To go Aluminum or Fiberglass?

RevyFisher

RevyFisher

Active Member
I've currently got a 17' older bow rider rigged out for fishing but looking to upgrade to newer and slightly larger. Thought i wanted to go aluminum as i live in the interior and tired of anchoring off the beaches when camping or swimming. After speaking with others they say aluminum's are bouncy and rough compared to fiberglass. I'm looking for a boat i can enjoy our large interior lakes both fishing and some watersports as well as spend a few weeks every summer on the saltwater fishing. Our 17' always just felt a bit small on the saltwater. Thoughts? Anyone seen any good deals as i figured this is the time of year to be searching?
 
I used to have a 14' FG Livingston. Beached it often. I'd sand & re-coat the scratches in the gelcoat as needed. Don't think there is a similar alternative for AL; pretty soon you have no metal. With AL, you can't duplicate the compound curves of a glass boat & ride quality of the AL will suffer as a result. It is all compromise. For ride quality, a heavy deep vee is best. It's the worse for fuel economy & worse for rocking when stopped. Beware of wood encapsulated in FG. It's not if it will rot, but when. An all-AL boat (springers/internal supports, etc) avoids this rot issue. AL is lighter & easier on fuel & requires less HP to power. I do not care for their looks though.
 
There are NO DEALS on welded aluminum boats. They seem to be in high demand these days. If you're beaching a lot they are great. yes, they ride hard, not so much because of the hull designs, but more so because they are light in my opinion.

Positives: Low maintenance, zero rot concerns, lighter to tow, cheaper to power and fuel, easy to beach on sand, gravel, or cobbles, high resale value.
Negatives: Rough ride (and suspension seats of any quality are expensive), expensive to purchase.

There is no perfect boat, just acceptable trade offs.
 
@RevyFisher - how will the boat be stored? A canvas cover isn't the same as having the boat under a roof. Over successive Revelstoke winters, it's going to get water inside the boat for lengthy periods. That won't be kind to fibreglass hulls and their (usually) wood stringers over the decades. Lack of longterm undercover storage would sway me toward aluminum, but for most other aspects, I prefer fibreglass hulls. Smoother, more compliant ride especially in the short steep waves we get on the inside coastal waters and the big interior lakes. I've been out on Okanagan in a good blow a few times and the swell is much the same as for a snotty day on say the sunshine coast (except no tide issues).
 
Franko Manini said:
There are NO DEALS on welded aluminum boats. They seem to be in high demand these days. If you're beaching a lot they are great. yes, they ride hard, not so much because of the hull designs, but more so because they are light in my opinion.

Positives: Low maintenance, zero rot concerns, lighter to tow, cheaper to power and fuel, easy to beach on sand, gravel, or cobbles, high resale value.
Negatives: Rough ride (and suspension seats of any quality are expensive), expensive to purchase.

There is no perfect boat, just acceptable trade offs.
Click to expand...

Get as big fuel tank and keep it full, rides way better. Heavier is good. Watch on aluminium in some marinas where electrical currents in the marina are high. Can cause porosity (Tiny pin holes) in the aluminium.
 
I have to agree a lot of the ride issues with aluminum are to do with the fact they are far lighter, and therefore pound far more. I recently did a trip to the west coast and put a large trunk at the bow for storage, and had the boat super loaded down compared to normal. I'm sure it wasn't great for my gas milage, but it sure helped cut the waves.

I have owned fiberglass for most of my life, and would now never want to go back.
 
haha, alu makes more pukers per capita. bobbin like a cork.. i use atleast a third less fuel than comparable boats tho. i dont fuel barge neither, costs too much.
 
sly_karma said:
@RevyFisher - how will the boat be stored? A canvas cover isn't the same as having the boat under a roof. Over successive Revelstoke winters, it's going to get water inside the boat for lengthy periods. That won't be kind to fibreglass hulls and their (usually) wood stringers over the decades. Lack of longterm undercover storage would sway me toward aluminum, but for most other aspects, I prefer fibreglass hulls. Smoother, more compliant ride especially in the short steep waves we get on the inside coastal waters and the big interior lakes. I've been out on Okanagan in a good blow a few times and the swell is much the same as for a snotty day on say the sunshine coast (except no tide issues).
Click to expand...

