possible, but if it has to be used, it must be insulated much as 40% less than aluminum.

Another big

from the hull with neoprene gaskets and fastened advantage of steel is its strength. It is the strongest of

with stainless steel bolts. all the common boatbuilding materials, and has a
tensile strength of about 55,000 pounds per square
inch. Steel also has the ability to stretch 30 to 40%
Decks
before it fails; collisions and groundings that would
Metal decks make the most sense on metal hulls, destroy a wood or fiberglass hull often result only in

although the traditionalist might consider a heav)' deep dents in a steel boat. Steel does not detenorate
teak deck bolted to angle beams. I do not like teak with age, if it is protected from the elements, and it is

decks laid over solid metal decks for the same reason fireproof —although that is small compensation if the

that I do not like teak laid over plywood subdecks. wood furniture is all burned out.

The teak overlay deck makes even less sense with a The problem with steel is that it makes a heavy

metal subdeck since it requires drilling thousands of boat. Steel shows a big disadvantage in weight for
holes through what was a watenight metal deck. This conventional craft under 45 to 50 feet because it is

is asking for trouble somewhere down the canal. not possible to employ plating thinner than Vs inch
The best deck finish for a metal hull is a nonskid and still produce a fair hull. Consider tfiat Vs inch
rubber or plastic material, available in attractive col- steel plate, about what would be used on a 30-footer,
ors, simply glued in place. Another good choice is a weighs as much as P/e inch mahogany, Yb inch alu-
painted deck with nonskid material mixed into the minum, or '/le inch fiberglass, and the problem
final coat. If you must have a teak overlay deck there becomes evident.

are methods of accomplishing it, none of them inex- Steel also rusts if it is not protected from the ele-
pensive or perfect, but they are beyond the scope of ments. Modem coating systems go a long way toward
this volume. Consult a first-class builder. solving this problem. I have seen steel yachts that
It is not uncommon to see aluminum cabins, or have sailed thousands of miles and still look new. The
even decks, on steel hulls. The advantages are the labor involved in the careful preparation of the sur-
weight saved, the boats lower center of gra\ity, and face, both inside and out, is costly, and the very
the reduced maintenance in heavy wear areas. The expensive materials add to the cost. Despite this, steel

construction can be accomplished by a bolted joint craft are still the least costly to build in the first place,

with a neoprene gasket and closely spaced stainless and the maintenance over the years is really no more
bolts. An alternate is a metal bar, composed of steel than that of a good wooden yacht.
bonded to aluminum under explosive pressure, that
permits a welded joint to be made. Both methods are
Aluminum
costly in labor and material and are not feasible for

the average craft. Aluminum is one of the finest materials for boat-

building, but Its cost is about 20% or more higher

than that of a comparable wooden craft. The advan-
Steel
tages of aluminum are lightness, corrosion resistance,

Steel is an excellent material for construction and strength. When this is balanced against the
where low cost is paramount. It is, indeed, the least added cost, aluminum can be an attractive material,

costly of all materials for a one-off yacht or work- particularly when the higher resale values of alu-
boat —about 20% less than wood construction and as minum boats are considered.

UNDERSTANDING BOAT DESIGN

88