Aluminum vs Fiberglass Boats
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 30 авг 2020
- What type of boat is better for you, aluminum or fiberglass? Choosing the size and style of boat is one thing, but what about the different material used to build them. Is one better than the other when you talk about aluminum vs Fiberglass? In this video we will cover:
1. Fiberglass Boats Pros and Cons. 0:46
2. Aluminum Boats Pros and Cons. 2:52
3. Recap 3:50
_______________________
Bowrider vs. Deckboat Video:
▶ • Bowrider and Deck Boat...
Check out our Boating Blog here:
▶blog.lenscove.com/blog
________________________
Connect with us!
▶lenscove.com
▶ / lenscove
▶ / lenscovem
▶ / lenscovem 
Авто/Мото
What is your favorite...aluminum or fiberglass?
I’ve a few of both... aluminium is for me, the way to go, especially in Canada.
The best boat I had was a crestliner Sabre 20ft.
Took some big waves, easy to trailer, easy on gas and no osmosis.
I’m not sure if this is accurate but I was told many times that when fibreglass freezes in the winter, if it’s stored outside or inside, the water inside the fibreglass freezes and make the fibreglass crack and wears it a lot faster.
I now have a 19ft prince craft with a 150hp and it flies and runs perfect.
We can sit 6 and can carry a lot of gear,
We fish and use it for family activities.
That’s my 2 cents
Nick. Yes, the moisture in fiberglass does freeze and can cause minor long damage over the long term.
@@nicknick1974 0
Your first statement of where you live and how you use your boat says it all. For me, living in Michigan (lakes everywhere) and a fishman aluminum is a no brainer. Easy to tow, easy to launch and retrailer, inexpensive, low maitenance and since mine is only 16 foot I can go in almost any lake from a small inland lake to any of the Great Lakes (you have to pick your day). I find aluminum is much easier if you are by yourself.
InstaBlaster.
I worked for OMC (Outboard Marine Corporation) for a long time, and have watched, and worked in the 'hull department'...and I'm here to tell you, I'd NEVER actually purchase a fiberglass boat! The reason? He forgot to mention that the stringers and bulkheads on ALL 'mid-market' fiberglass boats are pine plywood and studs! The matting is prepared, the release agent is put on the mold, the mat (wet hull) is laid-in, and then the stringers and bulkheads are installed...then capped with more wet fiberglass. The end result? A wooden skeleton, wrapped in semi-permeable fiberglass...that over time, takes on water, swells, stress-cracks the fiberglass, then rots (air gets in), then much of your structural integrity and strength are gone...and if you don't think so, go to the next 'major storm area' afterwards, and look at the 'toothpicks' left of 'fiberglass boats'...you will see rotted sub-structure EVERYWHERE! Forget that, buy an aluminum boat, learn to TIG weld, and keep your boat FOR LIFE! If 'fiberglass' was so great, major ships would use it for hull design...as it is, the U.S. Navy is turning to 'Aluminum Hull military ships' currently...and THERE IS a reason for it...(also, if you want more proof...just look at your 'always in the water houseboat designs'...there is a reason they are ALWAYS either steel or aluminum below the waterline).
Yes.... this is the fact.
I live in Tasmania, Australia. There’s very few glass boats here. Ali boats are everywhere for the exact reasons you mentioned!
Omc is the worst!
Both boat types are good. Get the boat that best meets your needs.
I live in Canada and most of the lakes are very rocky. Hitting a rock will put a dent in an aluminum boat. Hitting a rock with a fiberglass boat can do major damage and take a lot of time and money to repair it. I chose an aluminum boat every time.
Thank you so much Sean for this very helpful video. Like all other vider Videos i learn so much from them. Keep up the good work cheers
Thank you Mike!
You can beach an aluminum boat on a pebble beach with no harm done. Don't dare touch your fiberglass hull to anything
Yes, you need to be more gentle with fibreglass on hard surfaces
Really good, calm, rational explanation. One thing I see today--is heavy, heavy aluminum boats, like Duckworth, Hewscraft, North River and a 20 foot model going for over 100K--unreal. Yet, the design strengths and limitations you describe still apply.
If fiberglass is so much better than why are all your mud boats and jet boats that run rocky rivers all aluminum!!!???? Use your brain if fiberglass was better than aluminum they would use it it costs more to build a quality aluminum boat than plastic!!!
@@thomaskitlica5572 I for one have never argued that fiberglass is "better", not sure where you are coming from in that remark.
Hi Len , What is your opinion on fiberglass hull thickness ? My boat recently had a core sample done , 1 1/2 '' to the side of the V of the keel . Thickness is 1/4 '' thick .
