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Metal Hulls

Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 7:10 pm
by Watermark
Here is the blessing/curse of steel hulls. I have 4 spots rusted thru (found an another one today). New plate, old welder, and its fixed.
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Old Steely !

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:35 am
by Travlinman1352
Is that the Offshore. I Would love to see some more photos of her.

1964 Roamer Offshore

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 9:18 am
by Watermark
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Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 9:25 am
by jfrprops
Never even aware of that style boat?!!
Really neat looking.

John in Va

Offshore interior

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 9:27 am
by Watermark
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Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 9:33 am
by Watermark
jfrprops wrote:Never even aware of that style boat?!!
Really neat looking.

John in Va
Only manufactured in '64,'64,'65, only made 50 of them.
Twin big block Chryslers under the cockpit with V drives.

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 10:08 am
by jfrprops
Heck Yeah....DO THE WELDING....that is a very cool boat....classy interior too. !!
Never seen one...
John in Va.

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 9:38 pm
by Doug P
And.......You don't have to swell them up.

Wow....what a beauty !

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:49 pm
by Travlinman1352
Thanks for posting the additional pics. You definitely have a one of a kind. I found a hull in Knoxville looked like they had started to repaint the hull when a tree fell through it bow to stern. Not sure if it was an Offshore or Commodore...I believe they used the same hull for both models. Can you post a picture of the wheel house and helm. Thanks and happy sailing.
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Offshore Pilothouse

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 7:17 am
by Watermark
There has been some updating since these photos but this will give you some idea of the pilothouse:

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Bottom Prep

Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:49 pm
by Watermark
Sandblasting prior to barrier coats:
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About Done

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:17 am
by Watermark
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Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:51 pm
by Don Ayers
Ok. So when looking at a steel hull roamer what does one look for? What are the pitfalls of a steel hull

I like the style and wonder if they are any less of an issue than a wood boat when it comes to the bottom?

Thanks

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 7:58 am
by WoodenRookie
Great question Don, I'd love to read the pro's & cons, opinions, and throw Aluminum in the mix.

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 10:03 pm
by Al Benton
The steel Roamers do rust, generally from the bilge side. This makes it tough to detect a problem from outside while repainting the bottom. I guess when it starts leaking you know it's rusted through. The rusted steel can be cut out and replaced but I'm sure it's not quite the same as replacing a plank or two. I just spent the afternoon with a Roamer owner who had bottom steel replaced while restoring his 44' Roamer.

Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 10:09 am
by gbraker
I've looked at Roamers that literally had 6 inches of rust in the bilge from one end to the other.

I remember another one that hung over the water behind this guys house. He couldn't lift it higher and still get in the boat so it hung about 2 ft in the water. The hull was paper thin. probably galvanic erosion or something because there was no rust. The entire bottom had to be replaced from the waterline down.

Its not easy welding while laying on your back upside down. I have trouble standing over something and welding.

I've seen others where they just weld more plates over the top of the ones already there. Like they aren't already heavy enough.

Aluminum is great but there is the problem of bottom paint. It can't have copper in it, and the only thing that works is banned. Or you need a licensed professional to strip it and apply it.

Galvanic erosion is also a big problem.

There are plus's and minus's with everything.

Heavy?

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 7:23 am
by Watermark
I don't think the steel Roamer is heavy. My 38 foot weights in at 21000 lbs.

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:31 pm
by gbraker
I really don't know what the different weights of boats are based on size & materials. I have heard that the Roamers are great boats, and they can handle any kind of weather.

I have also heard that they are gas hogs and they are very heavy for the length.

I could be wrong, I love the lines of the 38 ft Riviera
and I wish I could afford to buy one.

I have admired the Off Shores ever since I saw one.

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 5:13 pm
by Al Benton
A group of classic cruisers cruise from above St. Louis to Quincy, IL for the Quincy Classic Boat & Outboard Show. The distance is about 100 miles one way. We probably cruise at a water speed of about 7 or 8 mph and most all of use about the same amount of fuel for the round trip. Among us are: a 1962, 44' Roamer (steel hull), a '53, 42' Commander, a '67, 30' Cavalier Crusader (single screw) and my '60, 27' Connie (single screw). The Roamer and the Commander can do the round trip without stopping for fuel but the smaller ones must refuel 3 times to complete the cruise.

So at a moderate, relaxing cruise speed (1800-1900 rpm) these big, heavy cruisers seem to be as fuel efficient as the smaller ones.

Fuel use

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 6:45 pm
by Watermark
Last year, before I had these engines rebuilt and the bottom redone, I averaged 1.25 miles per gallon total at 8.5 mph. I'll be checking again shortly to see if there is much improvement.

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 6:52 pm
by Watermark
Don Ayers wrote:Ok. So when looking at a steel hull roamer what does one look for? What are the pitfalls of a steel hull

I like the style and wonder if they are any less of an issue than a wood boat when it comes to the bottom?

Thanks
To answer your steel hull questions, check out this Roamer site: http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/steel ... ssues-225/

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:09 pm
by Al Benton
We probably average about one mpg on this cruise. Some of our time is spent waiting at or in locks on the Mississippi River (4 in each direction). For long delays we anchor out, barge up and shut down but if we're waiting for one pass, we idol around. On one occasion we were delayed at a swing-span railroad bridge near Louisianan, MO for a train to pass that took possibly 20 minutes at idle speed (to keep up with river current). Not good for fuel economy but necessary on the river.

Al

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:59 pm
by Bill Basler
Comparing a 38-foot Roamer Offshore with a 38-foot Commander of the same vintage they are within 2,000 lbs of each other, the steel Roamer being the heavier. 2,000 is nothing to sneeze at, but on a 38-foot boat that weighs well over 20,000 lbs, my guess is that based on displacement that 2,000 lbs would be fairly negligible.

roamer bottoms

Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 8:10 pm
by rchay
this year i had 5 scab plates welded over rusted out areas, most were about one foot by three or four feet long. they cost me 500. dollars and after i put the west system epoxy system over them they were just about invisible,i am small diesel powered so it dosen't mean a thing..8.5 knots,1500 rpm, 3 gals per..commordor 38 ft. r hay

Re: roamer bottoms

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 10:26 am
by Watermark
rchay wrote:this year i had 5 scab plates welded over rusted out areas, most were about one foot by three or four feet long. they cost me 500. dollars and after i put the west system epoxy system over them they were just about invisible,i am small diesel powered so it dosen't mean a thing..8.5 knots,1500 rpm, 3 gals per..commordor 38 ft. r hay
I have about the same done but it cost me $2500 for plates and welding. :(

Re: Metal Hulls

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 9:06 am
by 61seaskiff42
I feel Lucky I got the 1969 38' foot boat 4 $2,500 and it is in excellent shape needs only fresh paint , fully loaded everything works!!!!! The reason it was so cheap ??? The guy inharetted it and didn't want it, So I snapped it up fast!!! T hey are beautiful boats very classy . I will take steel plates over planks(I have owned many wood cruisers).Roamers are cool!!!!! :D :D :D

Re: Metal Hulls

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 5:03 pm
by Doug P
61seaskiff42 wrote: I will take steel plates over planks(I have owned many wood cruisers).Roamers are cool!!!!! :D :D :D
I will echo your statement. I have owned steel, wood, aluminum and tupperware....steel is best. :D

Re:

Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 11:46 pm
by High Seas
Al Benton wrote:A group of classic cruisers cruise from above St. Louis to Quincy, IL for the Quincy Classic Boat & Outboard Show. The distance is about 100 miles one way. We probably cruise at a water speed of about 7 or 8 mph and most all of use about the same amount of fuel for the round trip. Among us are: a 1962, 44' Roamer (steel hull), a '53, 42' Commander, a '67, 30' Cavalier Crusader (single screw) and my '60, 27' Connie (single screw). The Roamer and the Commander can do the round trip without stopping for fuel but the smaller ones must refuel 3 times to complete the cruise.

So at a moderate, relaxing cruise speed (1800-1900 rpm) these big, heavy cruisers seem to be as fuel efficient as the smaller ones.
To All,

We have a 58' Roamer in the group here in Seattle, 12V-71 Detroits, and he gets 1 to 1 at about 12 knots, we get about .85 to 1 at 12 knots with our 65' with Cat D-343TA's very fuel efficient the bigger you get..... We can do almost 1000 miles on 900 gal of fuel.