Any Advice on Concrete Hulls?

[nikvah]

A good friend of mine with no boating experience has the chance of a river mooring for a large houseboat. He is financially able to buy a large new-build barge but doesn't intend going anywhere and doesn't want to have to lift it out to black a steel hull, so he is interested in commissioning a concrete hull with 2 story apartment box above.

 

What are the negatives and positives of concrete hulls for house-boats with a fixed mooring and no intention of moving compared to a steel hull? My only knowledge of concrete hulls is the hulks at Purbeck which BWB sunk in the River Severn to strengthen the embankment of the G&S and they seem quite sound - considering.

 

Thanks for any advice or experience you may bring.

 

 

[Geo]

Something in my mind is saying there will still have to be an outer membrane, paint etc, but I could be wrong.

[Mendip-Locks]

You just missed a whole series about them on Ch4 "My Floating Home" some concrete ones were built in Holland and Canada I don't recall them doing anything to seal the concrete.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/my-floating-home/episode-guide

[Guest]

A good friend of mine with no boating experience has the chance of a river mooring for a large houseboat. He is financially able to buy a large new-build barge but doesn't intend going anywhere and doesn't want to have to lift it out to black a steel hull, so he is interested in commissioning a concrete hull with 2 story apartment box above.

 

What are the negatives and positives of concrete hulls for house-boats with a fixed mooring and no intention of moving compared to a steel hull? My only knowledge of concrete hulls is the hulks at Purbeck which BWB sunk in the River Severn to strengthen the embankment of the G&S and they seem quite sound - considering.

 

Thanks for any advice or experience you may bring.

 

 

 

Google 'ferro cement hull' - there is lots of info out there,

 

Interesting web site here.

 

http://www.floatinghomes.ltd.uk/ecofloatinghomes.html

Edited December 1, 2016 by MJG

[Jrtm]

To my knolage they didnt do anything to the hull blocks they used. The concrete boats that are around like at the port or on the Thames dont have any paint work.

[bargemast]

Your friend should go for a little discovery trip to the Netherlands where there are thousends of these concrete houseboat around.

 

Also he could use a bit of his time visiting a few of the concrete barge builders there.

 

There are several houseboat villages in the country, and a whole bunch in a new part of the Harbour in Amsterdam specially made for these.

 

They only don't want them in the centre of town anymore, as they want more traditional boats there now, to make the inner city look more attractive for the tourist, just square floating houses aren't as nice to look at as the pretty lined old Dutch barges.

 

Peter.

Edited December 1, 2016 by bargemast

[Tam & Di]

There's certainly a long history of concrete barges including several concrete lighters on the Thames. John Wooley used some as hire boats at Iver on the Slought cut in the 60s. We'd see them charge out onto the main line at Cowley and forget to turn (or maybe they'd not got to that bit in their 'how to boat' instruction) . They mostly ran straight into the piling on the opposite side with a lot of noise of broken crockery but the hulls seemed to stand up to such treatment remarkably well.

I don't remember any of these having painted hulls of any kind

[WotEver]

You just missed a whole series about them on Ch4 "My Floating Home" some concrete ones were built in Holland and Canada I don't recall them doing anything to seal the concrete.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/my-floating-home/episode-guide

I series-linked those mostly because I like Mark Evans. The floating homes themselves depressed me - most of the disadvantages of living on water with none of the advantages.

 

As others have said, no treatments on the concrete 'foundations'.

[Naughty Cal]

Something in my mind is saying there will still have to be an outer membrane, paint etc, but I could be wrong.

They don't do anything to the concrete, much the same as the concrete blocks used to float floating pontoon moorings.

[Geo]

They don't do anything to the concrete, much the same as the concrete blocks used to float floating pontoon moorings.

 

It is just we get so used to having to protect the hull with something

[Naughty Cal]

 

It is just we get so used to having to protect the hull with something

Do we?

[Guest]

The first ever boat my Dad hire on the Broads back in the 60's had a ferro cement hull.

