Meach wrote:
What experiences have you all had with aluminium hulls and decks?
Advantages and disadvantages?

For me there is no doubt that aluminium is a far superior material for
boat hulls. I've spent many cruises on french alu hulls and was always
very happy with their performance. Over here on the used boat market alu
boats keep theirs price much better than fiber hulls. Mostly because the
hull is more solid in the long run and less prone to aging.

Here a short summary of advantages and disadvantages

+ Solid hull and deck
Things like the raling bases, cleats etc. are more solid, because
mounted onto an metal hull.

+ Maintenance is easy and cheap. Regular antifouling and replacing the
anodes will do. The hull doesn't deteriorate on its own. There is no
blistering or similar effects.

+ The hull resists severe shocks well. I've seen alu sailboats after
an encounter with rocks. There were severe dents, but no leaks.
Fibre boats would not survive the same.

- The downside is the difficulty to work aluminium. It takes more
skill and better equipment to weld it than steel. You can not do
repairs or modifications yourself as easily.

Markus