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| I am in the early planning stages for purchasing a new and / or newer used boat (17-18 foot range) and am wondering about the advantages Aluminum has over Fiberglass and vice versa...
If and when I do purchas a new boat, I will likely be hanging on to it for many years to come (my current boat is over 10 years old)....
I have never owned a fiberglass boat, I know the obvious advantages in their hull design, etc... But what I am concerned about is how well the hull will hold up over time. What sort of maintenance is required with a fiberglass boat, what warranties are manufacturers putting on their hulls?
Many aluminum boat manufacturers such as Crestliner and Alumacraft are putting 20 year hull warranties on their hull, so that is something that is very appealing to me, since I will have this boat for a long time to come.
If any one can help shed some light on this subject for me I would greatly apprecieate.
My current wish list would be one of the following (either tiller or console);
Crestliner 1750 Fish Hawk (excellent layout for musky fishing)
Alumacraft Tournament Pro 175 (17'10" long 96" Beam, lots of room)
Tuffy Esox Magnum Deep V (Deeper Sponsoned V Hull (similar to esox magnum),
very stable, excellent layout)
Tuffy Esox Deep V 1760 (Deep V Hull, great for the larger lakes I fish,
excellent layout)
Thanks again,
John B | |
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| Fiberglass is as tough as any material out there for a boat hull. There are other advantages, including the ability to fix impact damage without attempted welds,new rivets, or replacement.
Many of the Glass boats now have composite floors and side tanks; light, strong, and rot free. They also offer dry storage, something at a premium in an aluminum. The Tuffy models you mention are composite, and are light despite the fact they are VERY strong.
The only necessary care is for the finish and carpet. Treat the finish as you would your car, and it will stay bright and new for a very long time.
There are many Tuffy boats out there still powering along from the 70's and 80's; I run into the owners at the winter shows all the time. Those were basically 'stone age' products compared to what is being built today, so the 2003 models should outlast the owner if cared for.
You will pay more for the Fiberglass, but compare the storage, finish work under the lids and in the parts of the boat one seldom looks into, and you will see why.
Watch the Warranty tricks out there. Most are 'limited' and are a fraction of the full coverage in a few years, and do not transfer from owner to owner. The average in the business for a boat owner to buy new is every three years, so the builders can offer 20 year hull bottom warranties and 10 top deck, but only to the original owner. In most cases, the boat is sold or traded in three, and the warranty is gone.
Tuffy offers a 5 year structural warranty, covers the gel coat too, and it is fully transferrable throughout that period. I will assure you, if in 5 years no structural difficulty has shown, there usually will not be one later.[:bigsmile:] | |
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| Once you go glass you never go back....[;)]
Ride in a glass boat across whitecaps and then a tin boat, you will really see the difference. Also glass boats drift slower which helps your boat control. As far as dry storage is concerned, every compartment on my boat is extremly dry and I leave my boat outside.[;)]
Tuffy, Ranger and many others build great glass boats and the resale is much better. | |
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| hmmmmmmmmm....
What waters do you fish? Big water or not? I feel that if you are not fishing alot big water that the Crestliner is VERY hard to beat as far as value and space. Re-sale has been very good for the last 5 years on Crestliner and the Fishhawk line is PERFECT for muskie fishing. The exception is when on big water you'll be wearing your rain gear whether it's raining or not. As stated above alot of warranties are not transferable so make sure before you buy. Also look into extended warranties that some dealers may offer......
Plastic is fantastic but with tin you'll win. | |
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| I like the glass boats the best. I have owned both and can tell you that I will never go back to aluminum unless forced to because of lack of funds. If you are going to pull your boats up on the rocks a lot for shore lunch etc. Than Aluminum is the deal for you. Aluminum is slightly and I mean slightly lighter for towing. However being lighter and sitting higher in the water you will be effected much more by wind and waves. Glass boats "hold" in the water much better. This helps you fish the wind much easier. If you can afford one of the top of the line glass boats by all means buy one you will not be disappointed. By the way, if it matters, glass boats are much faster on top end with the same H.P. Has to do with the friction of glass as opposed to aluminum. Hope this helps, I drive a Ranger myself. I love that boat............. | |
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| Muskyone...with a keel gaurd, you never have to worry about rocks pulling up for a shore lunch.[;)] | |
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| If you go glass, invest in having Keel Guard installed, then you can run that sucker up a bull pine w/ confidence![;)] I've had both types + now have another Carolina Skiff + will probably stick w/ glass for the lakes/bay...enjoy whatever you go w/![:sun:] | |
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| I too have had both aluminum and fiberglass boats. I'll opt for the fiberglass over aluminum. My current boat is a 20' 1979 Wellcraft which was repowered for the 2000 season. She looks exceptionally good, runs like a dream, has an extreme gull wing bow which stays dry in 3-4 ft seas. As earlier responders to your post have stated, with a glass boat the storage areas will remain drier, the heavier hull handles rough water much better and is more stable in the water whether under power or adrift, and any hull damage is far easier to repair. The glass hull requires perhaps a bit more cleaning and waxing but with proper care will last almost forever and still look exceptionally sharp.
My twenty-three year old craft certainly offers testament to that.
