Found this in yachtworld

Sell or Trade your Alloy boat here
dflorea
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2015 9:44 am
8

Found this in yachtworld

#1

Post by dflorea »

28 ft, Gravois
28 ft, Gravois
28 ft, Gravois
28 ft, Gravois
I'm not selling this boat. What do you know about this? Why is the finish looking olive drab? Other Gravois I've seen are painted.
dflorea
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2015 9:44 am
8

Re: Found this in yachtworld

#2

Post by dflorea »

I CANT FIND ANY INFORMATION ON THIS YACHT. Nada guide comes up zip so far. I just would like a little information as to the pricing, quality of build, value. NOt many made I guess. Dave :clint:
Chaps
Donator '09
Posts: 2246
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:19 am
16
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: Found this in yachtworld

#3

Post by Chaps »

Incredible boats, looks like an unpainted one.
1987 24' LaConner pilothouse workboat, 225 Suzuki
Image
please view and like: https://www.facebook.com/bottompainting/
MacCTD
Posts: 569
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:53 pm
15
Location: MA

Re: Found this in yachtworld

#4

Post by MacCTD »

'05 Pacific 1925
Mercury 150
User avatar
welder
Site Admin
Posts: 4667
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:51 pm
16
Location: Whitesboro, Texas
Contact:

Re: Found this in yachtworld

#5

Post by welder »

Talk to Jimmy Gravois {Grav-wa}
http://www.metalsharkboats.com/gravois-serie/
Lester,
PacificV2325, Honda BF225
2386
dingahling
Donator ,15
Posts: 70
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 1:41 pm
14

Re: Found this in yachtworld

#6

Post by dingahling »

MacCTD
Posts: 569
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:53 pm
15
Location: MA

Re: Found this in yachtworld

#7

Post by MacCTD »

That's crazy money for that boat with that power, maybe if it had new power it would be worth that kind of money.
'05 Pacific 1925
Mercury 150
dflorea
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2015 9:44 am
8

Re: Found this in yachtworld

#8

Post by dflorea »

I'm just window shopping now. This gravois caught my eye. I don't think I want to "baby" my next vessel. I mean I take care but don't want to worry about eroding metal finish. In the post I read the owner does not keep it in the water, and that the unpainted finish would erode after a while. All of these alloy boats seem to be expensive. Crazy Money is a relative term but I agree. $50000. Is steep for me.
kmorin
Donator 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Posts: 1735
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 1:37 am
15
Location: Kenai, Alaska

Re: Found this in yachtworld

#9

Post by kmorin »

dflorea,

marine aluminum is not the least expensive boat building material so the resulting boats will not be price competitive with poured plastics. Short of some exotic nickle steels, aluminum is probably the most expensive material for boat building? The skills needed to work with metal are less widely available and that makes those skills more expensive per hour.... so welded aluminum boats have another contribution to their higher costs compared to other materials.

I doubt a welded aluminum boat will be in the same price class as all other materials because of these factors. In fact, if I found a welded aluminum boat in the relative price group with boats of other materials... I'd immediately question; what's wrong with this boat? Aluminum Marine Alloys are the high end of boat building materials (Lloyd's of London has a special class for gazillion dollar aluminum yachts and the largest yacht builders work in welded aluminum) and the longevity is hard to believe- it surely outlasts all other materials when built correctly and maintained properly.

Bare, buffed, or sand blasted aluminum has a half life or a couple hundred years exposed to the elements. This Gravois will erode in your children's, children's, children's, children's lifetimes, maybe- but if its a bare boat, the risk is to the bilge, trailer and hardware mounts not the topsides.

Image

This reference skiff was built in the 1970's and was cleaned with acid to bare metal and have been hauling salmon since. It's finish is bare metal, and there is none-nada-zero-not any erosion or corrosion on her hull anywhere. She is on her way to a several hundred year working life- she cost more than a plastic or wood boat when she was built too. So my point about a bare hull Gravois is that her future is dull gray metal for several more lifetimes.

Of course, in the contiguous states (the Old Country) boat cosmetics are very much more a concern that they are in my neck of the North woods. So if finish is an important feature(?) then every spring simply get out the oil skins, the breather and boots and wash her in acid. She will be bright white finished and not the dull gray you see in the photos (although this 'bikini freighter' may have been sand blasted to get that coloration?). The skiff (my image) above was etched about 30 or maybe 35 years ago, so that's the color its stayed - not much eroded finish.

There are many posts here that could help you get a better picture of why the high boat end is exclusively welded aluminum; but I will admit it would take many hours of reading to get a clear picture of the details that make this fact clear. Understanding welded metal boats is surely an education.

