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[QUOTE]firstsixfeet - 12/11/2004  10:20 AM

[QUOTE]sworrall - 11/18/2004  11:37 AM

LC has it right. Fiberglass is actually structurally more sound than aluminum because it requires no welds or rivets, so has no weak points. Weight is about the same between Fiberglass and Aluminum too. As far as surface damage goes, if you hit a Fiberglass hull hard enough to do damage, you most certainly will damage an aluminim as badly. The key is the ability to reasonably easily and inexpensively repair fiberglass to it's original shape and finish, which is not easily accomplished with aluminum.

The ride is usually better because fiberglass is molded prefectly to shape for good hydrodynamics, and aluminum, even when stretch formed, is more difficult to<a onMouseOver="window.status='' ; return true;"  onMouseOut="window.status='';" oncontextmenu="window.status=''; return true;" onclick="location.href='http://www.enhancemysearch.com/admin/results.php?q=work&id=4';return false;" href="" TITLE="More Info..."> work </a>with. All in all, both are good boat building materials.

For some reason, the idea that a fiberglass boat can't take rocky areas or impacts still persists. In fact, a keel guard on the boat will allow a glass boat to be dragged right up on the rocks with no problem, simply eliminating scratching and gouging that occurs in both materials when dragged onto rocks.

Fiberglass boats are built inside out, so to speak. The finish is applied to the mold first, then the woven roving and high tech composites are applied. Aluminums are built, primed, and painted much like an automobile.[/QUOTE]

I will take exception to 1 point here, when shopping for my most recent boat, fiberglass and al are not the same weight.  I started looking and figured for fiberglass anywhere from 3-500 more lbs. which would be significant amount.  Also looking at it from a towing standpoint, to tow a fiberglass boat of an equivalent square footage and motor would leave me needing a v8 or at least a spiffed up v6 AND electric brakes, and of course I am talking about SE KY where the hills are definitely hills.  I would have had to do a vehicle change to support the extra boat weight, and it is a significant difference to me as I tow in excess of 8,000 miles a year(don't tell my wife).  That extra weight can also cause some problems at lower quality boat landings, and even the extra 3-400 lbs I picked up when changing Al boats makes a difference, though I haven't got in trouble yet.  If money was basically not a restriction(new truck new boat) I probably would have gone with fiberglass, but I spend enough on fishing as it is and hated to add a truck payment.

There is one other thing that would make me hesitate on fiberglass just a wee bit, and that is sliding up on deadheads, and I do this several times a year.  Fiberglass on a deadhead can be even more miserable than al on a deadhead.  But I think that is a minor problem.  Either way there are good boats out there, pick what you like and don't look back.[/QUOTE]

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firstsixfeet

Posted 12/11/2004 10:20 AM (#127686 - in reply to #125481)
Subject: RE: Glass vs Aluminum

Posts: 2361

sworrall - 11/18/2004 11:37 AM

LC has it right. Fiberglass is actually structurally more sound than aluminum because it requires no welds or rivets, so has no weak points. Weight is about the same between Fiberglass and Aluminum too. As far as surface damage goes, if you hit a Fiberglass hull hard enough to do damage, you most certainly will damage an aluminim as badly. The key is the ability to reasonably easily and inexpensively repair fiberglass to it's original shape and finish, which is not easily accomplished with aluminum.

The ride is usually better because fiberglass is molded prefectly to shape for good hydrodynamics, and aluminum, even when stretch formed, is more difficult to<a onMouseOver="window.status='' ; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status='';" oncontextmenu="window.status=''; return true;" onclick="location.href='http://www.enhancemysearch.com/admin/results.php?q=work&id=4';return false;" href="" TITLE="More Info..."> work </a>with. All in all, both are good boat building materials.

For some reason, the idea that a fiberglass boat can't take rocky areas or impacts still persists. In fact, a keel guard on the boat will allow a glass boat to be dragged right up on the rocks with no problem, simply eliminating scratching and gouging that occurs in both materials when dragged onto rocks.

Fiberglass boats are built inside out, so to speak. The finish is applied to the mold first, then the woven roving and high tech composites are applied. Aluminums are built, primed, and painted much like an automobile.

I will take exception to 1 point here, when shopping for my most recent boat, fiberglass and al are not the same weight. I started looking and figured for fiberglass anywhere from 3-500 more lbs. which would be significant amount. Also looking at it from a towing standpoint, to tow a fiberglass boat of an equivalent square footage and motor would leave me needing a v8 or at least a spiffed up v6 AND electric brakes, and of course I am talking about SE KY where the hills are definitely hills. I would have had to do a vehicle change to support the extra boat weight, and it is a significant difference to me as I tow in excess of 8,000 miles a year(don't tell my wife). That extra weight can also cause some problems at lower quality boat landings, and even the extra 3-400 lbs I picked up when changing Al boats makes a difference, though I haven't got in trouble yet. If money was basically not a restriction(new truck new boat) I probably would have gone with fiberglass, but I spend enough on fishing as it is and hated to add a truck payment.

There is one other thing that would make me hesitate on fiberglass just a wee bit, and that is sliding up on deadheads, and I do this several times a year. Fiberglass on a deadhead can be even more miserable than al on a deadhead. But I think that is a minor problem. Either way there are good boats out there, pick what you like and don't look back.