Fiberglass vs. Aluminum

[slimeyslab]

What are the pro's and con's of each?

[skeetbum]

Aluminum boats are easy to tow, durable, perform better with low power, tougher around rough or rocky conditions, easy to modify, easy to clean when no interior there. Cons; noisy, blow around in the wind, ride rougher due to lack of weight(mostly flat bottoms).
Fiberglass usually rides better, quieter, and dryer due to better hull design. They're heavier and take a few more ponys to push, and tow. Storage in most aluminum boats is less than in a glass boat, and weight of the hull as you move around in it makes it a somewhat more stable platform. I'm pretty good sized and my last metal boat would move real fast underneath me when I lost my balance or turned around quick. Just a few thoughts, hope it answers some of your questions.

[Big Willie]

i like the glass for stabability, glass is more money but worht it in my opion

[WhitePerchJerker]

The glass looks better but it is harder to maintain. You will have the alum. boat a lot longer than the glass. I have a 81 model Boston Whaler and it still looks good because I never let it stay in the sun, wax it often. I just sold a polar craft alum. I purchase in 72. Never did anything but use it and wash it ever five years. I have a Southfork alum. now.

[Wannabe...]

Skeetbum hit the high points. I'll add that repairing fiberglass is a fairly expensive undertaking compared to having a welding shop fix a metal boat.

Wannabe...

[INGrandad]

Durability has always been the issue for me. I get into some awful spots bowfishing and cruising creeks. I've always stuck with aluminum.

[Flatwater]

All good comments, just to add my 2 cent. Many fiberglas boats have a lot of wood. It is the wood that is the biggest issue, even in many decked out alum boats the wood has issues. You would think they would at least use pressure treated wood, but they mostly do not it is just plain old pine and plywood.

Some newer glas boats like cape horn and sea pro use only modern fiberglas and carbon stringers and are all foam filled so nothing can rot out. This is why 1975 boston whalers are still good, they contain no wood and are foam filled.

I also think aluminum boats hold there value better. If you keep one over 10 years most likely you can sell it for more than you paid for it.

[LBM]

Skeetbum really nailed it for you. One of the things that stood out for me when I switched to aluminum was my own inner feelings one day after observing spike or nail heads sticking out of some of the timber I was working.

While in the aluminum boat after seeing the spikes it was just a matter of fact observation with out any further thoughts about that fact and I continued fishing. If I had of been in fiberglass the hair on the back of my neck would have stood up with feelings of dread and apprehension about what those nail heads could do to the gelcoat.

[Pomoxis]

I guess I need to start saving up for an AL project boat

[STUMP HUNTER]

The older I get the more I like my aluminum boat. Easy to pull and easy to load and unload.