It'll be stored under a carport so it's out of all the weather elements. Have stored the fiberglass now for 9 yrs in Revelstoke and no issues its stays dry and clean all winter.
 
Thanks for the opinions everyone. Seems pretty consistent from what I've heard. I think the idea of a keel guard and keep using a bungee system when beached overnight is worth the trade off for the comfort on the water. Also seems you can get much more boat for far less than aluminum. Now to find a good deal on the ideal boat. lol
 
It is a personal choice each one has there drawbacks. Not one is better than other. Just like inboard vs outboard. Choose the boat you want. Some aluminum are way overpriced in my opinion, but there are some that are not.

As for pounding in aluminum it does depend on the design.
 
No transom rot.
No stringer rot.
No waxing.
Won't melt if on fire.
Can beach multiple times with minimal wear without adding some "strip" to the hull.
Wash and walk away.
10 times the shear strength upon collision.
Most impacts involve denting instead of rupture.
RECYCLABLE!!! (huge these day's and the biggest positive IMO)

Just a few things to think about. Some of them are a major reason for the rise in popularity of aluminum boats lately.

Yes, you can't get the same bow flair that some of the chlorox bottle boats have but the Aussies and Kiwis's are getting close. Some of the newer custom aluminum's that are build heavy are getting a pretty good ride these days. Hence there popularity lately. The fuel economy goes down with weight but they are still beating or on par with the ping pong boats for fuel economy.
 
Last edited:
Sculpin said:
No transom rot.
No stringer rot.
No waxing.
Won't melt if on fire.
Can beach multiple times with minimal wear without adding some "strip" to the hull.
Wash and walk away.
10 times the impact strength upon collision.
Most impacts involve denting instead of rupture.
RECYCLABLE!!! (huge these day's and the biggest positive IMO)

Just a few things to think about. Some of them are a major reason for the rise of aluminum boats lately.

Yes, you can't get the same bow flair that some of the chlorox bottle boats have but the Aussies and Kiwis's are getting close. Some of the newer custom aluminum's that are build heavy are getting a pretty good ride these days. Hence there popularity lately. The fuel economy goes down with weight but they are still beating or on par with the ping pong boats.
Click to expand...

Please show me a 30ft alum that rides on par in the chop with a 30 ft pursuit. No chance. Are they getting better? of course. Even with $1000 shock absorbing seats. Id rather spend that few grand on rods and reels then seats because my butt is getting pounded in a 2 ft chop. There are positive and negatives to both. If I am spending $100k on a boat things like "is my boat recyclable, or if my boat will melt in a fire" aren't on the radar. The only positives IMO an alum has over glass is gas mileage and to me that doesn't even play a part. If you are constantly thinking about how much you spend on gas as a sport fisherman, you mid as well give it up. IF I was guiding, I would most likely own an ALLOY because of the fuel savings. Out side of that no chance. The other one is ease of customization. I do really like that about coke can boats. If you can think it up, you can get it added on your boat.
 
You don't worry about the cost of gas for a 30ft fibreglass boat but the cost of suspension seats for a boat in the 30ft range concerns you? Seems like you're playing both sides of the argument there, Joe.

In any case, the two camps are pretty entrenched and as has already been posted there are pros and cons to both. I've owned quite a few boats on both coasts, love my aluminum and doubt I'd go back to glass.

Cheers!

Ukee
 
like most of us on the board who now own alu but went thru years of glass boats, three of my biggest reasons is lower operating costs (motors and fuel), not worried about stains/rot/stresscracks , weight for trailer hauling. some things to consider..
 
Getting away from the glass vs tin arguments,the original poster wanted to move up from a 17 ft.glass boat to something more comfortable,it doesn't sound like he wants to spend $100 K to do it.He's unlikely to find an aluminum in the 20-24 ft. size for less than $40K but there is lots to choose from in glass under that price.
 
Went aluminum from fibreglass and the biggest benefit so far (besides fuel) has been the peace of mind with bumps and bruises.
It does pound though, which as other have said is impacted by the design and weight (mines flatter and pretty light).

Won't be going back to glass.
 
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