Aluminum versus Fiberglass

[flounderpounder]

I am in the market for a boat and I wanted to get feedback on aluminum hulls. I grew up on east coast and nobody used aluminum but bass guys. When I moved over here it seems like they are much more prevelent with saltwater fishing.

[Barhopr]

Go West of Panacea and you wont see many.. When in Rome.

[seatrout99]

Very prevalent in LA, TX, MS. Mud boats, inshore, and offshore. Even starting to build alot of offshore boats out of aluminum. Check out the Gravious boats. Sweet Contender-style off shore boats - all aluminum hull. Depends on what you fish for and how you fish. Hard to beat a good Xpress center console aluminum boat for running rivers and flats. I've had both. I running two fiberglass boats right now. I'm sure I'll have another aluminum boat eventually.

[Redbelly]

I like aluminum for the areas I like to fish, from St. Marks over to the Aucilla area. Lots of shallow with rocks and oyster bars. lighter weight too.
More noisy though. Overall my choice.

[AJ]

I've got one of each, I don't like scratching the bottom of my bay boat on oyster bars.

[Charles]

I think aluminum requires less maintenance than fiberglass, but it is subject to electrolysis and, to a limited extent, corrosion. Aluminum transmits sound and temperature much better than fiberglass. It can freeze bare feet in cold water, or sizzle them on a deck in the sun, but this can be solved by an invention called "shoes," the things my folks always tried, often in vain, to get my brothers and I to wear when we were kids.

Aluminum is lighter weight for the same size hull. All other things being equal, the heavier fiberglass hull will ride smoother in a chop. The lighter aluminum hull will float a little shallower and will require less HP to plane, but will be more affected by wind.

One suggestion I would make if you decide to go with aluminum, is a floor. Either a factory floor or one cut to fit from a 3/4" sheet of plywood. A homemade, plywood floor is acually better in some repects, mainly the sound deadening and temperature things. The hull will last longer with a floor in it to support weight on top of the ribs. Weight applied repeatedly on the bottom of the boat between the ribs will eventually cause problems by pushing the hull away from the ribs, especially on a riveted hull, but an all welded hull is not immune to this.

I prefer aluminum over fiberglass, but take that for what it's worth since all my current boats are plastic. If I had a powerboat, it would be a welded aluminum hull, with a plywood floor.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

I HAVE BOTH, THE ALUM REQUIRES MORE ATTENTION WHEN IT COME TO WASHING DOWN AFTER USE IN SALT WATER, JUST DO A EXTRA GOOD JOB OF WASHING DOWN THE HULL. ALUM. REQUIRES LESS H.P., DRAFTS A LOT LESS WATER, THE STARCRAFT ALUM. I HAVE ONLY PULLS 4 " OF WATER WITH TWO 200# PASSENGERS AND ALL THE GEAR. GETS UP ON PLANE IN ABOUT HALF THE DISTANCE AS THE FIBERGLASS, AND USES ABOUT 1/2 AS MUCH FUEL AS THE FIBERGLASS. THE FIBERGLASS IS A LOT EASIER TO REPAIR IF YA KNOCK A HOLE IN IT, IS MORE STABLE AND RIDES EASIER THAN THE ALUM., THE F.G. USES ABOUT TWICE AS MUCH FUEL FOR THE SAME DISTANCE AS THE ALUM., IS HARDER TO LOAD AND UNLOAD, REQUIRES MORE H.P.. THIS IS JUST WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA