"Del Cecchi" wrote in message
...
wrote:
On Jan 11, 8:34 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
wrote in message

...

Finally going to make the plunge and buy an aluminum boat, but i am
confused. Our goal is to buy a boat that will last for many years to
come and also turn heads when on the water. The more i talk to
salesman the more BS i hear. What should i be looking for as far as
the quality of the welds, some look like art and some look like my son
who is 12 tried to weld for the first time. Does the apperance of the
weld matter? We are looking at a 200 Sea Runner Hewes Craft right now,
any comments would help at this point
Thanks
I own a Lund, and the company makes a big selling point of the fact that
their aluminum hulls are double riveted. Welding is not mentioned
anywhere
in their literature, as far as I've noticed. I've been beating the crap
out
of the boat since 1999 and it's as tight as the day it was new.

www.lundboats.com
Thanks for the feedback
I appreciate your coment about rivetted boats but my wife said noway
to riveted boats, he dad had one and it always leaked. Infact you
should have seen the dirty looks she gave one of the salesman when he
was trying to sale us on a riveted boat. What would you look for or
like to see as far as welds?

Here in minnesota there are riveted boats all over the place. Lund and
Alumacraft are the two biggies. If they leaked, they wouldn't be so
popular. Boeing uses rivets also but not on boats.


Riveted boats were lightweight, thin Aluminum. Welding thin aluminum just
does not work in boats or airplanes. Too much flex. Will break next to the
welds. Been their, got the tee shirt. My 14' alum boat got a crack in the
bottom from the trailer bunk. A keel roller had collapsed and the bow strap
caused the boat to press on the front edge of the bunk. Had it welded and
had to get it welded again. The Northwest boats were designed to run
shallow water with rocks. Sure the get holed at times. But it is normally
a very sharp rock that does it.