BOATS - Glass vs Aluminum

[Trihull]

Need some opinions. I am thinking about upgrading my boat and a couple of things that I think are important are stability on the front platform and how wind affects the boat.

A friend has an aluminum V bottom and it seems to rock pretty bad with waves. I occasionally fish with another friend who has a Champion glass boat that is very stable, even on the edge of the front platform.

Wind - heavier is better?

Thanks for any help.

[Crappie Top]

I have a Tracker 1754 with a 75hp Merc. It is very stable. I fish a double seat rig up front. Myself and partner are topping 550lbs. I havn't fished this method in glass boat.

[TAE73]

To me it doesnt matter if its a glass boat or a aluminum boat. It all depends on the width of the boat. A wider boat doesnt tend to tilt to the side if all the people move to that side. I have been both boats some rock others dont.

[ShilohRed]

I agree with TAE73 wider is better. I have had both likethe tin boat. But the glass boat does ride better but that is the only thing it has over my tin boat.
Pete

[heycods]

Lots of people tell me how the wind affects aluminum boats, I have both a 16'glass basser and an aluminum 17.5' sea ark the ark is a little lower profile than the tracker types. The glass boat is a v hull. Stability both about the same, wind about the same, maby a slight wind advantage to the aluminum in this case. smothe ride definatly goes to the glass boat. The one I use most the aluminum, If i want to beach on a rocky beach no problem.

[Mrs. Crappie Stalker]

We've had both alum. and glass boats and will most likely stick with aluminum from here on out. I agree about the width too, it doesn't matter which material - wider is better for stability. As far as the ride, I don't think it's the material so much as it is the hull design. The boat we have now is alum. and rides exceptionally well (much better than the old glass boat). It's very smooth, doesn't beat you to death and handles the waves really well.

[izzysfishin]

I've owned a few of each. Lets see now, 1852 Lowe/50hp, 16' Bass Tracker/50hp then 75jet, 375DC Stratos/150hp, 1756 Allweld/90jet, 186 Champion/150hp, 2060 Shoal Runner/350chevyjet,and now a X70 Express/150hp. The aluminum bass boat type hulls on the Express rides as well and are as stabil as any glass boat i've ever owned. I'm tickled to death with it, rides like glass an durability of aluminum...izzy

[CrappiePappy]

glass boats that are tri-hull or shallow draft are going to blow in the wind and "crash" thru oncoming waves, much like a flat bottom alum. The more hull you have under the water - the less effect wind will have on pushing you around. And the less boat you have sticking above the surface, the less surface for the wind to catch.
The wider the boat - the more stable it is ... but it has to be wider on the "bottom", not just the interior. The deeper the hull pad is in the water, and the greater the degree of rise ... the smoother & dryer the ride. You cut thru the water & waves, rather than bounce over top of them.
Maxing out on the hp, that the boat is capable of holding, will give you the best performance, overall. You get max push power to plane quicker, run higher in the water, speed when needed/cruising power at less fuel consumption rate, and less stress on motor.
Towing weight may be a factor, too, so that may enter into what you choose. Alum boats are lighter than most glass boats (of similar size), so they tow easier (and are easier on tow vehicle & its gas consumption). Lighter boats are easier for motor to push, but, may be rougher riding, prone to being blown by wind more, or rock/bob in waves. Alum boat mfgs are compensating for this, by making them wider and deeper hulled ... emulating the glass boat (bass boat) hull/pad design.
I'm looking at several different boats, myself ... looking for a boat that can fish 3 in relative comfort, not be a towing strain on my vehicle, has adequate storage space, is stable, and will be capable of handling the waters I fish .... and still not put me in the "po house" :D So far, I've looked at Lowe, Xpress, G3, Tracker, Nitro, and Stratos. They all have features that score "brownie points" with me ... so it may boil down to the dealership and the bottom line (price/reputation/incentives). ........ luck2ya ......cp

[driller]

My prefrence is glass, simply because of the noise factor.

[jlawhorn]

I"m partial to aluminum myself, glass is heavier and takes more h.p. to move on the boat and on the highway. Also aluminum seems to last longer and take a little more punishment. I've got an 18 foot polar kraft sportsman that I run fishing and hunting and i love it. It fishes, hunts and rides great. The key is to get a wide one, with heavy guage aluminum