....Be sure to enjoy whatever boat you decide upon....[;)]
Mike | |
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| Thanks for the info guys, as I mentioned in my post it is still the early planning stages, and nothing will happen until late this year or next year...
John B | |
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| You have a tough decision to make.... one I made this past winter. My last boat was a smaller aluminum and it served its purpose.... but that is about all.
I've been fishing from my Dad's Crestliner 1650 Fishawk for 3 years now, and it is a very nice rig. Only issues I have with it is it takes waves like crap (even boat wakes jolt you pretty good with that mile wide transom) and it sits higher in the water so boat control can be tricky, but not impossible, in the wind.
I ended up going glass (Ranger Fisherman 681 VS) and am very pleased with my decision. Money was no different than the 1850 Fishawk I had been getting quotes on. Thus, the decision was quite easy actually. For the same money, I got a smoother, drier ride and MUCH easier boat control in the wind.
I leave for Canada in a few hours... so we will see if I miss my aluminum up there.[:halo:] | |
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| You hear lots of people going from tin to glass, but never the other way around. I'm a recent glass convert as well. Had a FishHawk for 2 seasons, and then made the plunge into the plastic boat. Will never look back.
My advice, go for a ride in whatever boats you narrow it down to. If the boat doesn't sell itself on the water, then its not the right one for you. | |
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| I know that I'm gonna raise the hackles on a lot of peoples heads. I know that people are gonna think that I'm a fool and don't know what I'm talking about. They maybe right.But...
I have a friend that has a Ranger 619vs. I drive a little Lund. Was out with him a few times in rough water. Hate to say it but I wasn't impressed, I don't think it ran any smoother than my little Lund. In fact with the shock abosorber pedisetal seats that I have in my boat I would rather ride in my Lund. His boat did track better in the wind and was easier to control than mine. But as far as a smooth comfortable ride, as I said, I'm not impressed. My butt was sore and back was pounded, had to hit the pain killers when I got home.
So for all the extra money for the Ranger I don't think it's worth it. | |
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| Fishpoop,
2 things: did you see the speedometer? You were probably going another 15mph faster then your lund. GregM mentioned that my boat wasn't any more smooth then his but I brought up the fact that we were going way faster then his Crestliner. As you go faster water gets "harder" and the ride gets rougher. And the second is that ride depends alot on the driver. If the driver doesn't have the right trim angle it doesn't matter what material you boat is made from. Also, the drivers seat is ALWAYS more comfortable then the passenger side. | |
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| Treats:
2 very good points. He is running a Johnson 115 or something like that. I asked him how fast we were going and he said it was about 1/2 to 3/4 throttle. What that is in m.p.h. I'm not sure. He hit wide open throttle once just to show me what top end was like and yes we were moving a lot faster than my boat. In fact at top end the ride was better than at cruiseing speed. My Lund with a 50 on it hits in the upper 30 m.p.h. and on a good day with the water conditions and the humidity low and only myself in the boat I have hit 40+ m.p.h. this is with gps tracking the speed. Although I haven't driven his boat, I have sat at the console. I can't get my legs under it.
Yes, he was having some trouble with the trim angle. He hadn't had it for very long and was playing with trim as we ran, so I'm sure that is a factor.
I would like to point out that I'm not saying my little lund is as well built as a ranger. I'm just saying that I wasn't as impressed with the ride as I had been led to expect. | |
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| Fishpoop,
I had the same opinion as you until I owned my own Ranger. I ran aluminum for many years and always scoffed when people said "glass pads your @ss". Now I am totally 100% convinced there is a difference after 4 days on LOTW with high winds. With my old boat, I would have had to slow it down to about 20 MPH with the bow up and limp along in the 4 foot waves we had on this trip. With my new Ranger, we trimmed up and skipped across those rollers at 40 MPH.... smooth as silk and totally dry... even when quartering into the waves. If I had my Dad's Crestliner up there... I guarantee you I would have been soaked and sore.
Like I said, I NEVER dreamed I would say this... but there is a difference with glass. Everyone has there own opinion... and mine has surprisingly changed. | |
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| Just a quick correction to my first post. My friend has a 681vs, not a 619vs. Sorry about that. | |
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| There are many facters to consider when choosing between aluminum or glass. I have run the gammit of Lund ProV's and have loved them all, well most of them. I now run a Ranger 619. Awesome boat. Alot of what you buy depends on the water you are fishing. Yes overall the glass boat will give you a better ride. I you are not fishing areas that are large bodies of water the differance probably is null. Next comes to what areas you fish. Do you fish rocky lakes? If so I tend to worry about my glass boat on these types of water so I would prefer to have an aluminum boat. Looks? In my opinion glass will always look better. Do you fish early and late in the year when there is ice on the water. Those big icebergs can leave lovely marks on those glass boats. Maintenance, I feel that glass needs a little more TLC to keep it looking nice. Then we have cost. In my experiance glass will usually cost more.
So many things to consider but it is such a great decision to have to make.
Good Luck,
Bear | |
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| I have both , a 17ft. Boston Whaler for the BIG Water and sand bottom lakes and a 12ft. Sea Nymph aluminum for rivers and rock bottom lakes. I've found out the hard way that aluminum bounces off of rocks a lot better than fiber glass.[:sun:] | |
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Fiberglass vs. Aluminum