenance-free and and looks great! Interior treatmentPeople who know metal boats know that steel (and aluminum) boats corrode fatally from the inside, not the outside. Therefore, it's essential that you do everything possible to prevent salt water from getting inside the boat, prevent condensation, and protect the steel inside the vessel. RED's interior was sandblasted to white metal before being painted with inorganic zinc primer and Devoe epoxy paints. Following the paint, the hull was foamed to about 1-1/2 inch thick for heat and sound insulation. This also prevents condensation. I also specified that the interior of the bilge and the lazarette were spray galvanized, and 5 or 6 additional coats of Devoe epoxy were hand-painted in both locations to protect these potentially vulnerable areas. The bilge isn't any real issue, though, because the Norscott shaft seal is completely dripless. The only water that ever appears in the bilge is a little condensation, and that only occurs when we're in cold water. The maple trim in the interior was treated with S-2 penetrating epoxy sealer, then sprayed with 5 or 6 coats of Varathane satin varnish prior to installation. It's proven to be an incredibly durable and attractive finish. Varnish is far preferable to oiling your wood down below (in my opinion) because it is easier to maintain and completely seals the grain. Sure, it's possible to keep an oil finish looking nice; we did on both of our previous boats. Varnished interiors are better, though. Underwater maintenanceBottom painting and zincs are the same as a fiberglass boat. Just power wash the bottom, paint on the antifouling, and replace the zincs if they've lost too much metal. Because the Devoe epoxy paint is so good at protecting the steel from saltwater, the zincs typically last 2 or 3 years. We use Devoe ABC (known as Altex AF 3000 in Australia and New Zealand), a copper-based, ablative paint. It's performed beautifully for us from Alaska through the Tropics, to Tasmania and New Zealand. Great stuff.
December, 2003: RED on the marine railway at Domain, Hobart, Tasmania. We had a survey, powerwashed the hull, masked it, sprayed on a few coats of Altex AF3000, and replaced the zincs. We were back in the water in 48 hours! |