 

I (very!) vaguely recall it was painted white but I suspect this was more for appearance/aesthetic purposes than anything else.

 

This link would seem to confirm my memory.

 

http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki/index.php5?title=Style_Details&style=Cncd

Edited December 1, 2016 by MJG

[Naughty Cal]

The first ever boat my Dad hire on the Broads back in the 60's had a ferro cement hull.

 

I (very!) vaguely recall it was painted white but I suspect this was more for appearance/aesthetic purposes than anything else.

 

This link would seem to confirm my memory.

 

http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki/index.php5?title=Style_Details&style=Cncd

There is one of those moored in Brayford Pool on the Lincoln Boat Club moorings.

 

I believe they are only painted for cosmetic reasons.

[Guest]

I have read about ferro hulls having epoxy applied. Don't know the reason for it, perhaps it is for aesthetic reasons, or to give an extended life to a tired boat? Certainly some seem to be left bare and survive a long time. A lot of ferro boats in the USA I believe.

 

This article seems to suggest that coating with epoxy is for aesthetic reasons: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNABC985.pdf

 

They must need to antifoul ferro sea boats /i would think?

Edited December 2, 2016 by Guest

[Naughty Cal]

I have read about ferro hulls having epoxy applied. Don't know the reason for it, perhaps it is for aesthetic reasons, or to give an extended life to a tired boat? Certainly some seem to be left bare and survive a long time. A lot of ferro boats in the USA I believe.

 

This article seems to suggest that coating with epoxy is for aesthetic reasons: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNABC985.pdf

 

They must need to antifoul ferro sea boats /i would think?

Yes they will but purely to stop things attaching to the bottom.

 

That is the only reason GRP boats are antifouled to stop growth on the bottom which slows them down. Antifoul paint (with the exception of coppercoat which is epoxy based) offers no protection to the GRP hull at all.

[cereal tiller]

I have read about ferro hulls having epoxy applied. Don't know the reason for it, perhaps it is for aesthetic reasons, or to give an extended life to a tired boat? Certainly some seem to be left bare and survive a long time. A lot of ferro boats in the USA I believe.

 

This article seems to suggest that coating with epoxy is for aesthetic reasons: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNABC985.pdf

 

They must need to antifoul ferro sea boats /i would think?

The Antifoul will adhere to the Epoxy well,there tends to be a degree of residual moisture in the Cement which can spoil the curing of subsequent paint

 

Also makes it easier to wash of fouling when it is time for re-painting

 

CT

[Guest]

Yes they will but purely to stop things attaching to the bottom.

 

That is the only reason GRP boats are antifouled to stop growth on the bottom which slows them down. Antifoul paint (with the exception of coppercoat which is epoxy based) offers no protection to the GRP hull at all.

That makes sense.

The Antifoul will adhere to the Epoxy well,there tends to be a degree of residual moisture in the Cement which can spoil the curing of subsequent paint

 

Also makes it easier to wash of fouling when it is time for re-painting

 

CT

As does that.

[MtB]

 

It is just we get so used to having to protect the hull with something

 

 

Yes concrete goes rusty, as any fule no....

[blackrose]

Would anyone else like to reiterate whether the concrete needs painting/sealing, just in case it isn't clear?

[Geo]

Would anyone else like to reiterate whether the concrete needs painting/sealing, just in case it isn't clear?

 

Needs anti fouling

[nikvah]

 

Needs anti fouling

Is anti-fouling necessary for a houseboat that is not intending to move? And how often would it need to be re-treated if not navigating?

[Naughty Cal]

Is anti-fouling necessary for a houseboat that is not intending to move? And how often would it need to be re-treated if not navigating?

Depends if you like some scraping mussels off or not.

[nikvah]

Depends if you like some scraping mussels off or not.

I appreciate the helpful comments but do mussels and other fouling matter if you're just remaining on a mooring?

[Murflynn]

why would you scrape those gentle little critters off if the boat is not going to move?