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Posts: 1516
| What are the pros and cons of a fiberglass boat vs an aluminum boat. I fish mostly in Minnesota and take a trip to Canada each year. I fish walleye in Canada and some walleye in Mn but want to fish for Muskie more. Which is better fiberglass or aluminum? |
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | I occasionally keep my Tuffy tied to a dock for a week or two.. Bad winds even with dock bumpers can do a little damage to fiber whereas when having done this with my old al row boat only damage was really paint... rather then the actual surface.. I like the ride my fiberglass has, a little smoother in certain situations then al.. Waves hitting the hull of the boat make very little sound whereas al can be loud..
Rocks, stumps, bolders..etc... can possibly do more damage to a fiber boat then a al boat.. Not saying al won't get damaged, just damage might not be quite as bad.. |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | The ride and performance of glass is far superior to aluminum except on a couple rare exceptions. Glass is usually more money, but comparable to some of the higher end aluminum boats. After my father bought aluminum his whole life I swore I'd only get glass. You do have to be a little more carefull (aka don't hit rocks and such), but glass holds up well. Wax it a couple times a year and keep it covered/garaged and it'll look good for years. |
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | The idea that alum is cheaper to repair and that you will be less worried about it and more willing to hit rocks with it is IMHO a bunch of bunk. Repair shops that _really_ know what they are doing with alum are not that prevelant so you have to pay when you find one. Once you stick a bunch of money into any boat you are going to be careful of bunping it into rocks regardless of what it is made out of, dents or chips, either way its damage and you won't want any damage on your boat.
A smart man once said....pad my ass in fiberglass. |
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Posts: 32954
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | 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 work 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. |
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | I was speaking from experience having owned 3 al boats and 2 fiber. I have a "don't care" attitude at boat ramps.. No docks and I'll just beach my Tuffy.. I do look for rocks so as to avoid them..but will say, I'd rather beach an al boat then my Tuffy any day. I'd rather take an al boat through the stumps and trees of shelbyville and kinkaid any day, but still don't hesitate to take my Tuffy where others fear to tread on those lakes.. I'm just saying as far as the beaching and using the trolling motor through the trees and stumps with my Tuffy there are more chances to damage that then a al boat.. I will also say I hit a tree top on shelby coming off plane once in 23' of water.. possible a al boat might have suffered damage on that one, have yet to find any on my tuffy 3 years later.. Scared the heck outta me though... Had I still been on plane I might have missed it, but as I was coming off the boat was starting to sit lower in the water..and WHAM!!..Steve saw my boat at the Kly Tourney, it is an '83.. Not in the best of shape but definitely not in bad shape.. Fiber's a little faded..ok, maybe not a little..its got some scratches and chips.. got a bunch of new scratches while tied up at Jollymans in the wind..in desparate need of a coat of wax and will need a floor in winter 2005(Uhh Steve, side-note, where can I go to get the floor re-done?? Please let me know, thanks).. If I ever am forced to replace it I think I'll go with another Tuffy.. |
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| Keep in mind when gel-coat is properly applied it will be about 15mls thick dry. Most paints are not that thick. A scratch can be taken out with 600 grit sandpaper and buffed to a shine with a good compound. Most boat manufacturers have gone to using a product called Armorcoat which is a High grade gel coat with Neopental glycol which is used for weatherability and prevents chalk and fade. This product is made by a company called Cook Composites and polymers. I have tested them against urethane based paints. They are not as good for chalk and fade but darn close.
The best thing you can do to keep the luster is wax your fiberglass. Use a good carnuba based wax. If you decide to use any compounds keep in mind you are lessening the life of the gel-coat color. |
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | I suppose Steve can answer this one for sure, but I do not think my boat has a Gel-coat..I think its just plain ol' Fiberglass... |
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Posts: 561
Location: Monee, Illinois | I like both at our summer home we have a fiber and I just bought an AL they both work fine with me.....Just a matter of what you will be using it for...
pgaschulz
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| I have a fiber Ranger and love the ride. It does well in large waves because of the weight of the fiberglass and its width. You also will not drift as fast with a fiberglass. Ride is also better. The only Aluminum boat I have been in that was close to a fiberglass ride was the New Tracker Tundra. If you will be fishing a large amount of rocks go with the Alum. If rocks are not a major consideration go with the glass it is more expensive but usually will have also more features too. |
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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. |
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Posts: 32954
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | FSF,
What's a 20' aluminum boat, let's say a Lund, weigh? According to the website, 2000#. As an example, the 2005 all composite 2060 Tuffy hits the scales at about the same, actually a bit less. Not 300 to 400 pounds heavier.
The 1760 Tuffy weighs about 1345#. The 1775 Lund weighs in at 1355#.
The Skeeter 20' Walleye boat weighs in at 1950#.
If another brand aluminum boat in a 20' model is 600# lighter than the Lund, I submit there is a difference in the overall build. I'll let the buyer decide what that means.
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Posts: 5874
| My Lund 1700 Angler SS weighs 1180 lbs. That's why that thing is rocket ship fast!
I really wanted to go glass when I bought the Lund. Problem was, I was upgrading from my Tuffy Rampage Tiller, and the 1760 at the time was just way too expensive. So I "settled" on the Lund. It's been a great boat, both on small and large waters! Depending on the mood of the day, it's an Esox Angler, Walleye Angle, or a Salmon Angler. Very versatile, and a safe boat on most lakes. I don't feel that I "settled" anymore.
I do really like what Tuffy has done with the new lineup. No more wood, much, much better storage and livewell systems, better attitude in the water, and still that great ride and speed.
Edited by Shep 12/17/2004 10:31 AM
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