AluminumAlloyBoats.com

Interesting. Just saw this on Craigslist...

http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/boa/5633748832.html

Wonder if this one has the non-marine grade aluminum (read about issue they had in another thread)? Also, wonder how much it would cost to get her into decent cruising shape? Pretty cool looking boat tho

I also wonder how difficult/costly it would be to convert a boat like this to run twin outboards?

That is badass

That's one of the beleaguered Bangor sub base patrol boats. The boats that got finished had big twin cat diesels as I recall and they moved out quite smartly (until they fell apart). I used to take water quality research teams out on the waters around the base (in my 21 Edwing) and was frequently visited by the security crews on those metal monsters. They were really impressively built rigs, too bad about the defective plate.

Chaps,

Were these some of the boats that were part of the (aluminum industry) alloy labeling and mill spec issues some years ago? I never did get a full review on all that happened- but seem to recall that some builders end up with off spec alloy built into boats that had problems? Then, if I recall the events (?) the clients/owners tried to recover from the builders, who'd given valid orders but had received off-spec material, so the builders tried to recover from the vendors, who (then) tried to recover from the mills??? not sure if this is the same series of events?

Any review of that part of history in the Puget Sound would be appreciated, maybe I'm confusing your remarks with another series of problems that have happened in the past? Any clarification would be welcome, IMO.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK

Kevin, your scraps of knowledge about the case match up pretty well with mine. In Norsco's case the episode reportedly bankrupted the company. I had heard that they were obligated to build new hulls and transfer over running gear and all other systems from the defective boats but how it all washed out in the end I don't know.

The CG was more seriously affected as were their contractors and apparently inspections and new material cert regs were instituted into the CFR's as a result. Makes me wonder about the boat being sold, they claim it is "new" so was it built at the tail end of the problem and is doomed to fail or was it a replacement hull made out of good material that didn't get finished due to a financial collapse?

At any rate Norsco built some fine boats and this one was one of my favorites.

Thanks Chaps, that mess was involved with 5083 and the H-116 and H321 if what I've heard is true. No issues with 5052 or any 5086 alloys that I recall?

I hope the boat was built of the correct alloy, she's big and low priced, meaning there is either some doubt about alloy- or (and) nobody's taken time to see of there were tests that could be done on hull plating to understand what exact alloy is involved. If she has an HIN or Carpenter's Certificate there may be enough of a record to research her pedigree and find out if she was built after the 5083 problems were solved/resolved? If anyone is serious about a boat that size, I'd hope a qualified Marine Surveyor would be involved?

I like the size and layout of the boat pictured, but I may not like the fuel bill to fish her out where she's designed to go?

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK

I went and looked at this boat today, it is definitely new but unfinished. No one was around so didn't get any background info or attempt to get inside. It is set-up for big diesels on v-drives. Engines would be installed under the cockpit sole which is a flush aft deck (no gunwales). Not sure what the use for this boat would be other than patrol duty. If you put outboards on it the thing would bob around like a cork, it needs lots of iron down low in the bilge IMO. Beautifully built, but out of what who knows?