Another item about a this net skiff shown above. I tried to buy it back after 35 years and the owner wanted four times what he paid in the 70's. Another reason well built welded aluminum boats are expensive is they hold their value to much higher values than other boats.

I'm not trying to spend your money, but 50K for the Gravois shown is very friendly price if the bilge is clean and the electrical system has not damaged the boat requiring repairs. I'm not discussing the engines, electronics or hardware; just the hull.

You can use this hull hard enough to turn you and the crew in to jello- baby the boat? You can strip her of all paint, goop and coatings, acid etch to bare metal and she will not need any "babying". We've used welded aluminum boats in a following (sometimes dry break) sea on glacial till rock beach landing tons of salmon as many times a day as the lucky fisherman could fill the skiff, and babying these boats is not really indicative of a fully informed view point regarding the boats. I don't see the finish of the boat needing much special treatment- surely not compared to gel coat or dead trees and glue.

Hell, with this boat you could go into that 'freelance farma-suitical' business making afternoon runs chartered for the southamericanos! Where's your entrepreneurial spirit? I will say though....without pneumatic seats this boat cannot be driven at her speed capacity in a head sea but the boat would do that for the next century-it's just us humans that can't take what she can in regards running at high speeds.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, Ak
kmorin
dflorea
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2015 9:44 am
8

Re: Found this in yachtworld

#10

Post by dflorea »

"babying these boats is not really indicative of a fully informed view point regarding the boats." All I can say is WHEW! I dont know much about alloy boats. That is why I joined this forum. My next vessel may be an alloy boat. I've done a little research on them and I am still learning. I do thank you for your input. It is greatly appreciated.I have many questions.
kmorin
Donator 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Posts: 1735
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 1:37 am
15
Location: Kenai, Alaska

Re: Found this in yachtworld

#11

Post by kmorin »

dflorea, ask away, I'm not sure there's anything, except beer and barbeque ? this Forum likes as much as welded aluminum boats? Everyone will try to field all questions, and since lots of members own across the spectrum of boats.... from different builders and combined different models from the same builders.... I think you'll find AAB.com Forum has the most informed membership about this type of boat.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
kmorin
Lucky Louie
Contributor
Posts: 513
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:13 pm
16
Location: Greenwell Springs, LA

Re: Found this in yachtworld

#12

Post by Lucky Louie »

I know quite a bit about the Gravois boats. (Metal Shark now) Have seen them locally for seems like forever. Jimmy Gravois boats are like gold down here. His boats ooze/scream "Craftsmanship" everywhere you look in his boats. Also know folks that have had them FOREVER too. (And not babied them either, run/used them HARD) Many are on the second or third set of engines/power. Few hit the market down here. Most are sold to friends or family before ever having a for sale sign put on them.

Have I ever been able to afford one, no..... But if I ever was in a place I could afford to have a boat built for my needs he (Metal Shark) would be my one stop shop. You always wonder if when a small builder expands as Gravois has if the quality it is know/famous for will suffer. Well Welder and I had the opportunity to spend a day with Jimmy at the Metal Shark facility in New Iberia. I will say with full confidence that the quality has n0t suffered at ALL! The products/boats STILL ooze/SCREAM unmatched quality no matter where you look in them.

Bottom line, would I buy a 20-30 year old Gravois????? Answer, IN A HEARTBEAT!
peterbo3
Contributor
Posts: 486
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:59 am
16
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Found this in yachtworld

#13

Post by peterbo3 »

Down this way custom alloy boats have always been in high demand. Our company supplies heatshrink terminals to most of the main builders in Brisbane & surrounds. These builders have 12-18 months of paid up orders on their books plus people actually offering $$$ to jump the queue.
There are 20 year old unpainted workboats that still look kind of new. Five year old painted boats are up for a new paint job that will cost a fortune as every single item covering the existing paint has yo be removed, treated & re-sprayed.
The latest trend is to get a vinyl wrap made in the design of your choice. About half the cost of paint but how long they last has not yet been determined.
My boat is bare alloy & was acid etched after the hotwork was done. Not pretty but zip corrosion anywhere. And I used 316 SS fasteners with Lanotec to fix all sorts of fittings. Lanotec is a lanoline based grease
derived from raw sheep wool.
Will my boat be there in 30 years even though I may not be around? I sure hope so. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Regards,

Pete in Brisbane
Image
User avatar
Hull9
Donator '14
Posts: 42
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:40 pm
9

Re: Found this in yachtworld

#14

Post by Hull9 »

Well well, had I known there was so much hooplah about my boat earlier I would have gladly talked about it!

That was the best boat I've owned so far, and she is gone as of Monday. For what it's worth...for very, very close to the asking price.

It's been a while since I logged on here, so feel free to ask any questions!

Thanks
Alec
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic