The metal boat stars are Dylan Bailey, boatbuilder and surveyor extraordinaire, and Pisces, a very cool steel and aluminum boat, shown here in a PassageMaker magazine spread. TrawlerFest-Anacortes features Bailey in the lecture hall and Pisces on the docks–a twofer for buyers and alloy boat enthusiasts.
TrawlerFest runs Tuesday through Sunday, May 12-17 at the Cap Sante Marina.
As a son of a boat builder, Bailey was exposed to boats at an early age, having built, lived aboard and sailed on boats most of his life, beginning with his family’s ketch, then buying and restoring his first sailboat at the age of 21. He has logged thousands of miles inshore and offshore on his own boats and as a paid captain.
Bailey and his wife own a 47-foot steel staysail schooner, which they spent three years refitting. Bailey has worked in the marine industry for 30 years, 16 of which in boatbuilding. He now operateds Dylan Bailey’s Yacht Services of St. Augustine, Florida, spending much of his working day surveying all types of boats but specializing in metal craft.
Bailey is a member of the Metal Boat Society and serves as acting editor of Metal Boat Quarterly. His seminar “The Art of Buying a Metal Boat” is on Saturday, May 16, 8:30-10:30 a.m. He is also part of the team that is teaching “The Boatbuyer’s Survival Guide” on Thursday and Friday mornings.
In his seminar, Bailey will discuss the many advantages to metal construction, including the ability to survive most groundings and collisions. There are a wealth of designs that lend themselves to metal, but quality of construction varies widely in the marketplace. Bailey will discuss how to spot potential problems and conduct your own pre-offer inspection when you view a metal boat.
After you have your offer accepted, the most important thing to do when buying a metal boat is hiring a capable marine surveyor. He will discuss what inspection tools are used and how a marine survey of a metal boat should be performed.
Pisces, a 56-footer is for sale and can be inspected during the boat show portion of the event, beginning Thursday, May 14, through Sunday. Here is a description of her construction from the March 2013 PassageMaker:
The boat’s construction has employed an intriguing method of joining dissimilar metals in a manner that prevents the otherwise certain occurrence of galvanic corrosion. The process, called Detacouple, or explosion welding, was developed by DuPont during the 1950s, and since then has been used in the construction of military vessels, LNG carriers and other commercial vessels as well as in some recreational craft (PMM, Jan. 2000), most frequently for the purpose of securing aluminum structure to a steel hull or deck.
Click here to read the article in full.
For information about TrawlerFest call our dedicated number 954.703.4789 or email us at [email protected]