I would appreciate your view on the higher end Aluminum hulls like Duckworth, Raider, Hewescraft, North River, their cost is so high itis hard to believe still they are so impressive.
how will heat exchanges react ? if I try to wrap the hull of an aluminium trawler with gelcoat and 2 layers of fiberglass in and out. I will have the advantages of gelcoat like you said, keep salt water away from aluminium, smoothing rough edges...
I was on the fence between Ranger Reata and Starcraft 170 I'm going with the aluminum haul.
I had a 18' aluminum boat with a Johnson 110 two stroke. The trailer boat and motor weighed around 1600 lbs. I just bought a 19' fiberglass CC with a 150 hp Merc. My Highlander is definitely feeling the difference. The boat alone is 2800 lbs the trailer is 600 lb I believe. My tow capacity is 5000 lb so I'm 200 lb over the 80% rule of 4200 lb. When I brought the boat home I found out there was water in the bilge area adding weight so I was definitely maxing out my tow capacity. My aluminum boat had carpeted wood floors. They were solid and the carpet was nice but man I love having a self bailing fiberglass deck. The aluminum is definitely tougher skinned and it's actually safer in lightning storms than fiberglass. They are rugged but ride like a soup can unless you have some weight in it. I would not hesitate to buy an aluminium boat for a second if they put aluminum decks in them. I will never own a wooden deck again.
You shouldn't be town with a Highlander. Get a V8.
Which one is better for saltwater?
I live in Florida it's not the lake water that threatens you down here its the rain. It took me one time out caught in a fast moving thunderstorm to realize just how dangerous the rain was. People have a tendency to feel safer in lake than the ocean. Until you get caught in a Florida thunder storm on a big lake you can't begin to realize how wrong feeling safe is. My boat was getting hammered by 4" an hour wind swept rain and the temperature went from 92 degrees to 72 degrees in minutes. The lake formed a chop in minutes and that chop just kept getting more intense by the minute. There was a definite bathtub effect happening These waves were bouncing off the shore and growing each time. I always run a good bilge pump and I had a 1100 gallon bilge pump thank god it kept working and it was working hard to keep up with the water entering the bilge. I lost everything else the motor wouldn't start the electronics were failing but that beautiful pump and my trolling motor saved the day and I limped along the shoreline bach to the ramp. If you go down in Florida you're swimming with alligators so I bought a 19' CC with a self bailing deck and as always I put a brand new 1100 gallon bilge pump float switch in it and added a second bilge pump just above the first. It's a ocean boat that's how serious I take the weather and the lakes down here with over 28 miles of shoreline.
Everyone here seems obsessed with hull strength and the ability to hit a giant log or something. A big part that needs to be consider is which material makes a nicer boat to be on. Fibreglass boats are more comfortable. They are quieter smoother and feel more solid in the sense that the material is thicker. They are just more pleasant to be on and they are just as strong as aluminum in water as long as you dont hit a rock or tree which is pretty hard to do in the ocean. This is my take as someone who fishes the pnw
Fibreglass is crap and falls to bits 😂
Fiberglass material soo expensive also hard to work with in my experience
Hey Len's, I love your videos, I had a few questions; does a fixed tower assist with structure, as in, could a tower add rigidity to an aluminum hull? If you want a boat with a more simple hull design, does that detract from the function and structure of the boat? What are some features I should look for in a boat if I want to do 80% cruising and 20% sport? Thanks!
A tower does not add structural integrity to the boat itself. If anything, the added weight adds stress to the hull sides. Most good manufacturers have added enough support to account for this.
Your other question is more complicated and I would need to know more to answer. Email me if you want to discuss further: sean@lenscove.com
Look at almost every charter and or work boat in Alaska. Very rough conditions, what type hulls will you predominantly find? Plate aluminum. How many fiberglass hulled boat get purposely beached in regular usage? I have owned 4 fiberglass and ever one of them had wood rot. Rot in the transom, stringers, and gunwales. Any place a penetration was made for mounting a motor or motor mount, a rod holder, a rail. Gel coat cracks let water in and fiberglass swells causing blisters. Aluminum dents, stretches then tears. Taking on water? In an emergency you can hammer on a tear in an aluminum hole to make it smaller then stuff it with rags and wood wedges. Can not hammer a dent out of fiberglass. In an aluminum boat you cut out the damaged plate and weld in a replacement piece. Fiberglass repairs are way more involved and good luck matching the gel coat. I love my 23’ 6,300lb aluminum 23’ boat. No more glass hulls for me.
