Ferrocement schooner Wild Knight was heading across the English Channel to her new home in the Netherlands when she grounded out on a sandbank while entering a harbour.
With the tide returning, deteriorating weather and a change in wind direction, she sustained significant hull damage. This caused considerable water ingress which damaged the fit-out as well as the electrical, mechanical and engineering systems.
Given Falmouth Boat Co.’s experience in repairing ferrocement yachts, we were asked to repair the damage.
Logistically it was not possible to bring the schooner to Falmouth as the damage was too extensive, so our team travelled to her.
In a boatyard in the Netherlands, working closely with the owners, all the damaged concrete was removed and the underlying steelwork reformed.
Our team patch repaired in with new concrete before bonding and fairing in using epoxy.
The concrete patches had to cure for a minimum of 28 days before we employed the epoxy finishing system.
During the curing process the repairs had to remain moist throughout but this isn’t the only challenge of repairing ferrcement boats. Reinstating the wire shape in line with the hull is essential to the integrity of the repair and the consistency of the cement had to be correct in each of the small batches used in sequence throughout the job.
FBC owner Jonathan Fielding is proud of the team’s work in the Netherlands: “I’m very pleased that we can continue to support our clients remotely and deliver our services precisely where needed.”