Mtkkburk wrote:

Disadvantages:
Heavy
Keel makes them somewhat harder to turn
Keel can get hung up on rocks in a shallow river
Noisy
Aluminum transfers cold from water
Did I mention heavy?



Add also that any portion of the aluminum hull will tend to stick like
glue to any rock, regardless of how you come into contact with it. A
trip down a bony river can become a series of body-wrenching jerking
halts, many of them difficult to free up - except the ones where you
have a sudden and unwanted turn with possible safety issues if the
current is stronger than your paddling/poling.

ABS or Royalex are my preferred materials, mostly for the reasons others
here have stated.

Did anyone mention aluminum is *very* noisy in any sort of chop? For
fishing &/or wildlife viewing, this is a heavy disadvantage.

It's been my experience that the assistance in tracking from a keel is
far outweighed by the increased difficulty in maneuvering, especially
moving water, as well as increased draft in shallower places, especially
bony places. (I've owned keels & keelless; I'll never have another keel.)

Yours in the north Maine woods,
Pete Hilton (Reg. Me. Guide) aka The Ent

--
If the assumptions are wrong, the
conclusions aren't likely to be very good.
R. E. Machol