Yes - everything you say is true. Your usage and repair ethos is different than the majority of easy going day boater though. Way to go :)
That’s been my thinking as well. That’s why you don’t see hardly any Fiberglass boats made after the late 90’s for sale up here. Pretty much everyone is running aluminum. We’re looking for a boat to day fish out of the sound or Seward. Pretty much sold on aluminum after this.
Here you go, aluminum hulled RIB boat. In an emergency at least its unsinkable, I know famous last words.
@@boatinglessonsbut you clearly stated in the video that fiberglass is tougher which is a bold face lie!!! Fiberglass is normally a half inch thick minimum and aluminum is normally 1/4 inch or less but yet it's easier to crack the fiberglass!! So how is it stronger when it has to be over two times the thickness and still not be as strong!!!
@@thomaskitlica5572 My intent was not to lie, but rather communicate our knowledge based on our local experience in our market place with the boats that we have here.
Hello my dream is to own a fishing boat someday .... but dont have budget greating here from philippines.
My biggest thing is I want to be able to bring it up on a rocky shore or rocky beach to go camping or for a shore lunch so fiberglass is just about out of the question.
How about aluminum /fiberglass on choppy waters of lake eire VS fiberglass/aluminum on Lake Michigan
My dad had a 22' fiberglass and I have a 16' aluminum. I have been on both lakes in both boats. In rough water the ride out to your fishing spot the 22' had a more comfortable ride. However while trolling if you want to stay dry the aluminum boat is much better. The reason: That 22' Searay my dad had would porpose the waves in rough seas. As it was on the way down from one wave the weight of that boat would plow into the next wave throwing the wave over the bow, . I have never had a wave go over the bow of my aluminum boat even in 4' + waves, it bobs like a cork.
Hi there, I'm new to boating. I was given a 86 sea ray pochanga with a 350 magnum and was wondering if you knew where I can get a replacement alfa one gen 1 outdrive or if possible to replace with a bravo
Victor, there are lots of replacement drives available through aftermarket. Are you in the US or Canada? Do you deal with a local marina? As for upgrading it to a Bravo, that is not really possible without massive amounts of work as the entire transom assembly is different.
I'm in the US, no I don't work with local marina I'm a DIY guy and was wondering what you'd recommend doing and where's a good place to get a replacement unit and thanks for replying
for my motorcycle i chose it will be as light as possible
I like it more than Fiberglass in many ways, only issue is the noise when we are in the ocean jigging. Any methods to reduce to hull noise when the waves hitting it. Thanks 🙏
dynamat
@@DrugsAndInternet great choice !!!!
I’ll looking at a 21 foot 2016 Allison. I’m a crappie fisherman (tournaments/guiding) and one guy is telling me that the Allison hull can not endure stumps like an aluminum boat. I want a “rocket”, for obvious reasons. I was under the impression that fiberglass hulls today are very durable Is the Allison hull not as durable?
Fibreglass is less malleable than aluminum. An impact that may cause a dent in an aluminum boat will cause a scratch or possible crack in a fibreglass boat.
In rough seas, fibreglass is superior for overall hull strength. For bumps and impacts, aluminum can sometimes handle it better
@@boatinglessonsThen why are all your work boat's, and supply boat's aluminum they take a beating every day of their lives!! In the oil industry you won't see a fiberglass boat!!! In all reality the only thing a fiberglass boat has over a metal boat is they do generally ride better but that's even changing!!! Why do you think in the fishing world more and more boat's are showing up metal!!!
Just few other things that differentiate aluminium from fiberglass in my opinion...When a fiberglass boat reaches its lifecycle end, it is a big waste that can't be reclyded, while an aluminium boat is a "reserve" of raw material that can be totally reclyded: for this, beside the (important) ecological point of view, an aluminium boat should maintain an higher value than a fiberglass one. Furthermore, if a fiberglass boat "suffers" of osmosis, an alumium one "suffers" galvanic and electrolytic current corrosions: so I would say that from this point of view both must be cared in ordert to have always an efficient hull. Finally, fibreglass, as all other glass rinforced plastics, is a fragile material. Aluminium, as all metals is ductile. If you have a crash with a fiberglass boat it is possible to make an hole through the hull, while the aluminium one should just bend (if you don't have a very big impact against some cutting obstacle....I remember the Costa Concordia - made of steel not aluminium - against a rock that cutted it almost all side long)
Living in the NW the aluminum boat is like a pickup truck. It keeps its value and can be sold for top dollar year round. My Northriver boat is like a tank and looks as nice as the day 2005 I purchased. Plastic boats lose value, have cheap interiors, cheap hardware, and cheap trailers. Check how well a metal boat vs a plastic boat depreciated.
