Life of Reily — 113' Burger
Stainless anchor pocket fused into an aluminum hull
Project Overview
A stainless steel anchor pocket fabricated and fused into the aluminum hull of a 113-foot Burger motor yacht. Dissimilar metal joining at this scale requires expertise that few shops possess — the metallurgical challenges of bonding stainless to aluminum are significant.
The Challenge
Welding stainless steel directly to aluminum creates brittle intermetallic compounds that crack under load. On a 113-foot yacht hull, the anchor pocket absorbs enormous dynamic forces from wave action and anchor deployment. The joint had to be structurally sound and corrosion-resistant in a saltwater environment.
The Solution
DolFab used a bimetallic transition insert between the stainless pocket and the aluminum hull — an explosion-welded aluminum-to-stainless plate that creates a metallurgically sound bridge. The pocket was custom-fabricated from 316L stainless, then joined to the hull through the transition material using TIG. All joints were dye-penetrant tested and the installation was surveyed by the vessel's classification society.
Project Details
- Vessel
- 113' Burger Motor Yacht
- Material
- 316L Stainless & Marine Aluminum
- Process
- Bimetallic Transition, TIG
- Scope
- Anchor Pocket Fabrication & Install
- Location
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
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