"Jim Woodward" wrote in message om...
SNIP
You mentioned stainless -- do you have any thoughts about it? My
general feeling is "worried" when I think about stainless and hot
running salt water, or even cold stagnant salt water. I suspect that
the galvanized mild steel will last longer and fail more slowly (it
begins to weep), but I'm not a metallurgist.....

Do you ever visit www.metalboatsociety.com? They have a set of
discussion forums and, since the emphasis is on metal, tend to discuss
such issues. In case you've not visited, it isn't at all obvious (at least
to me) as to how to go to the discussion forums. The way I get there
is to click on the "Search" link on the homepage and then click on
the "Metal Boat Society Forum Index" to get to the forum index.

- Julian.