What does a 40 year old fiberglass hull look like? Will an old boat like a Chris Craft have to be junked.
That all depends on where it was used, how well or not it was taken care of, etc. It could be junk, or could be gorgeous. There is a strong possibility it could have issues though and should be looked at very carefully
@@boatinglessons I was thinking if an old fiberglass hull boat goes over a wave will the hull crack and break.
@@CDaeda same answer applies....it all depends on how it was maintained, stored and used. We have 45-50 year old fiberglass boats here at the marina that people still use every year.
@@boatinglessons I don't disagree with you, but polymer usually tend to lose a little their mechanical characteristics with exposure to atmospherical agents such as the sun (especially kevlar). Anyway I agree it depends a lot on how the boat has been cared during her life
@@compassft Yes, they all eventually break down. It's a good thing too as people keep old boats going too long anyway ;-)
What does it for me is that aluminium is completely recyclable, plastic less so, polyester not at all. A small polyester boat is 200 lbs of future toxic waste and a problem for my kids to deal with. An aluminium boat is a future saucepan, bicycle and/or another boat.
Missing information is comparative weights between both...!
Aluminum’s electrical conductive problems will forever be a problem especially on large Blue Water sailboats. If Aluminum weight difference is large enough, possible to use outside hull as Base for applying Epoxy/resin/thin material with Gell Coat thin layer. Aluminum immediately oxides once virgin material exposed to air, so covering it with a protective layer is encouraged. Aluminum also cracks from being work hardened. This will show up from stressing. Fiberglass is known to move around and shrink with age. An example is older Corvettes where doors shrunk leaving larger gaps. Plastics and steel require annealing over time to lessen hardness and make more flexible. This is part of the work hardening process that pro uses crack.
So carbon fiber isn't a big deal anymore, my bike is carbon fiber. So why not carbon fiber boats?
tin can vs high end bathtub. love it
I guess our bias shows a bit there? 😉
And the tin can wins easily my tin can is still going well after 20 years of offshore work a fibreglass would be in pieces 😂
Lool u haven’t seen Australian made aluminium boats. Here in aus fibre glass is old news unless your looking for a boat that live in the marina. Aussi aluminium boats👌👌👌
Up the Quintrex and Yellowfin
Aluminium is the only choice as far as I’m concerned. It will still be on the water long after the transom and stringers have rotted out of a glass boat. You forgot to mention one other important thing. Strength. You it something in the water in an Ali boat and you probably won’t notice. You may just get a hole in your glass boat! Also, I don’t hesitate to Beach my Ali boat!
Another thought....where you live affects this decision greatly. I live by Long Island Sound - 100 mi long by 25 mi wide. It would be cheaper and more comfortable to trailer boat to the far end then fish, rather than run in open water the same distance. There is a cost w larger heavier FG boat where you must leave it at Marina then make long runs in open water.
Seems if you live close to lots of lakes or long narrow body of water, Aluminum notso bad.
You are 100% correct Charlie!
Yeah, big boats are for the ocean. You don't need anything huge to go fishing on the local lakes.
maybe combine aluminum and fiberglass
👏👏👏👍👍
The aluminium boats in America look so basic compared to the ones we have in New Zealand
What are the popular brands in New Zealand?
@@boatinglessons extreme, stabicraft, white pointer, profile, surtees and a few more
Duckworth, Wooldridge , king fisher ,hewes stabicraft,allied liberator , ACI That’s just a few on the northwest coast lol should I continue
@@pittypitt2779 New Zealand is the size of the state of Colorado
@@captainmigs1655 Nicer people though 🤨
You did not talk about all of the wood or foam that is used in all fiberglass boats that will rot then you are screwed. WHY DID YOU LEAVE THIS OUT AND YOU KNOW THIS IS TRUE ????
Yes, that is correct - a lot of fiberglass boats do have that and we did not think of that when creating this video. There are many fiberglass boat manufactures that do not use wood at all. There are other ones with wood in them that have been totally fine for 50 years! Each case is different, and the older the boat, the more cautious you should be. A marine survey can often find early signs of rot if you are concerned.
That is the most important thing to know .
Aren't aluminium boats way more durable? Let's say you hit something you have higher chances of the aluminium to survive?
Yeah and if you want to pull up to a rocky shore with a fiberglass forget it
If you hit rocks with any boat you'll be lucky if the gash doesn't sink your boat in an instant, no matter what material you use.
@@Lucasxd331You must never been on a mud boat doing 50 and hit a rock in the river and be two to three feet in the air! I hate it when people that don't know what they are talking about can't keep their mouths shut!!!
