Narrowboat steel value

[tehmarks]

No, I'm not thinking of scrapping my hull ?

 

Just curious as to the value of the raw steel of a narrowboat hull. Let's assume a sensible length of ~50' as an example.

[Alan de Enfield]

It is cut up into 'carryable' sized chunks and placed by the side of the road ready for collection, about £60 to £80 per tonne.

Our local scrappy is paying 6p per KG delivered.

 

If it is still boat shaped and in / under the water the cost to remove and cut up far outweighs (OUTWEIGHS - get it ?) the value of the scrap. You would need to pay someone to take it away.

[Chewbacka]

34 minutes ago, tehmarks said:

No, I'm not thinking of scrapping my hull ?

 

Just curious as to the value of the raw steel of a narrowboat hull. Let's assume a sensible length of ~50' as an example.

£12k is my guess if you bought the plate and profiles etc uncut.

[tehmarks]

4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

If it is still boat shaped and in / under the water the cost to remove and cut up far outweighs (OUTWEIGHS - get it ?) the value of the scrap. You would need to pay someone to take it away.

Yes, sorry, I meant to say the value of the new, uncut steel, yet to be formed into a boat. I amended my post to add that just after posting, then decided it was irrelevant and deleted it again!

 

I've always been interested in how barely-floating boats still go for good sums of money despite probably needing more spent to make them habitable than you would spend to buy a sensible boat which doesn't need significant work. Obviously a big part of that is the cost of the steel itself - but I was curious for an actual figure. Just to more fully understand the value of things.

[Alan de Enfield]

I would estimate that the cost of production is something like 50% Materials, 30% labour and 20% overheads. It is a very manual and labour intensive 'industry' and you need a 'big shed' to store the steel, have space to build it indoors and, have the equipment to handle 'heavy plate 'steel.

 

A 'fitted out' 60 foot NB will weigh around 18-20 tonnes, so quite possibly around 15 tonnes of steel.

 

Weight per sheet ~250kgs so steel alone for a 15 tonne NB will be ~£10,000 (thinner plate will cost less, but by weight will be similar cost).

A 10 tonne NB will be ~£6,800

Mild Steel Plate 2500 x 1250 x 10mm Grade S275

Code:	30108410	Quantity Breaks Quantity Price Each 0 or more £211.60 1 or more £190.40 3 or more £179.90 5 or more £169.30

Edited August 8, 2020 by Alan de Enfield

[Tracy D'arth]

Considerably less as scrap in a few years time.  £80 a tonne and falling.

[GRLMK38]

In November 1992 the steel for my 62' trad cost £2708.55 + VAT which would be £5900 + VAT at todays prices.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

5 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

A 'fitted out' 60 foot NB will weigh around 18-20 tonnes, so quite possibly around 15 tonnes of steel.

My 57' NB was 12.5 tons according to the scales on the crane when new. Lined sail away, so that includes ballast, lining, engine and full fuel and water tanks. An NB with no ballast and engine sits very high on the water, so the mass of steel isn't going to be huge. 

 

Some rough calcs. Steel density 10g/cc.

Baseplate, 1cm x 210cm x 1700cm  = 357000cm3

hull sides, 0.6cm x 100cm x 1800cm x 2 = 216000cm3

cabin sides 0.4cm x 100cm x 1500cm x 2 = 120000cm3

roof 0.4cm x 180cm x 1500cm = 108000cm3

front and rear bulkheads. 0.5cm x 210cm x 200cm x 2 = 42000

total volume 843000cm3,

so mass pf steel 8.43 tons.

 

Very rough. Doesn't include any bracing, but then doesn't include any window cutouts, or shaping of the bow and stern. 

Jen

Edited August 8, 2020 by Jen-in-Wellies

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

My 57' NB was 12.5 tons according to the scales on the crane when new. Lined sail away, so that includes ballast, lining, engine and full fuel and water tanks. An NB with no ballast and engine sits very high on the water, so the mass of steel isn't going to be huge. 

 

Some rough calcs. Steel density 10g/cc.

Baseplate, 1cm x 210cm x 1700cm  = 357000cm3

hull sides, 0.6cm x 100cm x 1800cm x 2 = 216000cm3

cabin sides 0.4cm x 100cm x 1500cm x 2 = 120000cm3

roof 0.4cm x 180cm x 1500cm = 108000cm3

front and rear bulkheads. 0.5cm x 210cm x 200cm x 2 = 42000

total volume 843000cm3,

so mass pf steel 8.43 tons.

 

Very rough. Doesn't include any bracing, but then doesn't include any window cutouts, or shaping of the bow and stern. 

Jen

Mine came in at 12 ton with just spray foam, stern gear and empty tanks if I remember correctly my cabin sides were 5mm

 

 

[DHutch]

Obviously weight wise it depends a lot on thickness, out boat is 10/6/4 which was common 30years ago, but some boats are 20mm baseplate now (cheap 20mm is less than faffing with ballast) but older boat's with have thinner cabins.

 

Daniel

[Captain Pegg]

2 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

My 57' NB was 12.5 tons according to the scales on the crane when new. Lined sail away, so that includes ballast, lining, engine and full fuel and water tanks. An NB with no ballast and engine sits very high on the water, so the mass of steel isn't going to be huge. 

 

Some rough calcs. Steel density 10g/cc.

Baseplate, 1cm x 210cm x 1700cm  = 357000cm3

hull sides, 0.6cm x 100cm x 1800cm x 2 = 216000cm3

cabin sides 0.4cm x 100cm x 1500cm x 2 = 120000cm3

roof 0.4cm x 180cm x 1500cm = 108000cm3

front and rear bulkheads. 0.5cm x 210cm x 200cm x 2 = 42000

total volume 843000cm3,

so mass pf steel 8.43 tons.

 

Very rough. Doesn't include any bracing, but then doesn't include any window cutouts, or shaping of the bow and stern. 

Jen

You’ve allowed almost a third too much for density of steel. In your units it’s 7.85g/cc.

 

Add to that that almost everybody misses out the structurally important bits that give a hull strength, stiffness and toughness, which is the keelson and bracing of the floor and side plates, and the strakes and guards on outside of the hull.
 

I have a schedule of the steel that was procured for the hull of my boat. I may go and work it out.

 

JP

Edited August 8, 2020 by Captain Pegg

[DHutch]

5 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

You’ve allowed almost a third too much for density of steel...

 

Add to that that...bracing of the floor and side plates, and the strakes and guards on outside of the hull.
 

Might almost cancel out then!

[Captain Pegg]

51 minutes ago, DHutch said:

Might almost cancel out then!

I suspect the answer was in the right ballpark.

51 minutes ago, DHutch said:

51 minutes ago, DHutch said:

51 minutes ago, DHutch said:

Edited August 8, 2020 by Captain Pegg

[sharpness]

Our 45ft sailaway was 9 1/2 tonnes when craned in.