Steel Hull and Cement question?????

by Brandi
(Monroe, Louisiana)

My floating home is beginning to leak to much! I have a custom '79 steel hull 2 story floating house (The Whimsy). She was originally a flat open work barge. I would like to know some thoughts on cementing my steel hull. She is docked at a marina on the river in Louisiana with no intentions of ever moving her. I have seen several older steel hulls in this area cemented just can't seem to find info online. The process is simple. You vacuum/clean the hull, patch all leaks that come from doing this with (my preference) JB Water weld putty epoxy, brush/paint on a rust killer (a metal prep solution like you would use before painting, mix your cement (sand, Portland, and hydraulic) together and pour/spread over the entire hull bottom a good 2 to 3 inches thick, and last step is to then paint in inner hull. I have seen 2 barges in particular that have been done over 20 years ago that the cement has now replaced the majority of the rusting hull with no problems and many others that have been done the same way just haven't been done for as long of time. I just wondering if it's a common practice??