@@thomaskitlica5572
I'm pretty sure hitting rocks damages the hull and can cause the boat to sink, and will do so in most circumstances.
If you hate random strangers on the internet because what they say doesn't conform with your own experiences, then you're a bitter old man who can't take an opinion to save his life.
You're in the internet Thomas, if you want people to shut up, that's not the way to do it.
@@Lucasxd331 I apologize it's just I run a rocky log infested creek and I promise you that the fiberglass one's are the ones sinking as we slide by riding almost dry sand! Fiberglass has it's purpose but toughness isn't it!! Cheap and easy to use.
good video. When I think of fiberglass boats, I think of the many many many sun bleached completely dilapidated glass boats that I see in peoples yards. Boats that are way beyond any type of repair. When I go fishing, I see aluminum boats all the time that are 30 years old that still look very decent. Although, Fiberglass boats are better for salt water.
Longevity ,you can have an Aluminum boat forever (will it to kids ) but after 20 yrs (give or take )fiberglass shows its age and is probably breaking down in a serious (transom ) way !!
If not cared for - you are 100% correct. We have lots of 70s fibreglass boats still going strong though
FYI, many aluminum boats have a wood core transom cladded in an aluminum skin. If these boats are not properly cared for their transom can rot too.
@@danield954wow one piece of wood that is obvious when it's bad!! Fiberglass you have to do core samples and cut open the deck to see what is rotting!!! Just because they aren't your cup of tea doesn't mean that it's not a superior building material for boat's!!! Why do you think 90 percent of all commercial vessels are aluminum or steel!??? It's not because it's cheaper I promise you!! It's far cheaper to spray some plastic over a mold and slap some paint on it!!!
@@thomaskitlica5572 Actually, from living in the Great Lakes region I prefer an aluminum hull over fiberglass. In fact I have an aluminum boat. They are lighter so they are easier to tow, easier to launch and retrieve. They also are better on fuel.
Completely nonsense
an Aluminum hull can take a bullet
a fiber glass cant
ever had a bump in a early chevy corvette?
Aluminum hulls do not burn because it is not manufactured with highly flammable resin.
They save lots of weight which means you can go up in size.
Geez the list goes own
I don’t want to be in rough seas in a
a plastic boat unless you are The Viking of the high seas.
Fiber glass repair is expensive and time consuming
the list tilts heavily towards aluminum
altho they might be expensive cuz
duuuuh
they are aluminum...
he says fiber glass is stronger
I dont think so
compression test for composite is 30k lbs complete crush
Aluminum is double that and is lighter
dont think so
Won't Salt eat Aluminum? Yeah think so.
Fiberglass is always better. Way too noisy. Cold and clammy. Fiberglass way more comfortable.
what about an aluminum boat and storms... I'd be more concerned with getting struck by lightning
aluminum repair always in the shop like welding or patching..
Are you saying that is a pro or a con?
Aluminum boats beat the shit out of you. They are also colder. Open water Glass Rivers or beach landing aluminum.
They do ride rougher; agreed 💯
Spend more money and get a quality aluminum boat with a thicker hull and it will actually ride better than a plastic piece of crap!!!
@@thomaskitlica5572 you sound very passionate about your aluminum boats and that's great! There is no right or wrong answer here and we welcome all perspectives :-). As long as you love being out on the water we do too!
This guy doesn’t know anything about Pavati boats.
That would be 100% correct. :)
Every substance having its pros and cons , the proplem of aluminum as I hear , is corrosion and not easy to fix
Just the opporsite, Fiberglass is not easy to fix, besides, fiberglass is much heavier and waste fuel than aluminum.
My aluminum has not rusted yet after 30years
aluminum do not corrode only in acids
@@crisangle8592 My understanding comes from scuba. The aluminum 80 tanks will oxidize, but the surface layer of aluminum oxide then kind of forms a protective coat that keeps it from continuing to oxidize. Maybe this only works on a thick piece of metal. The steel tanks will rust and then just keep on rusting. Some alloys of aluminum are pretty resistant to corroding though, when you say steel or aluminum your kind of just scratching the surface there are so many alloys of each with different properties that is hard to say. Also do you use it in the ocean or on lakes/rivers? I think all boats are happier in fresh water.
@@jeffk464 there is nothing better then aluminum , but in ocean it corrodes even if it is marine grade , but in long run it will payoff coz it is lightweight and , relatively stronger in some cases
A video made by a guy who has never left his County, and only boats in fresh water, never been in the sea. What a waste of time
If fiberglass is so much tougher than aluminum why are all your mud boat's aluminum????
If I implied that they were “stronger/tougher “, that was not my intent. They are heavier and therefore handle rough water better